Gavin Perry started for WKU and earned his eighth win of 2026, working six strikeouts and just one walk in 8.0 innings of work. The offensive effort was a balanced one as four Hilltoppers recorded multiple hits in Austin Haller, Cael Frost, Daniel Stewart, and Parker Coley. Reid Howard led the team with three RBIs, finishing 1-for-3 along with a double and a sacrifice bunt.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a quiet first inning, Camden Ross led off the second with a walk and Cael Frost singled through the left side to move Ross into scoring position.
- Daniel Stewart stepped in and on a full count lined a double into the right field corner to clear the bases and give the Hilltoppers the early two-run lead.
- Hayden Robbins then grounded out to move Stewart ninety feet from home. JP Acosta followed with a walk.
- Then, Parker Coley laid down a bunt single to score Stewart and extend the lead to three.
- Ross was the leadoff man again, this time in the third inning and on the first pitch he lifted a solo home run over the wall in center field to give WKU a 4-0 lead.
- A 1-0 double to left field off the bat of Coley got things started in the Hilltopper fourth.
- Austin Haller then logged a base hit as Coley moved over to third.
- Reid Howard followed and dropped a bunt as Coley came home and slid under the tag for the RBI fielder's choice and five run lead.
- Ross followed and put down a bunt that scored Haller for the third successful safety-squeeze of the game to put WKU up by a half-dozen.
- A one-out single from Acosta followed by a two out single from Haller gave Howard a chance in the bottom of the fifth.
- Howard drove an 0-1 pitch over the left fielder for a double to clear the bases and extend the WKU lead to 8-0.
- The Blue Raiders plated two in the eighth to make it an 8-2 game.
NOTABLES
- WKU improves to 30-26 on the year and is 1-0 in Pool A of the Conference USA Tournament.
- Gavin Perry was the Hilltopper starting pitcher on Wednesday.
- Perry earned the win, allowing two runs (earned) on eight hits, one walk, and six strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work.
- Perry's 120 total pitches on Wednesday mark a career high.
- Nathan Lawson was the lone reliever WKU used on Wednesday. Lawson logged a clean sheet in 1.0 inning.
- Reid Howard led the offense on Wednesday with three RBIs. He finished 1-for-3 with a double, a sacrifice bunt, and a hit-by-pitch.
- Howard's three RBI day marks a season high for the sophomore shortstop.
- Wednesday marked the fifth game of the season that Howard has logged a multi-RBI game. Two of the five have come against the Blue Raiders.
- Camden Ross recorded the game's only home run with a lead-off solo home run in the third inning. Ross would finish 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt.
- Austin Haller was one of four Hilltoppers to log two hits. Haller finished up 2-for-5 with two runs.
- Daniel Stewart logged a two-hit game in four plate appearances along with two RBIs, a run, and a double.
- Parker Coley put up two hits, two runs, one RBI, a double, and a bunt-single in four plate appearances.
- Cael Frost finished up 2-for-4 with a run and a double.
- Wednesday marked the third time WKU has logged three sacrifice bunts in a game this season. WKU has recorded at least two in nine games.
- With the win, WKU now has 30 wins and has won games in all four seasons of the Marc Rardin era.
- The feat also marks the fifth time in program history WKU has done so over a four-year period.
- Wednesday was the 11th time in 2026 the WKU offense has managed four or more doubles in a game. The team total for the year currently stands at 125 which is tied for the fifth most in program history matching the 2008 team's total
QUOTABLE
On the win and the effort from Perry, head coach Marc Rardin said "First and foremost, credit to Gavin Perry, eight innings, only had six strikeouts but allowed just one walk. He got ground balls, fly balls, and really gave us a chance when we started scoring. In the second, third, and fourth we really started scoring and he just kept putting up zeroes."Â
NEXT UP
WKU will continue CUSA Tournament play against #1 Jacksonville State on Friday, May 22. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with audio on The Varsity Network.
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.
