COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – WKU Baseball defeated Tennessee Tech 15-4 for its first midweek win of the season on Monday at Bush Stadium.Â
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The win moves the Hilltoppers to 11-1, marking just the second time in program history WKU has won 11 of its first 12 games – 1928 and 2025. The 1928 Hilltopper Baseball team finished the season with a 15-1 record.
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Reid Howard launched his first career grand slam and Henry Brown went yard for the second-consecutive game as the Hilltopper offense exploded for a season-high 15 runs.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
• WKU put up a five-spot in the first inning that started with an RBI triple from Kyle Hvidsten that scored Ryan Wideman. Thomas Marsala drove in another run in the very next at-bat with an RBI single before Henry Brown brought them both in with a two-run homer. Joe Siervo capped the inning with an RBI single to give the Tops a 5-0 lead.
• Tennessee Tech got on the board in the bottom of the frame with a two-run long ball.
• A sacrifice fly from Hvidsten and an RBI groundout from Marsala tacked on two more for WKU in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-2.
• The Tops added a pair in the fifth to go up 9-2 with a two-RBI single from Ethan Lizama.
• An RBI single in the bottom of the frame cut the Golden Eagles' deficit to six.
• A solo blast from Tennessee Tech trimmed the Tops' lead to 9-4 in the sixth.
• WKU put the game out of reach in the eighth inning as Howard powered a grand slam over the left field wall and Carlos Vasquez brought in two more with a double off the wall.
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NOTABLES
• WKU moves to 11-1 through the first 12 games of the season – the team's best start since 1928. The Hilltoppers have started 11-1 just two times in program history – 1928 and 2025.Â
• WKU improves to 71-50-2 all-time against Tennessee Tech with the win.Â
• Cole Heath made his second start of the season on the mound for the Hilltoppers. The right-hander struck out one in 3.0 innings while surrendering two runs on three hits and no walks.Â
• Elliott Rossell, Lucas Litteral and Cal Higgins saw action out of the bullpen.Â
• Rossell picked up his first win of the season as he pitched one shutout inning. The right-hander allowed two hits and one walk.Â
• Higgins closed the game with 2.1 frames of perfect baseball. The southpaw struck out two without allowing a runner on base.
• On the offensive end, the Tops scored a season-high 15 runs on 14 hits and six walks with 15 RBI.
• Every Hilltopper to record an at-bat tallied a hit with four WKU hitters going for multi-hit performances.
• Vasquez, Lizama, Wideman and Austin Haller had two hits a piece with Vasquez having a double, two RBI and a run while and Lizama had two RBI and a run.
• Wideman got on base in four of five plate appearances with two hits, two walks, a run scored and a stolen base.
• Haller had his first multi-hit outing in a 2-for-3 day with a double and two runs scored.
• Howard led the squad with four RBI as he went 1-for-3 with a grand slam and three runs scored.Â
• Hvidsten had a couple of RBI with a triple and two runs while Marsala had a pair of RBI and a run.
• Brown homered for the second straight game and had two RBI and two runs.
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UP NEXT
• WKU is back at home this weekend for a four-game series against UNC Asheville. First pitch from Nick Denes Field on Friday, March 7 is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.
How to follow WKU Baseball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Baseball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKU_Baseball on X and @WKUBaseball on Instagram.
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