WKU Takes on MTSU in 100 Miles of Hate Showdown

BOWLING GREEN Ky. -- Looking to continue their Conference USA success, WKU Softball will head to conference rival Middle Tennessee this weekend for a three-game series.

SERIES INFO
Friday, April 11

vs. Middle Tennessee (6 p.m. CT) Live Stats | ESPN+

Saturday, April 12

vs. Middle Tennessee (4 p.m. CT) Live Stats | ESPN+

Sunday, April 13

vs. Middle Tennessee (12 p.m. CT) Live Stats | ESPN+

SERIES INFO

Middle Tennessee
- Having played the Blue Raiders every season since the inception of the WKU Softball program in 2000, the Hilltoppers hold a 50-34 all-time series record over MTSU.
- In 2023, the Hilltoppers secured a three-game sweep of MTSU, outscoring them 13-4 at home in Bowling Green.
- Playing down in Murfreesboro, WKU leads 2-15 all-time.

ABOUT THE TOPS

After their 2-1 weekend against Kennesaw State, the Tops are currently sitting eighth in the Conference USA standings with a 6-8 conference record.
Offensively, WKU is sitting seventh in the conference in batting average (.273) and four in ERA (3.646).
Freshman right-hander Erica Houge earned her first Freshman of the Week honors on April 7 after a 0.00 ERA performance across three appearances including once start. In 7.2 innings of work, she gave up four hits and registered five strikeouts.
Erica Houge currently leads the conference in saves with four. Houge is both the pitcher with the most inherited runners (11) but has not allowed a single inherited run to score this season.
Maci Masters is currently ranked 24th in CUSA for batting average (.330), she currently leads the team in RBI (35) and is second in hits (34). Masters also has 12 home runs on the season, five short of the all-time single-season record.
Maci Masters is also on a 10-game reached base streak dating back to the game on March 22nd against UTEP.
In the CUSA rankings, Masters is fourth in home runs (12), fifth in RBI (35), fourth in slugging percentage (.748), and fifth in OPS (1.205).
Maci Masters leads the Hilltoppers in multi-hit games with 10, her most recent multi-hit game coming April 4 against Kennesaw State. Jenna Blanton is tied for first with 10.
In multi-RBI games, Kendle White takes the crown for the Hilltoppers with eight games on the season, six two-RBI games, and two three-RBI games.
Four different Hilltoppers collected a total of three hits across the series against Kennesaw State, Charlotte Herron, Annie White, Maci Masters, and Morgan Sharpe. Masters posted two home runs and a single while Herron led in extra-base hits with three doubles. Herron's three doubles brought her total to 11, good enough for fifth in the conference in doubles.
Randi Drinnon still holds the lead in CUSA in sacrifice bunts with eight.
In the bullpen, for pitchers with at least ten appearances, Maddy Wood leads with a 3.35 ERA.
Rylan Smith leads CUSA in batters struck out looking with 33 and is sixth in the conference in opposing batting average (.240). Smith is also fifth in CUSA in strikeouts with 80.
Smith leads the bullpen in strikeouts with 80, while Wood and Houge have 34. Smith is also hunting for 200 career strike outs; currently at 187.

ABOUT THE BLUE RAIDERS

Middle Tennessee is just above WKU in the CUSA rankings at seven with a 7-8 conference record and 19-21 overall record.
Their most notable win came on March 12 with an upset win over then-No.12 Mississippi State. This past Friday, the Blue Raiders shocked the CUSA and handed Liberty their first conference loss of the season, 8-2.
The win against Liberty featured a grand slam from freshman standout Jana Want in the top of the third.
Alongside Want, two other Blue Raiders hit home runs. Including Saturday and Sunday's games, MTSU has now hit a home run in 21 consecutive games.
Jana Want leads the Blue Raiders at the plate with a .394 batting average. She's collected 43 hits and scored a total of 30 runs. She also leads MTSU in RBI with 32.
Former Hilltopper Addy Edmon is tied with Want in extra-base hits with 16. She's collected six home runs, three triples, and seven doubles so far this season.
Three different players have earned CUSA accolades for MTSU. Jana Want has earned Freshman of the Week twice while fellow freshman Leila Ammon has earned it once. In addition to the freshmen, Ansley Blevins earned Player of the Week earlier this season.
MTSU also boasts nine different players in the top 10 in 15 different offensive statistical categories. Want appears the most with seven.
In the circle, Leila Ammon leads the way with a 2.61 ERA that also ranks her fifth in CUSA. Her 72 strikeouts in 94.0 innings of work place her seventh in the conference in total strikeouts.

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Players Mentioned

Jenna Blanton

Randi Drinnon

Charlotte Herron

Erica Houge

Maci Masters

Morgan Sharpe

Rylan Smith

Annie White

Kendle White

Maddy Wood

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