[3] Hilltoppers Open NCAA Oxford Regional Against [2] #18 Georgia Tech

Friday, May 30

Oxford, Miss.

3:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

Georgia Tech

[3] Hilltoppers Open NCAA Oxford Regional Against [2] #18 Georgia Tech

5/29/2025 12:30:00 PM | Baseball

Marc Rardin Media Availability Ryan Wideman & Ethan Lizama Media Availability Cal Higgins & Drew Whalen Media Availability ESPN+The Varsity Network Live Stats 2025 Oxford Regional Central 2025 WKU Baseball Media Central 2025 WKU Baseball Media Guide

OXFORD, Miss. – [3] WKU Baseball faces off against [2] #18 Georgia Tech to open the NCAA Oxford Regional at Swayze Field at Oxford University Stadium. First pitch on Friday, May 30 is set for 3 p.m. CT.

NCAA OXFORD REGIONAL
• [3] WKU (46-12, 18-9 CUSA) vs. [2] #18 Georgia Tech (40-17, 19-11 ACC)
• Swayze Field at Oxford University Stadium | Oxford, Miss.
• Friday, May 30 | 3 PM CT
• Watch: ESPN+
• Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmidt)
• Social: @WKU_Baseball | @WKUSports
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast
• Game Notes: WKU | Georgia Tech

ABOUT THE TOPS
• The Hilltoppers enter their first regional since 2009 with a 46-12 (18-9 CUSA) record after a perfect 4-0 showing at the Conference USA Tournament, ending with their first CUSA Championship in program history and first conference tournament title since 2008.
• Three of the four tournament wins came by way of a walk-off hit. In the opening round, WKU walked off New Mexico State 7-6 with an RBI double in the bottom of the tenth inning from Ethan Lizama. Along with the game-winning hit, the Guam native posted a career-high five RBI with a three-RBI, bases-clearing double in the sixth frame and a game-tying home run in the eighth inning. Carlos Vasquez played the hero in the second round as he launched a walk-off homer to the opposite field to beat FIU 7-6 in the ninth inning and advance the Tops to the semifinals. In the championship, Joe Siervo delivered the game-winning RBI single to beat Jax State 6-5 in the 11th frame. That was Siervo's second clutch hit of the game as he gave WKU a 5-4 lead back in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run home run.
• Lizama was named the Russell D. Anderson CUSA Championship MVP and was selected to the CUSA All-Tournament Team alongside Vasquez, Ryan Wideman and Austin Haller.
• With 46 wins, the Hilltoppers are one win away from tying the 47-win 1980 squad for the most wins in a season in program history.
• 30 of WKU's 46 wins came at Nick Denes Field. The best start at home in program history turned into the most wins at home in a season in program history. The previous mark was 27 set by the 1988, 2002 and 2009 squads.
• The Hilltoppers racked up the most All-CUSA postseason awards this week headlined by Wideman earning CUSA Player and Newcomer of the Year, Drew Whalen being selected as the league's Pitcher of the Year, Marc Rardin grabbing Keith LeClair CUSA Coach of the Year honors and Dillon Napoleon collecting CUSA Assistant Coach of the Year recognition. WKU had nine selections on the All-CUSA Teams. Wideman, Whalen and Lucas Hartman were featured on the first team while Vasquez, Kyle Hayes, Jack Bennett and Cal Higgins made the second team. A pair of Hilltoppers were placed on the All-Freshman squad in Reid Howard and Taylor Penn.
• WKU's pitching staff has been dominant, as their 3.35 ERA ranks third in the nation. The Hilltoppers are one of three teams in the nation with a sub-3.40 ERA, joining Northeastern and Coastal Carolina.
• For the second consecutive year, Hilltopper pitchers have broken the single-season strikeout record. WKU is on the cusp of having its first 500-plus strikeout season in program history, sitting at 496 prior to NCAA Regional play.
• On the offensive end, the Tops' .315 batting average and 126 stolen bases lead CUSA and rank top 25 in the nation. The Tops' 126 stolen bases are a single-season program record.

SERIES INFORMATION
• This marks the seventh all-time meeting between WKU and Georgia Tech.
• The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series 5-1, dating back to the first meeting in 1982.
• Georgia Tech has won four of the last five matchups. This marks the first meeting since 1997 and the first postseason game ever between the teams.

NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
• This will be the fifth NCAA Regional appearance for The Hilltoppers in program history. WKU previously made the tournament in 1980, 2004, 2008 and 2009.
• This marks the third time the Hilltoppers have drawn the Oxford Regional, playing there in 2004, 2009 and now 2025.
• The Hilltoppers are 6-8 all-time in NCAA Regional games, including wins over Vanderbilt, New Orleans, Ole Miss (2) and Missouri (2).
• In 2009, WKU was one win away from its first NCAA Super Regional berth in program history after forcing a single-elimination regional final after a 10-9 victory over #8 Ole Miss on May 31, but the Rebels earned a 4-1 win over the Hilltoppers on June 1 to win the regional championship.

QUOTABLES
• "The excitement that we have, the anticipation that we'll start building here and just getting down there – and it's really not just the experience, but our kids are focused on performance. I think there's a big difference, as a coach and even as a dad with two sons, you want kids to appreciate and definitely enjoy stuff, but you also want them to have the focus of performance. Be where your feet are. You want them to perform well. That doesn't mean wins or anything. That's out of your control sometimes. You want them to have a good experience, you want them to have great memories, and performance goes with that a lot. So, the excitement's there – the appreciation of it all. Our guys believe that they've earned this, and I believe that they've earned it as well. So, we're ready to get down there and see what we got and show some people what we got." – Head Coach Marc Rardin on playing in the NCAA Oxford Regional.
• "It's a dream come true. I'm just really excited to go play. It was a goal of ours the whole season to win Conference USA, so I think we're just really excited that we got that done and now just excited to keep playing more games now." – Outfielder Ryan Wideman on playing in the NCAA Oxford Regional.
• "I wasn't really sure where we would go or how this stuff works, but I had a feeling it was going to be somewhere close, and I guess it's pretty close." – Outfielder Ethan Lizama on being selected to the NCAA Oxford Regional.
• "It just means a lot to us. Coming here three years ago, the year prior they had 18 wins and now we have 46. It just means a ton to everyone on campus, and I know the whole Bowling Green area is very happy and very proud of us." – Pitcher Cal Higgins on being selected to the NCAA Oxford Regional.
• "I think it just showed the character of the team. We've proven all year that we can win games we were supposed to win and in the tournament we proved that we can play from behind, play in big moments, don't shy away from it, be able to come through when it really matters and I think it just speaks to the character of the team and how we've grown this year so far." – Pitcher Drew Whalen on the CUSA Championship win and what the team is focused on heading into the NCAA Oxford Regional.

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.