WKU and UNC Asheville Set to Play Four-Game Series

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball welcomes UNC Asheville to The Hill for a four-game series this weekend starting on Friday, March 7 at 3 p.m. CT at Nick Denes Field.

SERIES INFO
• UNC Asheville (6-6) at WKU (11-1)
• Nick Denes Field | Bowling Green, Ky.
        • Friday, March 7 | 3 p.m. CT
        • Saturday, March 8 | 1 p.m. CT (DH)
        • Sunday, March 9 | 1 p.m. CT
• Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Jeff Younglove (Game 1), Scott Thompson (Game 2), Will Brown (Game 3), Randy Lee (Game 4) | Analyst: Bart Darrell (Games 1-3), Jim Pickens (Game 4)
• Social: @WKU_Baseball | @WKUSports
• Live Stats: Sidearm | StatBroadcast
• Game Notes: WKU | CUSA

AT THE GAME
• Click HERE to purchase tickets.
• Click HERE for the full WKU Baseball Digital Guide.
• Friday is Bingo and Beer Friday. Come and play baseball bingo for the chance to win a prize from Alumni Hall and enjoy select beer for only $3.
• Saturday is Sandlot Night. Come out to The Nick for our Saturday doubleheader and enjoy some Sandlot-themed entertainment.
• Sunday is Kids Day Sunday. Kids can enjoy postgame base running and autographs with the team. Kids can also enjoy the $5 Kid's Meal Deal which includes a hot dog, popcorn and a drink.
• Click HERE to access the full 2025 WKU Baseball promotional schedule.

ABOUT THE TOPS
• The Hilltoppers enter the series with an 11-1 record after a 15-4 midweek win at Tennessee Tech last Monday. This marks 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.
• 10 of WKU's 11 wins have come at Nick Denes Field. This is the first time the Hilltoppers have started 10-0 at home since 2002. That year, the Tops won their first 10 games at The Nick before falling to Dayton, 6-4, ending the home winning streak.
• WKU's pitching staff has been dominant thus far as they hold a Conference USA-leading 2.59 ERA through 12 games. The Hilltoppers are the only CUSA team with a sub-3.00 ERA heading into this weekend.
• Weekend rotation pitcher, Jack Bennett, has been special for WKU through two starts. He's recorded 12 strikeouts in 12.0 innings and has not allowed a run to score while only surrendering seven total hits and three free passes. The right-hander was named CUSA Pitcher of the Week after 7.0 shutout frames with seven strikeouts in a 2-0 win against Central Michigan last weekend.
• On the offensive end, the Tops .317 batting average is good for second-best in the league. WKU leads CUSA with 32 doubles while the squad's 15 home runs rank fourth among league teams.
• Hilltopper outfielder Ryan Wideman's 23 hits lead CUSA while his .442 batting average ranks fourth in the league. Wideman was stellar at the plate last week as he went 14-for-27 (.527) with two long balls, two doubles, a triple, six RBI, nine runs scored and two stolen bases. The Marietta, Ga. native is top five in CUSA in batting average (.442), hits (23), triples (2), slugging percentage (.769) and stolen bases (7).
• Carlos Vasquez and Ethan Lizama have proven to be a stellar one-two punch at the top of the lineup. Vasquez gets on base nearly half the time with a .400 batting average while his six doubles are tied for the league lead in CUSA. Lizama provides more of a power threat as his four home runs and 15 RBI are tied for the fourth-most in CUSA in each category, respectively.

QUOTABLE
• "We're excited to play a very good team this weekend in UNC Asheville. They bring back a lot of experience on the mound from last year when we went down to their place. We're looking forward to getting back out on the field and playing our brand of baseball." - WKU Baseball Head Coach Marc Rardin, on this weekend's four-game series against UNC Asheville.

SERIES INFORMATION
• This weekend will be the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth meetings between WKU and UNC Asheville.
• The Hilltoppers lead the all-time series 3-2. WKU swept a three-game series at home in 2014, but dropped two games to the Bulldogs last season in a weekend filled with inclement weather.
• This weekend's matchup will mark the second time UNC Asheville has visited Bowling Green and the third series the teams have played against each other.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• UNC Asheville dropped a midweek contest to Pittsburgh 8-1 last Tuesday.
• As a team, the Bulldogs own a .265 batting average while scoring 5.9 runs per game.
• On the mound, UNC Asheville has a 7.07 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 98.0 innings.

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 Twitter and @WKUBaseball on Instagram.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jack Bennett

Ethan Lizama

Carlos Vasquez

Ryan Wideman