#20 WKU Hosts MTSU for '100 Miles of Hate' Rivalry

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – #20 WKU Baseball returns home as they host Middle Tennessee for a three-game series in the "100 Miles of Hate" rivalry. First pitch from Nick Denes Field on Thursday, April 17 is set for 6 p.m. CT.

SERIES INFO
• Middle Tennessee (17-20, 2-9 CUSA) at #20 WKU (31-6, 9-3 CUSA)
• Nick Denes Field | Bowling Green, Ky.
        • Thursday, April 17 | 6 p.m. CT
        • Friday, April 18 | 3 p.m. CT
        • Saturday, April 19 | 1 p.m. CT
• Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Tyler Eaton (Thursday), Will Brown (Friday) | Bart Darrell (Thursday), Richard Miller (Friday))
• Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Travis Hudson (Thursday), Todd Stewart (Friday), Mike Reynolds (Saturday))
• Social: @WKU_Baseball | @WKUSports
• Live Stats: Sidearm | StatBroadcast
• Game Notes: WKU | MTSU | CUSA

AT THE GAME
• Click HERE to purchase tickets.
• Thursday is Free Hot Dog Night. The first 500 fans at The Nick will receive a voucher for a free hot dog and drink courtesy of WKU President Tim Caboni. Fans can also enjoy select beer for only $3.
• 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. Fans can also grab a special edition WKU Baseball red towel while supplies last.
• Saturday is Camper Reunion and Easter Celebration Day. Fans can enjoy Chaney's Dairy Barn and a postgame Easter egg hunt. Kids 12 and under receive free admission.
• Click HERE to access the full 2025 WKU Baseball promotional schedule.

ABOUT THE TOPS
• The #20 Hilltoppers enter the game with a 31-6 (9-3 CUSA) record after a midweek loss to #17 Louisville and a series sweep at Liberty last weekend.
• With the sweep over the Flames, WKU took control of first place in the Conference USA standings. The Tops have a half-game lead over Louisiana Tech.
• The WKU pitching staff has been dominant thus far as their 2.69 ERA is the best in the nation among Division I teams. The Hilltoppers are the only team in the nation with a sub-3.00 ERA.
• Drew Whalen was named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week after tossing 6.0 shutout frames with six strikeouts against Liberty to help claim a series sweep over the Flames on Sunday. The Franklin, Tenn. native improved his record to a CUSA-leading 7-1 and lowered his season ERA to 1.94.
• On the offensive end, the Tops' .314 batting average and 88 doubles lead CUSA. Nationally, WKU ranks 25th in batting average and 12th in doubles.
• Hilltopper outfielder Ryan Wideman's .434 batting average, 66 hits, 17 doubles, five triples, 111 total bases and 28 stolen bases lead CUSA. The Marietta, Ga. native is top five in CUSA in batting average (.434), OPS (1.244), runs (45), hits (66), doubles (17), triples (5), RBI (41), total bases (111), slugging percentage (.730), on-base percentage (.482) and stolen bases (28). Nationally, he ranks sixth in batting average, second in hits, ninth in doubles, seventh in triples, 14th in total bases and fifth in stolen bases.
• Four of the top nine doubles hitters in CUSA are Hilltoppers. Wideman leads the league with 17, Carlos Vasquez is tied for second with 13 while Ethan Lizama and Kyle Hayes are tied for seventh with 12.

SERIES INFORMATION
• This will be the 255th, 256th and 257th all-time meetings between WKU and MTSU.
• The Hilltoppers lead the all-time series 133-119-2.
• WKU took two-of-three at Middle Tennessee last year in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
• Middle Tennessee lost two-of-three against Louisiana Tech last weekend at home before beating Belmont in a midweek contest in Nashville, Tenn. on Tuesday.
• As a team, the Blue Raiders own a .291 batting average while scoring 6.7 runs per game.
• On the mound, MTSU has a 6.06 ERA with 299 strikeouts in 317.2 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 X and @WKUBaseball on Instagram.

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Players Mentioned

Kyle Hayes

Ethan Lizama

Carlos Vasquez

Drew Whalen

Ryan Wideman