DALLAS – WKU Baseball Pitching Coach Dillon Napoleon was named Conference USA's Assistant Coach of the Year, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
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Votes were compiled from the head coaches of the 10 CUSA teams, respectively.
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Napoleon becomes the first WKU Baseball assistant coach to be named a Conference Assistant Coach of the Year in program history.
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Napoleon is in his third year as the pitching coach at WKU, coming to The Hill with Head Coach Marc Rardin after three years as the pitching coach at Iowa Western Community College. He's built one of the best pitching staffs in the country as the Hilltopper's 3.28 ERA ranks second-best in the nation. 11 of Napoleon's pitchers have a sub-3.00 ERA and 15 of them have a sub-5.00 ERA.
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Napoleon's leadership has guided starting rotation pitchers, Drew Whalen and Jack Bennett, to national attention as they were both selected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame National Pitcher of the Year Watch List. WKU was the only CUSA team with two arms featured on the ballot. Whalen was named the CUSA Pitcher of the Year while being selected to the All-Conference USA First Team and Jack Bennett received All-Conference USA Second Team honors.
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Relief pitchers Cal Higgins and Lucas Hartman were also recognized on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List as two of the top relievers in college baseball. They were two of only three to represent Conference USA. Hartman earned All-Conference USA First Team recognition while Higgins was tabbed to the All-Conference USA Second Team.
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Napoleon's staff held the high-powered #17 Dallas Baptist offense to just eight runs and just one home run in the series win over the Patriots. WKU shut out DBU in a run-rule, 11-0 win to clinch the series in game two.
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Napoleon and the Hilltoppers hit the field for practice at Liberty Baseball Stadium on Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the 2025 CUSA Championship. #2 WKU faces #7 New Mexico State in the first round on Wednesday, May 21. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.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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