SERIES INFO
- WKU (24-21; 9-12 CUSA) at Middle Tennessee (22-23; 9-12 CUSA)
- Friday, May 1 | 6 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+
- Saturday, May 2 | 3 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+
- Sunday, May 3 | 1 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+
- Reese Smith Jr. Field | Murfreesboro, Tenn.
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PXP: Randy Lee)
- Social: @WKU_Baseball | @WKUSports
- Live Stats:Â StatBroadcast
- Game Notes:Â WKUÂ
ABOUT THE TOPS
- The Hilltoppers enter the matchup with a 24-21 record, winners of five of the last six.
- The Hilltoppers took two-of-three against Kennesaw State last weekend, marking their fourth home series win of 2026.
- The team was led offensively by Lane Arroyos who had six hits, four runs, and three RBIs along with three doubles and a home run.
- Last Saturday, Gavin Perry earned his fifth win of 2026 and the ninth of his WKU career.
- As a team WKU is currently hitting at a .288 clip with 294 runs on 435 hits with 265 of those runs being RBIs.
- Lane Arroyos is the current offensive leader with a slash line of .382/.495/.648 with 63 hits and 46 RBIs.Â
- Arroyos has 21 doubles which is top in CUSA and No. 5 in the country.
- The WKU single season individual record for doubles is 24 set by Chris Turner in 1998 and matched by Wade Gaynor in 2008.
- Arroyos also leads CUSA in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
- Three more Hilltoppers in Hayden Robbins, Austin Haller, and Camden Ross are hitting above .300.
- Robbins is currently at .330 with 30 hits and 15 RBIs.
- Haller is currently batting .308 with 48 hits, 34 runs, and 21 RBIs. Haller has the second most hits on the team.
- Ross leads the team with 38 runs scored and holds a .308 average with 44 hits in 143 at bats.Â
- The Hilltopper offense has logged 98 doubles this season which is first in CUSA and No. 17 in the nation.
- The WKU pitching staff holds a 5.47 ERA, allowing 267 runs (240 earned) on 422 hits.
- The Hilltopper staff has 405 strikeouts and 160 walks in 2026.
- The Hilltoppers post a 2.53 strikeout to walk ratio which is second in the league and No. 31 in NCAA DI this season.
SERIES HISTORY
- Friday marks the 258th all-time meeting between the Hilltoppers and Blue Raiders.
- WKU holds the all-time series lead, 135-120-2.
- In Murfreesboro the Hilltoppers are 54-68-1.
- Last season the two played at Nick Denes Field. The Hilltoppers took 2-of-3 in that series.
- The last time the Hilltoppers played the Blue Raiders on the road was in the 2024 season. WKU took 2-of-3 in the series, dropping the first game but taking the last two.
- WKU's longest winning streak in the series is seven games which has been done three times, first between 1912 and 1914, between 1914 and 1923, and lastly between March 1, 1985 and April 3, 1986.
- Middle Tennessee's longest winning streak in the 115 year history is nine games between 1975 and 1977.
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
- Middle Tennessee enters the series at 22-23 and 9-12 in Conference USA play.
- The Blue Raiders fell at Vanderbilt, 9-1 in a midweek matchup on Tuesday.
- The Blue Raider offense is currently hitting at a .280 clip with 300 runs on 417 hits. 272 of those runs are RBIs.
- Middle Tennessee has hit 58 home runs in 2026 which is No. 3 in CUSA.
- Owen Nowak posts a team best .333 average with 55 hits, 44 runs, and 30 RBIs.
- Dean O'Neill leads the team in hits with 59 and RBIs with 46 and posts a .321 average.
- On the mound, the Blue Raiders post a 5.10 ERA, allowing 264 runs (216 earned) on 415 hits. The staff has 352 strikeouts compared to 190 walks.
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.
