CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP POOL PLAYÂ
- #6 WKU (29-26; 14-16 CUSA) vs. #9 Middle Tennessee (17-34; 5-22 CUSA)
- Wednesday, May 20 | 12:30 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+
- #6 WKU (29-26; 14-16 CUSA) vs. #1 Jacksonville State
- Friday, May 22 | 12:30 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+
- Mickey Dunn Stadium at Henssler Financial Field | Kennesaw, Ga.
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PXP: Randy Lee)
- Social: @WKU_Baseball | @WKUSports
- Live Stats:Â StatBroadcast
- Game Notes:Â WKU
- Championship Central | Official Bracket
ABOUT THE TOPS
- The Hilltoppers enter the postseason with a 29-26 record and a 14-16 mark in CUSA play.
- As a team the Hilltopper offense boasts a .286 average with 348 runs on 527 hits.
- WKU has tallied 308 RBIs in 2026 with 178 extra-base hits.
- Lane Arroyos is the current offensive leader with a slash line of .366/.474/.595 with 75 hits and 52 RBIs.Â
- Arroyos has 24 doubles which is top in CUSA and No. 4 in the country.
- Arroyos' .366 average is top in the conference and in the top-100 in NCAA DI.
- In WKU's regular season finale at Delaware, Arroyos tied the program record for doubles in a season, matching Chris Turner (1991) and Wade Gaynor (2008).
- WKU has 144 wins in the Marc Rardin era, which is the second most in a four-year period in WKU Baseball history.
- Camden Ross is currently hitting .312 with 54 hits, 43 runs, and 38 RBIs.
- Hayden Robbins and Austin Haller are also hitting over a .300 clip. Robbins is hitting .306 with 24 runs on 33 hits. Haller holds a .301 mark with 41 runs on 59 hits.
- The Hilltopper offense has logged 121 doubles this season which is first in CUSA and No. 12 in the nation.
- JP Acosta has logged 10 sacrifice bunts this season which is No. 2 in CUSA and 17th nationally.
- The WKU pitching staff holds a 5.29 ERA, allowing 317 runs (282 earned) on 513 hits.
- The Hilltopper staff has 486 strikeouts and 189 walks in 2026.
- WKU posts a 2.57 strikeout-to-walk-ratio which is the second best in CUSA and No. 28 nationally.
- Gavin Perry is the pitching leader for WKU. He posts a 4.06 ERA, allowing 37 runs (35 earned) on 79 hits with 77 strikeouts and just 18 walks.
- WKU has pitched four shutouts in 2026 which is second in the league and top-25 in the country.
- WKU currently ranks in the top five in CUSA in batting average (.286), ERA (5.29), and fielding percentage (.974).
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS/SERIES HISTORY
- Middle Tennessee enters the tournament with a 26-29 mark and finished with a 12-18 league record.
- The Blue Raider offense is hitting at a .282 clip with 360 runs on 517 hits and 329 RBIs.
- Owen Nowak is the current batting leader with a .325 average, 67 hits, and 49 runs.
- On the mound, Middle Tennessee holds a 5.41 team ERA, allowing 339 runs (281 earned) on 508 hits.
- The staff has tossed 438 strikeouts compared to 237 walks.
- David Horn Jr. currently has a 4.74 ERA and has allowed 46 runs (36 earned) on 73 hits. He has thrown 79 strikeouts and given up 36 walks.
- WKU leads the all-time series with the Blue Raiders that dates back to 1911, 137-121-2.
- Wednesday will mark the eighth time the two have met in the postseason, Middle Tennessee leads 5-2.
- The game will also be the first time the two have met in the Conference USA Tournament. The last time the two played in the postseason was in the 2005 SBC Tournament.
- The two met in the regular season in Murfreesboro. WKU took two-of-three, winning Saturday 11-0 (7) and Sunday 9-8.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS/SERIES HISTORY
- Jacksonville State enters tournament play with a 42-13 record and a 23-7 mark in CUSA play.
- The Gamecock offense posts a .293 average with 394 runs on 523 hits and 349 RBIs.
- Jaxon Pate is pacing the offensive effort with a .344 average, 64 hits, and 44 runs in 186 plate appearances.
- The pitching staff boasts a 3.68 ERA, allowing 228 runs (195 earned) on 376 hits.
- Gamecock pitchers have recorded 555 strikeouts and have allowed 229 walks.
- Steven Cash currently leads the way with a 2.92 ERA and has given up 26 runs (24 earned) on 55 hits with 83 strikeouts and 26 walks.
- The team's 3.68 earned run average leads the league and is No. 8 in the nation.
- The Gamecocks lead the all-time series with WKU 11-6. The first ever meeting between the two programs was in 1977 in Jacksonville.
- Friday will mark just the second time the two have met in the postseason. The lone meeting was in the 2025 CUSA Championship Game. WKU won 6-5 in 11 innings.
- The two played earlier this season in Jacksonville. The Gamecocks took the series in a three game sweep.
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.
