Just got back to Chicago this morning, so this preview is going to have to be a quickie...
Though we're just a week away from our big conference showdown with #13 RPI ranked USM in Hattiesburg, and the Diamond Owls have won 12 of their last 14 games, we can ill-afford to look ahead this weekend, as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are a solid club quite capable of pulling off an upset. We need to protect our home turf and take care of business, or risk having USM build on their current 2-game lead in the conference standings.
WKU has improved on last year's performance, and are in a position to play the spoiler within CUSA, as they have series with the three frontrunners (Rice, USM, FAU) remaining. The Hilltoppers come into Reckling with an overall 18 - 14 record (6-6 CUSA, 6-8 road, 4-5 Top 50, 8-11 Top 100, #74 RPI, #75 RPI, #87 ISR). They have beaten #9 South Alabama, #28 Kentucky, #46 Tennessee and #48 Georgia. In conference, they swept Middle Tennessee, beat UAB 2 of 3, lost series to LaTech and got swept early in the year by ODU. They have lost their last 3 (LaTech, Louisville) after winning seven of their previous nine games. Here's the Hilltoppers schedule and results to date...
http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2016/sch...n-Kentucky
Here are the WKU game notes for the series...
http://www.wkusports.com/sports/m-basebl...16aaa.html
This is a quality offensive and defensive club. They're hitting .291/.380/.376 as a team, with 11 HRs, 57 doubles/triples, 16-24 SBs and averaging a healthy 5.8 runs per game. They boast 5 hitters batting over .300, led by the leading candidate for CUSA POY in Sr 3B
Danny Hudzina (.437/.480/.593, 2 HRs, 13 doubles/triples, 31 runs, 24 RBIs), Kaleb Duckworth (.350/.458/.492, 3 HRs, 8 doubles, 23 RBIs, 9 HBP) and Steven Katz (.312/.438/.472, 3 HRs, 9 doubles/triples, 32 runs, 22 RBIs, 25 BBs). They don't have great power and run even less than we do (and only slightly better), but they have a lineup of contact hitters who have averaged less than 6 strikeouts per game. And though they do not steal many bases, everyone up and down the lineup bunts; so they are adept at manufacturing runs. Fortunately for us, their three best hitters are all right-handed, which favors our pitching staff.
Defensively, they have posted a solid .969 fielding percentage. Their 3B has committed just one error while starting all 32 games, and their 1B has only made two errors. It would also appear their outfielders have strong arms, as they've thrown out 12 runners already, with their CFer leading the way with 5 assists.
As we've seen each of the past two weekends, the WKU rotation features two left-handers. Their starting pitching may not be elite level, but it's above average stat-wise (with their Sunday starter posting the best stats), and they do have an elite closer with stats even better than Otto's. Their top 6 pitchers are all upperclassmen...
Austin King (Sr, LHP): 8 starts, 2-2, 46.0 IP, 3.52 ERA, .270 BAA, 10 BBs, 41 Ks
Josh Bartley (Sr, RHP): 7 starts, 4-2, 38.1 IP, 3.99 ERA, .271 BAA, 22 BBs, 29 Ks
Ryan Thurston (Jr, LHP): 8 starts, 3-1, 45.1 IP, 3.38 ERA, ..223 BAA, 24 BBs, 46 Ks
Jackson Sowell (RS Jr, RHP): 13 app, 7 saves, 18.2 IP, 0.96 ERA, .145 BAA, 9 BBs, 25 Ks
Sam Higgs (Jr, RHP): 13 app, 3-1, 26.2 IP, 3.781 ERA, .253 BAA, 7 BBs, 20 Ks
Kevin Elder (RS Jr RHP): 11 app, 2-3, 3 saves, 19.1 IP, 5.12 ERA, .311 BAA, 4 BBs, 25 Ks
Here's their individual and team stats...
http://www.wkusports.com/sports/m-basebl...mcume.html
...and roster...
http://www.wkusports.com/sports/m-basebl...l-mtt.html
We have been winning on pitching and defense, but we desperately need our offense to step up it's game and start contributing. This weekend is as good a time as any to start. Let's take care of business and win our seventh consecutive weekend. Go Owls!
D1Baseball picked the Hilltoppers to finish toward the bottom half of the conference...
http://www.d1baseball.com/analysis/2016-...ews-c-usa/
Quote:• Western Kentucky has some new blood this spring with the addition of new head coach John Pawlowski. Pawlowski arrived at WKU from San Diego State, but of course, is best known for his role of molding College of Charleston into a premier mid-major. Pawlowski has something to work with in his first season with the Hilltoppers. For instance, RHP Ben Morrison gives WKU a very impressive arm on the back end of the bullpen with a fastball up to 94, and much improved secondary stuff. The starting pitching must become better and more consistent after finishing last season with ERAs of 5.46, 4.85 and 8.68, respectively … Offensively, the Toppers really like the addition of freshman shortstop Stevie DiPuglia, who is a rangy, athletic player, while senior 3B Danny Hudzina is a power-hitting college bat who also tends to excel in the field.
Perfect Game also picked WKU to finish toward the bottom of the conference, but selected 3B Danny Hudzina (2015 stats: .327-9-43; plus defender w/ feel for barrel & juice) to their all-conference team...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...icle=12040
Quote:Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers appear to be in good shape at the onset of the 2016 season as several key, experienced players return to premium spots in the lineup, including a weekend rotation that welcomes back all three arms. While the cumulative team ERA finished the year at 4.75, the arms comes back with another year’s worth of experience and will be anchored by senior lefthander Austin King who showed a strong feel for the strike zone and logged 57 2/3 innings last spring. Both Josh Bartley and Josh Harman return as well to a starting role with Bartely scheduled as the No. 3 starter and Harman expected to bring a veteran presence to mid-week starts. Junior righthander Cody Coll had a strong fall with feel for his slider (perhaps the best breaking ball on the staff) and showed all-around improvements which helped land him a weekend job. Though he may be undersized at 5-foot-10, closer Ben Morrison shows an extremely fast right arm and is an asset that helped him produce a fastball that sat in the low- to mid-90s in the fall with command of the zone. The offense is in just as good of shape as it brings back the top two performers from 2015 in Leiff Clarkson, who hit a team-best .327 and showed control of barrel, and senior third baseman Danny Hudzina, who hit .327 with a remarkable nine home runs in his first season at Western Kentucky. Hudzina will be a critical piece to the offense in terms of run production and will be protected by junior Paul Murray. Freshman Stevie DiPuglia, who was drafted out of high school, will start immediately up the middle at shortstop thanks to his soft hands, quality range and strong arm across the diamond. Sophomore Kaleb Duckworth, who battled through an injury last year which limited his playing time, should be another key contributor as he shows both speed and power with his physical 6-foot-4 frame.
Baseball America picked SS Steven DiPuglia to be CUSA Freshman of the Year...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2...tXxqkXS.97
Quote:Western Kentucky coach John Pawlowski was arrested in January and charged with a DUI, but that charge was recently dismissed. Otherwise it would’ve been an inauspicious start for the veteran coach’s first year at WKU, as he inherits a club that went just 10-19 in C-USA a season ago. They do expect to be improved though. Getting juniors Thomas Peter, a first baseman with power, and Zach Janes, a speedy center fielder, back from last year’s season-ending injuries will help, while DiPuglia and third baseman Danny Hudzina, who’s also the team’s best hitter, give them a pair of quality defenders on the left side of the infield.
