WKU Baseball: Tops Make History, Win Series vs Top Ten Program For First Time Ever, Take 2 of 3 from DBU
WKU hadn't won a series against a top 20 opponent since 2005 against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Western Kentucky Baseball continues to make strides against a decade of mediocrity, this time accomplishing something that has never happened in the history of the program:
Winning a series (home, away, or neutral, conference or non-conference) against a Top Ten team.
Eighth ranked Dallas Baptist came into this weekend with a sparking 24-4 record, not having lost a series all year and sitting as a true national title contender. After the weekend, Western Kentucky, a team with a very marginal (not completely lacking but not remotely a powerhouse) baseball history, beats a great program. WKU had the series won before Sunday’s game was played, dominating DBU on the mound this past weekend, surrendering only seven runs in three games. WKU wasn’t able to muster much offense in the game Sunday and fell 3-0 to DBU, with the lone damage coming from a three run home run.
Despite an overall winning record (.534 all-time heading into 2024) and a program dating back to 1910, Western Kentucky Baseball has only had four all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, and none since 2009. However, second year head coach Marc Rardin has WKU sitting at a sparkling 21-11 overall record, and with its two top ten wins over the weekend, the Tops sit just outside of the top 100 in the RPI, climbing 39 spots from 151 to 112.
With #89 Louisville coming Tuesday to Nick Denes Field along with #64 Sam Houston on the road this coming weekend, WKU has a massive opportunity to really vault itself well into the top 100.
More importantly, with these two frankly surprising wins against DBU, Western now sits at 6-3 in conference tied for second with two other teams and a game back of first place. If WKU had been swept by DBU, which was a completely understandable outcome, the outlook would be completely different, putting WKU at 4-5 and praying for some kind of chance to claw back into contention.
Instead, WKU is in position to strike at a Louisville team that is usually ranked. Perhaps more crucial for recruiting and for fan interest than actual baseball impact, the Louisville game brings tons of interest to WKU.
However, Sam Houston, a Conference USA opponent, brings much more impact to the table. SHSU, a team that was humming and looking like an at-large team early in the season, has gotten into CUSA play and is only 3-6. They have played DBU, Liberty, and New Mexico State. WKU has played a comparable schedule with DBU, FIU, and Jacksonville State and has come out three games better.
Western Kentucky could either take a hammerlock position over Sam Houston and most of CUSA, or they could get swept, fall back to .500, and be in for a battle the rest of the conference season, just trying to scrape by. Meanwhile, Sam Houston at 3-6 is desperate, looking to climb back into the race. Getting swept by WKU would virtually guarantee Sam Houston not finishing in the top couple of spots, something they surely were shooting for given their roaring start to the year.
It’s amazing the resume the Tops have put together since last season, week by week overturning trends from past decades.
Major WKU Baseball Accomplishments Since 2023
2023: First winning season since 2020 (10-6 during COVID). First full winning season since 2014
Made conference semifinals for first time since winning the Sun Belt title in 2009
Tied for highest conference tournament seed since joining CUSA
Defeated first ranked opponent since 2021 (#23 Old Dominion)
Most consecutive conference series wins since 2009
30 wins in a season for the first time since 2011
Fourth best overall record since 2004
Fourth most strikeouts in team history
Ty Crittenberger: Most runs scored by a single player since 2010
Tristin Garcia: Most doubles by a single player since 2005
2024: First Top Ten series win
Earliest to 20 wins since 2010
6-3 is Best CUSA start since 2019
Major changes since Rardin
Best Fielding Percentage since 2021
Best Batting Average since 2014
Best ERA since 2015
2024 ERA currently on pace to match 2014’s pitching.
Last time since Fielding percentage, batting average, and ERA were all better than 2023: 2011.
It’s clear trends are being bucked on the regular by Rardin and crew, and Bowling Green is finally noticing a little bit. Although The Nick is by no means busting at the scenes, hundreds of people are now coming to games instead of tens.
Speaking of a game for WKU fans to show up to…
WKU vs. Louisville Tuesday at 3 PM
A good time to get two top ten wins, Louisville Baseball has not shied away from playing WKU at home or away. Western and Louisville generally play at least once a year of late, and this season is no exception, with the Tops and Cards trading midweek games in April, one in Bowling Green on April 9, and the return game at Louisville April 23.
WKU gets a Louisville team that has played decent but not nationally great baseball this season, although sweeping #19 NC State over the weekend certainly has the Cardinals trending in the right direction of late.
WKU Athletics in general is trending in the right direction, with most of the major sports having had encouraging signs. The lone sport which carries a tangibly downward trend is women’s basketball, but even the Lady Toppers made a championship game just last season.
Basketball is back in the tournament, baseball is on pace to win its most games in nearly a decade and a half, softball is having an incredible year, volleyball is great as always, football won a bowl game and will have an NFL draft pick, and other sports like track and field, tennis, and golf are setting records are trending upward.
It’s a good time to be a Hilltopper, but it’s an even better time to support these teams. In-game attendance has waned. WKU used to have to use the Bowling Green Ballpark (Home of the Bowling Green Hot Rods) to accommodate the thousands of fans that wanted to see Topper Baseball. The Nick will hopefully be standing room only, with fans lining up and down the outfield wall.
Isn’t it about time to see all-WKU red everywhere? It doesn’t matter if it’s WKU Basketball, Football, or Tiddly Winks. It’s time for BG to activate and paint Dear Old Western Red once again.
Hopefully WKU fans are making it a point to see if they can make the Louisville game Tuesday at 3:00. With the earlier first pitch (originally a 5:00 pitch time), it may eliminate some people (like me) who have obligations during the work day. However, hopefully people that get off of work before 4 or 5 o’clock can come to The Nick and see if the Red and White can steal one against the Black and Red.
GO TOPS!
I hope WKU baseball is entering a renaissance. We lived in Bowling Green during the high tide of Hilltopper baseball and attended many games. We even went to Oxford, Mississippi, to watch them take on Ole Miss in the NCAA. Those teams were fun to follow.