WKU One Win Away from Bowl

WKU Football continued their hot streak Saturday, defeating FIU 10-9 on a last second field goal. Bowling Green native Casey Tinius got the nod for the final kick and did not disappoint. Tinius was nowhere to be found on the Tops previous 3 attempts of the game, but those attempts failed so Coach Taggart went with his gut. Tinius was iced with a timeout from the FIU sideline. He stayed calm and cool under pressure, knocking in the 34 yarder from the left hash. Linebacker Xavius Boyd led the rush of the field with his signature backflip, and the rest of the team followed. Rainey did his thing as always with 155 yards rushing on 28 carries. He also was involved in the biggest play of the game. His 3rd and 12 reception from Kawaun Jakes to pick up a crucial first down in the waning seconds kept WKU's hopes alive. He then got cheapshotted out of bounds and drew the personal foul call after the play, putting the Tops in field goal position. Kawaun continued to manage the game well while Andrew Jackson led the defense that was outstanding. The win streak continues and so does the hope of a bowl for the WKU faithful. ESPN's Mark Schlabach projects WKU to get a bid to the Military Bowl against NC State. I for one think his prediciton is BS. The team plays two very beatable teams in North Texas and Troy to round out the season. If they win those two games and Arkansas State loses to Layfeyette then it's possible for a Sun Belt title. Another likely scenario is WKU wins out and finishes second in the conference and gets invited to the GoDaddy.Com Bowl in Mobile. Either way, none of the speculation matters unless the team wins the remainder of their conference games, which I fully believe they will do. Bobby Rainey and the other seniors know their time on the hill is coming to an end, and will play inspired. WKU Football is finally here and on the map. Wins are no longer a commodity, there an expectation. Coach Taggart is bringing the JUICE!

Take a look at Casey Tinius the Clutch.

Courtesy of Hilltopper Video

Great Sports Weekend at WKU

It was a great weekend for WKU sports. Im actually going to say it was the BEST weekend WKU sports has had in the last five years. Although there have been great sports moments like “The Shot” and WKU’s magical sweet-16 run, but rarely have all of WKU sports been so successful in a single weekend. The Tops were truly on top this weekend. The Lady Toppers started off the weekend strong last Friday. The women’s soccer team had a dramatic finish against rival MTSU. With :16 seconds left in overtime, Mallory Outerbridge scored her 13^th goal of the season and led the Tops to a 2-1 victory.

Simultaneously, the Lady Topper Volleyball team was looking to not only improve to an outstanding 24-3 on the season, but they were also looking to get Coach Travis Hudson his 400^th career victory. The Tops came out strong against Denver and won in straight sets 25-12, 25-16, and 25-13.

Early Saturday morning WKU swept the conference meet in cross-country. The men’s meet results were: 1. WKU- 36; 2. UALR- 51; 3. MTSU- 64; 4. FIU 126. This was the first men’s title since 2008. WKU had three of the top five finishers in the meet. Deus Rwaheru finished 2^nd (24:27.5), David Mokone finished 4^th (24:47.0) and Peter Okwera finished 5^th (24:53.1). In the women’s race, Marion Kandie (1^st) and Vasity Chemweno (4^th) helped the women’s team win their sixth straight cross-country title. WKU placed first with 60 points while UNT (74) and USA (97) rounded off the top three. This marked the 8^th time (1^st since 2008) that WKU has swept the conference tournament. Mokone was named SBC Freshman of the Year award while Coach Erik Jenkins won SBC Men’s Coach of the Year.

The Lady Tops volleyball played their last home game of the year on Saturday afternoon. On senior night, the Lady tops crushed North Texas in three sets to reach the 25-win mark on the season. This is the 10^th straight season that WKU has compiled 25 wins. Senior Lindsey Williams finished the match with 11 kills, while Senior Tiffany Elmore added 7 kills in her final home match. WKU is now ranked 26^th in the national rankings.

Shortly after the conclusion of the volleyball game, the WKU football team was in danger of losing a game in which they led 20-7. This 4^th quarter collapse seemed to become a reality when ULM took a 1-point lead (21-20) with 1:00 left in the game. WKU didn’t want to relive their 4^th quarter collapse to ULM last year and decided to respond. On the ensuing kickoff, WKU’s John Evans returned the ball to the ULM 9 yard line. Two rushes later, Bobby Rainey was in the end zone for his first touchdown of the day (2 point conversion good). However the game would only get more interesting. ULM marched down the field to score with six seconds left to tie the game at 28 (ULM decided to kick extra point instead of going for the win). In OT, ULM had first possession. Derrius Brooks intercepted the ball and allowed WKU an opportunity to win the game. WKU took advantage. After four rushes by Bobby Rainey, Roy kicked a 24-yard field goal to win the game. This marks WKU’s first 4-game win streak since 2005.

Swimming also opened their season this past weekend. The women’s team split the meet defeating Vanderbilt 240-54 but losing to UK 138-162. The men’s team lost to UK 141-159. Although the Hilltopper’s lost to UK, the meet was very close. The teams combined to win 10 events and both meet were decided by the last few events.

Clearly this was a good weekend on the hill. WKU teams were very successful in their respected games, meets, and matches this weekend. Hopefully this weekend will be just as successful. The WKU football team will look to continue their 4-game win streak vs FIU at home this weekend. Also, this weekend marks the “opening” of college basketball at WKU as both the men’s and women’s teams host exhibition games. GO TOPS!

Courtesy of Hilltopper Video

Outerbridge Ends Home Career in Dramatic Fashion

In the final home game of the season, the Lady Toppers soccer team faced the Lady Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University. For seven lady toppers, it would be the last time they took the field at the WKU Soccer Complex. This game had very little implications on the season, as the two teams would face off in the first round of the Sunbelt Conference Tournament regardless of the result. However, neither team appeared to take this game lightly.
The two teams were evenly matched early on as both teams had several scoring opportunities. However, in the 30th minute, the Lady Toppers would finally capitalize. The Lady Toppers broke the tie on a Lindsey Williams’ corner kick. Williams played the corner kick in to Chrissy Tchoula, and the ball deflected off senior forward Amanda Buechel and into the back of the net. The Tops would take this lead into half time.
Once again in the second half, Middle Tennessee would have plenty of chances to score. MTSU took the first four shots of the half, but failed to find the net on any of these opportunities. The Hilltoppers held their lead late in the game before MTSU finally tied the game in the 82nd minute on a Regina Thomas goal. The score remained tied at the end of regulation and forced the game into golden-goal overtime.
The stage was set. One goal, ten minutes, one final home game for seven lady toppers. Both sides had their chances, but heading into the final seconds of the game, redshirt-senior forward Mallory Outerbridge once again became the hero. Outerbridge netted a goal past the diving Rebecca Cushing for the 2-1 win with 13 seconds left in overtime. Outerbridge left the fans with one last impression of her WKU career: one of greatness, poise, and the ability to score under pressure. For the final time in her career, Outerbridge left the WKU Soccer Complex on top.
With the win, WKU secured the 4th place seed for the Sunbelt Tournament, while MTSU fell to the 5th seed. The two teams will face off in the first round on November 2nd at 1 PM. The game could go either way, but WKU may find momentum coming off this overtime win against MTSU.

WKU Wins at Home

On Saturday, the Hilltopper football team did something they haven’t done in 1,127 days. For the first time in 3 years, they left L.T. Smith Stadium winners. Heading into the game, many students were optimistic, but on paper, the Rajin’ Cajuns of the University of Louisiana Lafayette were heavy favorites. ULL entered the game boasting a 6-1 record with the lone loss coming from #3 Oklahoma State. The Rajin’ Cajuns were looking for a big game out of Bobby Rainey, but there was no way to predict that both Rainey (RB) and Kawaun Jakes (QB) would have a career day.

The Hilltoppers started off strong with their first drive ending with a 1-yard TD run by Bobby Rainey. From this point on, the Hilltoppers would never lose the lead. This was due in part to an exceptional offensive performance all around lead by Jakes and Rainey. Jakes arguably had the best game of his career completing 15 of his 18 passes for 242 yards and a touch down. This performance prevented the defense from expecting the run and forced them to play deep. This opened up the field and Rainey took advantage. Rainey ran for 206 yards on 32 carries and found the endzone a career high 3 times. This exceptional performance earned Rainey national recognition. He received an ESPN College Gameday helmet sticker, along with the honor of being named national running back of the week from the College Football Performance Awards.

The performance on the field was great, as well as the fan support (on the field). The loyal WKU students have been waiting a while to rush the field, and on Saturday they finally got the chance. WKU had its biggest win of the season in front of its home crowd and the Hilltoppers definitely have momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. If the Hilltoppers can secure a win on the road this weekend against the University of Louisiana-Monroe, they will extend their winning streak to four. It would be the first time since 2005 the Hilltoppers have achieved this feat.

If you missed any of the exciting action from the Homecoming win last Saturday, check out this video courtesy of HSSN.

WKU Looking for 3-game Win Streak

The Hilltoppers traveled down to Boca Raton looking to spoil FAU’s new stadium opener. Not only did WKU win the game, but they did two things they haven’t done since 2007. The Hilltoppers not only beat FAU, they shut them out in front of the 29,103 FAU fans. This is WKU’s first shutout since defeating West Virginia Tech 87-0 on September 8, 2007. The win also gave WKU its first winning streak since the 2007 season.

Bobby Rainey was a workforce in the game carrying the ball 34 times for 131 yards and 2 TD.

Defense was in full force for the FAU game allowing only 121 total offensive yards. Peterson and Jackson led the team with 8 tackles. WKU forced 0 turnovers.

Offense and defense might have been the key to this game, but the WKU field goal kicking team must improve. The Hilltopper kickers combined for an 0 for 3 performance. Not only that, but for the season the WKU kickers are a disappointing 20% (2-10) on the season.

Although WKU beat ULL 54-21 last year, ULL is a much better team this year. After falling predictably to Oklahoma St. to open the season, ULL won their next 6 games. ULL has a very balanced rushing and passing offense spread the ball almost equally. QB Blaine Gautier will look to continue his successful season against the questionable WKU secondary. Although WKU has been strong at points throughout the season, there have been games where they have shown huge gaps in coverage. On the season he has completed nearly 65% of his passes and ranks second with 10 passing TD. WKU will also have a tough task of stopping the ULL running game. ULL spread the ball between 3 different running backs, who are all capable of efficiently moving the ball.

Other Notes:

Jack Doyle was named to the Mackey Award Midseason watch list. He is one of 25 others named to the midseason list, which is awarded to the best collegiate Tight End.

Tops look to Create Winning Streak



Rivalries are what college athletics are all about. WKU's only real rival, MTSU, couldn't handle the Hilltoppers last week. WKU took down the Blue Raiders for the first time since 2007 with big games from the usual names. Kawaun Jakes and Bobby Rainey paced the team on offense. Jakes threw for 222 yards and a game winning TD. Rainey had a usual day at the office with 166 yards on the ground while hauling in 6 catches for 57 yards including the game winning snag. Andrew Jackson had his usual swagger leading the defense to an impressive performance. Jackson had nine tackles including one for a safety, while intercepting a key pass in the redzone. WKU now finds itself with momentum heading into a hostile environment in Boca Raton Saturday. FAU may be 0-5 but this weekend is the opening game of their brand new beautiful stadium. Emotions will be high for both teams but when the adreniline fades WKU is the better team on both sides of the ball. Special teams may be another story. Casey Tinius is 1-6 on Field Goal attempts this season and it's killing the team's scoring and overall strategy when it comes to field position. The game marks the mid-point in the season and hopefully a turning point for Tinius and the special teams. Coach Taggart handled the win last week perfectly, showing his happy but unsatisfied demeanor after the game. Taggart will have his game face on this weekend and lead the team to a strong performance despite the opening of the new stadium. Look for returner John Evans and of course Bobby Rainey to have big games Saturday.

WESTERN KENTUCKY DAWG!

WKU Victory Recap

Courtesy of Hilltopper Video

Indiana St. Sycamores Shock WKU

In THE GAME that many people thought was a sure victory for WKU, the Hilltoppers failed again to get their first home win in 3 years. The home winless streak has climbed to 17 as WKU fell 44-16. The Indiana St Sycamores rallied after the opening kickoff, in which Gordon Cheeseborough was carried off on a stretcher, and scored to get up early. Indiana St. never trailed after that.

After looking strong in the season opener against UK, the WKU defense has been shaky. They allowed over 500 yards of total offense vs. Navy last week, and continued their struggles giving up 430 yards to the I-AA team. Ronnie Fouch, Jake Locker’s backup from Washington, exploited the Hilloppers secondary throwing for 227 yards and 3 TD.

The biggest question going into the game was who would be taking the snaps for WKU this weekend. To the surprise and excitement of the fans, Brandon Doughty was announced as the starting QB. However, excitement quickly ended as Doughty left the game due to injury after taking only 3 snaps. He could be seen walking the WKU sideline on crutches the rest of the game.

Turnovers rocked the WKU offense. Every time the Hilltoppers started to gain some momentum on a drive, it seemed like a fumble or interception ended it. Down by just 11 with less than a thirty seconds left in the 2^nd quarter, the Hilltoppers were on Indiana State’s 24-yard line. However, Kawaun Jakes’ pass on 3^rd and six was intercepted by Larry Carter and returned 65 yards. The interception led to a 43-yard field goal to put Indiana St. 14-3 at half. Coach Taggart tried to get his team back on track after the half, but it quickly ended. On just the 4^th play of the 2^nd half, Antonio Andrews fumbled. Indiana St. capitalized and marched down the field for a touchdown, basically ending WKU’s hope of a comeback. WKU ended with 4 turnovers- 3 fumbles and an interception. Its hard to win games giving up the ball so often.

One of the few positive moments came when Bobby Rainey reached 100 rushing yards on the game. With it, he tied a school record set by Antwan Floyd for 8 straight games with 100+ rushing yards. However, Rainey was lucky to get the record. Indiana State’s D- Line dominated most of the game. Rainey was held to just 73 yards until the 7:00 in the 4^th quarter. In their final drive of the game, Rainey rushed for 26 yards and then for another 6 yards to get to 105 yards.

Other Notes:

Indiana St. assistant Athletic Director said Gordon Cheeseborough was experiencing pain in his neck, but had movement in all his extremities.

The Win against WKU was IN State’s first non-conference road-win since 2004 and their first win against an FBS team since 2001.

Official attendance for the game was 15,793.

WKU has a bye week this week. Next game vs Arkansas St

Skinner leading WKU to the Top

The Hilltopper volleyball team is on a seven game winning streak and off to a 10-1 start. Hosting LSU, Xavier, and Wake Forest this weekend; the Lady Toppers didn’t falter. They defeated each team by at least two games and filled Diddle arena. You’d be hard pressed to find an environment quite like Diddle Arena in the rest of the country when it comes to volleyball. Plenty of students came to support the team as they always do; and they got to see a show put on by Jordyn Skinner. Skinner dominated every game with killer spikes and energy that led the team through tough volleys and long sets. For her efforts at the Lady Toppers tournament, Skinner was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division 1 National Player of the Week. 80 kills and 50 digs in 4 games aren’t too shabby but what really makes Skinner stand out is her leadership and moxie on the court. With the loss of Emily Teegarden, the Tops had a gap to fill up front physically and emotionally. Skinner has done that and then some. The Lady Tops may in fact be the best team on campus this fall and they deserve the respect and attention of Hilltopper nation. The Lady Toppers are on a roll; and if you want to see some of the finest athletes on campus, be sure to stop by Diddle Arena this Fall and watch Coach Hudson’s team.



Navy Too Strong on Eve of 9-11

On Saturday, the WKU football team did something very special. No, they did not finally bring a win back to L.T. Smith Stadium, but they did partake in a much more significant feat. On the eve of the 10^th anniversary of 9-11, WKU had the honor of hosting the U.S. Naval Academy. Not only was the matchup about the game recognizing the men and women who risk their lives for our nation. On that fateful day 10 years ago, the nation came together, just as Hilltopper Nation did 19,000 fans strong on Saturday night.

As for the game, the Hilltoppers looked like a completely different team than week 1 against UK. The defense, which was WKU’s strength in week 1, could not figure out how to stop Navy’s option offense. The Hilltopper defense surrendered 410 rushing yards, 50 of which came off the first touchdown run by running back John Howell just two minutes into the game. Its tough to say, but after Navy jumped out to the early lead, it was almost apparent WKU would have a tough time getting back into the game. The defense showed some major lapses as 3 of Navy’s 5 offensive touchdowns came on plays of 40+ yards. The Hilltoppers would go onto lose 40-14, a definite step backwards from week 1.

The game did have a few positives. Bobby Rainey rushed for 131 yards on 21 carries (6.2 yards per carry). This extended his streak of 100+ yards rushing per game to seven. This performance was also enough for Rainey to pass the 3,000 career rushing yard mark, only the 6^th player in WKU History to reach this milestone.

The major story coming out of the game will be who will take the starting role in the QB position next week against Indiana State. Coach Taggert finally did what many students having been asking for a while now; giving another QB a chance. Coach Taggart pulled Kawaun Jakes in the middle of a drive in the third quarter. Backup QB Brandon Doughty came into the game and managed to bring some success to the WKU offense, finishing that drive by leading the team down the field setting Rainey up for a 1 yard touchdown run. Doughty finished off the game looking poised and confident while sitting in the pocket, something Jakes didn’t show most of last year. Doughty finished the game 12/21 with 102 yards, compared to Jakes’ 7/12, 51 yard performance. Taggert will need to legitimately consider starting Doughty and it will be interesting to find out who takes the field in what many students are calling a “guaranteed” win next week against Indian State.

If WKU was to lose a home game on the eve of 9-11, at least it was Navy that handed WKU the loss.

Navy vs WKU Preview:

Many people called the game vs UK a “morale victory.” This week the Hilltoppers need to come away with a real victory at home, something the Hilltoppers have not done in nearly three years.

Defense-

WKU’s rush defense looked great next week and will need to continue the success against Navy’s threatening rushing game. Last Thursday, the Hilltoppers came out strong forcing two 3-and-outs and an interception on UK’s first three drives. WKU didn’t allow a completed pass in the 2^nd quarter and held UK to just 190 total offensive yards. Defense might prove to be the key to a victory this weekend. Last week, Navy ran all over Delaware with 391 rushing yards. The main threat comes from Navy’s option style offense which is something the Hilltoppers rarely see. This style allowed 10 different Midshipmen to carry the ball last weekend alone. If the Hilltoppers can quickly identify the ball carrier and not allow the numerous fake handoffs to fool them, they have a good chance to be competitive in the game. The Hilltopper defense should never be underestimated, and last Thursday’s game proved that.

Offense-

As always, WKU will have Bobby Rainey carrying the ball. Last week Bobby Rainey rushed for 107 yards and will look to increase his yardage this weekend. Quaterback Kuwaun Jakes will look to match the spectacular performance he had the last time the Hilltoppers played the Midshipmen. In his first career start, he put up 276 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown against Navy on September 26, 2009. The Hilltoppers led that game until about 2 ½ minutes in the first half before losing 38 to 22.

Navy has made 8 straight bowl appearances and is arguable the best college football program to ever come to LT Smith field. However the Hilltoppers have a great chance to pull off the victory. This year’s team is significantly better than the 2009 team which put up a great fight for a half. After Thursday’s impressive game by the Hilltoppers on national TV, Navy Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo said this week "They went toe-to-toe with not only an in-state school, but the state school and an SEC school.” His squad is concerned the Tops will come out on Top. All I can say is that It would be great to see WKU victorious at home.

Special Notes: This weekend marks the 10^th anniversary of 9/11. WKU has gone above and beyond to honor our US armed forces. The game will indeed be a special event that will be remembered for a long time. Special promotions for the game include (from WKUSports.com):

· Military Appreciation Day – anyone showing a military ID can purchase unlimited tickets for $6.

· 23,000 American flags will be handed out to all fans upon their entrance to Houchens-Smith Stadium.

· Prior to the National Anthem there will be a moment of silence for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and service men and women who have lost their life defending our nation. Taps will be played by the Navy Drum and Bugle Corps following the moment of silence.

· WKU’s new ROTC Cadets will be sworn in and then help unfurl a large American flag on the field.

· National Anthem will be performed by the WKU men’s choir.

· A pregame helicopter flyover is scheduled to take place following the national anthem.

· WKU honorary captain is former WKU football player and Army Lieutenant Colonel Scott Walker. A 1990 graduate of WKU and three-year letterman on the football team, Lieutenant Colonel Walker’s distinguished career has included multiple combat tours as a member of the Army’s Special Forces unit in Somalia and the Middle East.

· The Wounded Warriors attending the game will be recognized during the game.

WKU Athletics will collect the following items at each main entrance to Houchens-Smith Stadium for the troops from the 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (6-4 Cav) from Ft. Knox currently serving in Afghanistan: Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets, beef jerky, hard candy, deodorant, nail clippers, body wash, q-tips, shower shoes, disposable razors, shaving cream

Positive Night for WKU

WKU football may finally be a contender in the Sun Belt. Granted it was just one game, but the Hilltoppers looked like a team the hill hasn’t seen in a long time. The defense was the big story in the UK game, allowing only 190 yards. WKU outgained UK, totaling 234 yards. 107 yards came on the ground from Bobby Rainey. It was obvious the Cats keyed on Rainey, blitzing the entire game. The game plan of making Kawaun Jakes beat UK through the air, worked for the Wildcats as Jakes struggled to get into a rhythm all night. Andrew Jackson was the big story, starting at Middle Linebacker and registering 12 tackles along with 1 sack. WKU now faces another tough test in Navy and their Triple Option offense. We’ll have a full preview later in the week.

#WESTERN KENTUCKY DAWG!

                                                           Courtesy of Hilltopper Video

Coach Mac announces 2011-2012 Basketball Schedule

Ken McDonald announced the WKU men’s basketball schedule this morning. The schedule was highlighted by a visit from 2011 Final Four participant VCU to Diddle Arena on November 23. WKU will also travel to Charleston, South Carolina for the Charleston Classic November 17-20. The teams in the tournament include LSU, Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, Tulsa, St. Joe’s, and VCU. The non-conference schedule also includes home games against St. Joe’s (Season Opener), Tennessee State, Southeastern Louisiana, Murray State, Bowling Green State, and of course Furman. The only difference in the conference portion is no New Orleans since they left the Sun Belt for Division 3 and no home matchup against North Texas. Other than that almost every other major Sun Belt team will play in Diddle Arena this year.

I can’t help but feel a little disappointed about the year’s schedule. The past 4 or 5 years WKU has brought a team from the SEC or another big conference to Diddle, but not this year. VCU certainly is respectable but they had one run and aren’t expected to be a nationally prominent team this year. It’s going to be tough to get the fans/students pumped up for a game against a team that no one had heard of until this year. The VCU game will also take place the first day of Thanksgiving Break. Last year WKU hosted South Carolina on Thanksgiving break and Louisville on Christmas break. The South Carolina game was sparsely attended and the Louisville game had plenty of people, but many students had tickets they didn’t use due to them being gone. Now that I’m done with my nitpicking, the schedule isn’t the toughest but may be just what the team needs as it will seriously lack experience. Teams like Tennessee State and Southeastern Louisiana (which I’m pretty sure is the fictional school Bobby Boucher attended in the Waterboy) are good tune-up games for experience. The team does not lack talent and I fully expect the team to have a season with a winning record and single digit losses.

#WESTERN KENTUCKY DAWG

VCU highlights from the Final Four run



Matt Meyers Introduced as New Baseball Coach

In Tuesday morning’s press conference, Ross Bjork announced that assistant coach Matt Meyers is the new WKU baseball coach. Meyers replaces Chris Finwood who resigned in June to accept a position at Old Dominion University. Meyers began his coaching career at UNC-Ashville where he was held the head-coaching job from 2001 to 2004. Meyers then had a short stint as an assistant at Auburn before coming to the Hill in 2008. A pitcher himself at the University of Tennessee, coach Meyers has focused his attention on improving the Hilltopper pitching staff. Since arriving on the Hill, WKU has consistently possessed one of the top pitching staffs in the league (finishing in the top 3 in ERA 3 of the last 4 seasons), and he has been an important part of the success the Hilltoppers have had the last few years. Bjork admitted that plenty of quality candidates were interested in the position, including St. Louis Cardinal Matt Holliday’s dad, but after the interview process, he was certain that Meyers was the best man for the job. The number of those interested in the job flattered him, and he felt this shows how great the WKU baseball program has become.

After being introduced officially at the press conference, coach Meyers took the opportunity to explain where he felt the program was heading and what he wanted to improve in the coming years. First and foremost, he expressed how thankful, happy and excited he was to be the new Hilltopper coach. He loves the Bowling Green community and WKU, and he stressed that this job is not a stepping-stone in his coaching career. He ensured that he is here to stay for a LONG time to be the head coach at WKU and wants to lead the program to even greater things for the community. In reference to the community, he said “It’s your team.” He loved how the community has jumped on board and gotten behind the HIlltoppers and thanked all of those in the community several times. He stressed that he wants WKU to be a mainstay in the NCAA tournament. He also wants his team to be on top of the Sunbelt Conference each year in not only on field performance, but in academics as well. WKU had one of the highest GPA’s last year and he wants to continue this success in the classroom. He says WKU will continue to successfully recruit the top baseball players in the state and our region. Meyers noted that fans will see some change in the future. Since the NCAA introduced new bats last year, high scoring games have seen a dramatic decrease. Meyers has noticed this change and will focus his future teams on playing small ball baseball to generate runs. One of the last things he stressed was that he wants to continue to improve the strength of schedule of the Hilltoppers and wants to bring even bigger teams to come play in Bowling Green.

Coach Meyers ended his opening statements with a quote. “2+2=5.” He went on to explain that when 1 guy is doing one thing and 1 guy is doing another they can max out. But when they both come together and work together, they can achieve even more. He says that people wondered why WKU faltered down the stretch the last 2 years. “We didn’t come together and try to get 5, we just stayed at 4.” His goal for the year is that for all 56 games his team will come together to achieve more. He doesn’t want anymore late season dropoffs.

I attended the press conference and recommend that everyone watch it. In it you will see sincere he is about the baseball program and how much he appreciates the community. He wants more than anything to bring the best baseball he can to WKU and Bowling Green. Meyers is a man with a great personality and his press conference will be enjoyable to watch.

http://www.wkusports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=780223

Player Profile: George Fant III

In the second installment of our player profile series we’ll take a look at rivals.com player number 150.

George Fant III

Position: Forward

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 225

High School: Warren Central (KY)

He decided to stay in his hometown and play for WKU over the likes of Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College…..huh huh hold on I’m out of breath…Iowa, Murray State, Penn State, and Seton Hall. So needless to say, it was a big pickup for #teamreset. Fant has an 89 rating on ESPNU which means, like with Derrick Gordon, he is a borderline major recruit that will have an immediate and major impact at WKU.

George received First-Team All-State honor this year averaging 21.5 points along with 11.7 rebounds a game. He led Warren Central to yet another 4^th region title and state tournament berth. The team finished the season with a #10 state ranking. Having seen him play in person numerous times one thing jumps out to me that makes him special: his ability to play with anyone. He had numerous battles with Louisville signee and McDonald’s All-American Chane Behannan, coming out on top individually and on the scoreboard almost every time. In the Kentucky-Indian All Star Game at Bellarmine he faced the likes of 3 McDonald’s All-Americans each respectively signing with Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Anyone who was in the gym that night knows that the Kentucky team was heavily outmatched. But one player, George Fant, kept them in it with his 18 points.

Fant is as energetic as it gets on the floor. He doesn’t look extremely athletic but he can dunk on a drop step or fast break with ease. He can block shots and get up off the floor quick. His ability to stretch the floor makes me want to compare him to Steffphon Pettigrew so bad but, I don’t think Fant can hit the three consistently like Pett could. But I’m willing to bet before he leaves he’ll be a much better shooter than Pett was. The main thing he’ll have to improve on is his free throw shooting. Although he has a good looking shot he can’t consistently hit free throws…yet. I’m sure being the hard worker he is by the end of just one year he’ll be a campus and fan favorite.

His role this year will be to provide energy, defense, and rebounding to the team. I see him starting some and coming off the bench some. Either way he’ll fit into the rotation nicely and along with Jamal Crook and Caden Dickerson, bring a great attitude to the locker room for WKU.

WESTERN KENTUCKY DAWG!

Player Profile: Derrick Gordon

We begin our look at WKU’s 2011 recruiting class, and what better place to start than one of the best recruits to ever come to the hill.

Derrick Gordon

Position: Guard

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 180

High school: St. Patrick High School

Derrick Gordon is rated as the top recruit in WKU’s 2011 class. He is a four star recruit ranked the 105^th best recruit in all of college basketball and 28^th at his position according to rivals.com. Gordon also received a recruiting grade of 91 from ESPN. According to ESPN a grade of 91 means a recruit is a borderline major recruit that will standout at a mid-major program.

Gordon definitely played his way to these rankings in high school. He averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game his senior year at one of the top high school basketball programs in the nation. St. Patrick High School finished Gordon’s senior season ranked 10^th in the nation with a 26-1 record, the one loss coming in the championship game. After St. Patrick was banned from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association due to team violations in 2010, and coming one game short of a title in 2011, Gordon will surely have the motivation to bring a Sun Belt title back to WKU.

Gordon will definitely see his share of playing time during his freshman year. Although Gordon may not be in the starting five at the start of the year with Crook, Dickerson, and McDonald returning, he will probably be WKU’s 6^th man from the start, but may even find himself starting if he lives up to his potential. For the Hilltoppers to be successful, they will need Gordon to be a strong shooter inside and out to spread opposing defenses and give Coach McDonald another weapon at the guard position. Gordon has proved that he can play basketball at a high level, which will surely help WKU in its quest to regain its winning tradition.

McDonald and Recruiting Class Look Forward to Better Season

Although the basketball season is still many months away, it is not too early to start looking forward to the season ahead. Many WKU fans are still recovering from last season, but there is a lot of potential for the 2011-2012 season to quickly erase the unwanted memories from last year’s disappointment. First of all, for the first time in his career at WKU, Coach McDonald will be coaching a team entirely composed of players he recruited. Some of last year’s struggles can be blamed on the fact that many players didn’t appear to have the desire to play under Ken McDonald, something that is common in the NCAA after head coaching changes. However, since the entire team is now made up of McDonald-recruited players, the success of the team rides solely on his shoulders.

At first glance, the team appears to be in better shape than last year’s team, especially considering Coach McDonald managed to recruit arguably the best recruiting class in WKU history. This recruiting class comprised of seven players, including two recruits in the Rivals.com top 150 prospects, should have no problem excelling in the Sunbelt Conference. Although the class is a solid one, it has undergone many changes in the past few weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, Deng Leek was ruled ineligible and must play at a Junior College before joining WKU’s team next year. However, on Thursday WKU announced that Junior College transfer O’Karo Akamune will come to the hill, bringing the class back to seven players.

Not only did McDonald bring a solid recruiting class to the hill, but he also hired Jake Morton as the new assistant coach. Morton spent the last four years as an assistant coach at the University of Miami (Fla.), where he helped coach the team to three 20-win seasons, three postseason births, and a first round victory in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Morton brings a winning tradition and postseason experience to WKU, something that will definitely help WKU bounce back after last year’s 16-16 finish.

In the next few weeks, we will preview the incoming recruiting class with player profiles, stats, and analysis on how these players will most likely fit into the depth chart.

Finwood Resigns as Head Baseball Coach

Although the baseball season ended more than a month ago, the team took a major “hit.” On Wednesday, Chris Finwood announced his resignation as head baseball coach at WKU and stated he would be accepting a head-coaching job at Old Dominion. The news came as a shock and quickly spread around campus this morning. By mid-morning, many people were in disbelief by the news. Athletic Director Ross Bjork offered Finwood a contract extension, but Finwood's decision ultimately came down to what was best for his family. A long time coach in the State of Virginia, Finwood jumped on the opportunity to return to Virginia. “Ross and I had many conversations both during this past season and recently… He offered a very fair extension to me and has a vision for continuing to improve the baseball program, and my leaving is in no way a reflection on anything at WKU. This is just a unique opportunity for our family that we cannot turn down. I am very proud of all that we accomplished in the last six years. We did some special things…”

Finwood has been one of the most successful coaches at WKU in the last few years. Since becoming the head coach for the WKU baseball team, the Tops reached new heights on the hill. In 2008, Finwood led the WKU to a 33-27 record, its first winning season since 2004, and even took the Hilltopper to the NCCA tournament. In 2009 he improved upon his success leading his team to the school's first 40-win season in 21 seasons. The Hilltoppers finished an impressive 42-20 and set a new school record for the highest home winning percentage in school history with a record of 27-3. In 2010, Finwood helped schedule one of the toughest seasons in WKU history. Of the 56 games his team played, 24 games came against teams that appeared in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

However, not only has Finwood revitalized the program, he has increased the excitement of baseball in the Bowling Green area. 6,183 fans, the largest crowd to ever watch a college baseball game in Kentucky, came out to watch WKU defeat UK 24-8 in 2010. Coach Finwood also coached some of the best players to ever come through the program. He elevated his players to the next level and watched 60 of his players sign professional baseball contracts. In just six years, Finwood successfully built WKU into one of the best baseball teams in the Sunbelt Conference and his success will be greatly missed.

The attention now turns to Ross Bjork. This will be the first time that Bjork has had to go out and hire a new head coach. The youngest athletic director of the 120 FBS schools, Bjork has shown that he is willing to go out a spend money on a new baseball coach. The athletics program already committed a significant increase in salary for assistant coaches for the baseball program and will likely do the same for the head coach position as well. There are no clear favorites for the job, but in a statement released Tuesday, Bjork stated that, “Our program will attract a number of quality candidates that can lead WKU baseball to the next level… the process of identifying and hiring the best person to serve as our next head baseball coach will begin immediately.” Although untested, I have confidence that Bjork will hire a qualified candidate for the job and am hopeful that the new coach continues to build the program to even newer heights.

Finwood Coaching Resume:

Virginia Military Institute, Assistant Coach, 1989-90; 1991


Radford, Assistant Coach, Fall 1990


Virginia Military Institute, Head Coach, 1992-94


Virginia Commonwealth, Assistant Coach, 1995-98


Virginia Commonwealth, Associate Head Coach, 1999-2000


Auburn, Assistant Coach, 2001-05

WKU Head Coach 2006-2011

Fant Shows Out at KY-IN All-Star Game

The Kentucky- Indiana All-Star game was supposed to be a beat down with Indiana being the aggressor, but WKU signee George Fant (#3) had other plans. Indiana jumped out to an early lead and took the wind out of Kentucky’s sails. That is, until Fant put back a missed shot with a monstrous dunk and brought the entire gym to its feet. Kentucky went on a run and remained in the lead most of the game. Fant got into foul trouble early in the second half. It was easy to see the team wasn’t the same when Fant was on the bench. Kentucky gave up the lead, and with the game tied UK signee Marquis Teague hit a buzzer beater to win it for Indiana. The big story in the game however, was Fant’s performance. Everyone knew “Mr. Basketball” Anthony Hickey would lead the Kentucky team; but not many people (besides this guy) would have guessed Fant would be the one to keep Kentucky in the game. Fant finished with 18 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes of action. His energy was incredible on the court and he truly looked like a team player. Offensively he is a player who can hit the mid-range jumper, and though he has a good stroke, needs a little bit more work from the arc. He battles for rebounds and loose balls with no regard for his body. He reminds me of Steffphon Pettigrew in a lot of ways. He has more fire and intensity than Pettigrew and my bet is that he’ll be a fan favorite for years to come on the hill.

I was able to catch up with Fant after the game and ask him a few questions:

Q: What does it mean for you to represent WKU in an all-star game like this with so many great players?

A: I know Coach Mac and and everybody is watching. I know they’re proud of me to be able to play in this game and show what I can do. I’m a team guy and whatever team I’m on, I want to do whatever it takes to win.

Q: What do you have to say about the recruiting class that's coming in this year?

A: We’re good. We have eight guys that can all play at a high level and even our walk-on (Spence Sheldon) is a good shooter and all around player. I’m just ready to get with all the guys and start building our chemistry. It starts in the weight room. We’re all excited to get together finally and get going.

WESTERN KENTUCKY DAWG!



Four Hilltoppers Taken in the First 10 Rounds of the MLB Draft



    The WKU Baseball program has made great strides over the past few years. These past two days could have been the two greatest strides for the program in its history. Kes Carter was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 56th overall pick in the MLB Amateur Draft. Carter was picked on the first day of the draft in the second round while 3 more Hilltoppers were selected on the second day. Phil Wetherell was selected in the 8th round by the Yankees, Matt Rice was selected in 9th round by the Tampa Bay Rays, and Logan Robbins was taken by the Atlanta Braves in the 10th round. That makes 4 Hilltoppers selected within the first 10 rounds. An astonishing accomplishment for a program that is considered a "mid-major".

    Carter and Robbins now face the decision of whether to leave school or return for their senior season. I'd say that it's a safe bet that Carter will take this tremendous oppurtunity and run with it. Robbins however has a tougher decision to make. Both Carter and Robbins not only will receive tremendous financial compensation but also were selected by two very great organizations. As much as I'd love to see them in a WKU uniform next year, the odds are, they will both take the oppurtunity.
   
    The most interesting aspect of the draft was that Kes Carter and Matt Rice were both selected by the Tampa Bay Rays. Single-A is the level that both Carter and Rice will ultimately begin at after their short season in the rookie league. The Rays Single-A affiliate happens to reside in Bowling Green, KY. That's right...the Hot Rods. It would be so awesome for both of theses guys to come right back to Bowling Green and start their Pro Careers in front of the fans that watched them grow as college players. I know that if one or both of these guys end up on the Hot Rods next season, I'll be at alot of games.
  
    The third day of the draft could have a few more Hilltoppers hearing their names called. Thirdbasemen Casey Dykes and Pitcher Rye Davis are two prospects. Davis just finished his season and hopes to get a call to continue his baseball career. Dykes is a junior and one has to think that at this point, regardless of where he gets drafted, he'll return to the hill next year.


WESTERN KENTUCKY DAWG!

Rice, Carter, and others hope for high picks in MLB Draft

With the season over, some Hilltoppers now turn their attention to the MLB first-year player draft on June 6^th-8^th. Rye Davis and Matt Rice were two of five Hilltoppers drafted last year, however both elected to return to WKU for another season. Davis was selected in the 36^th round (pick #1080) by the Cleveland Indians, while Rice was the 2010 winner of MLB.com’s “Mr. Don’t Count Him Out” award. This title is given each year to the last player drafted in the MLB draft (50^th round, pick # 1525). Although picked last, his title suits his career at WKU. When Rice was at the plate, you could never count him out. “Mr. Don’t Count Him Out” consistently hit for a high average, never posting below a .337 average. His sophomore year he hit a career high .399 and posted a school-record breaking 31-game hit streak. Matt Rice now holds the record for most hits in school history. However, Rice also possessed power and was an RBI machine. In the just under 210 games he started in his career, Rice recorded a school-record 223 RBI’s. Not only that, but Rice maintained a 4.0 GPA as an mechanical engineer major at WKU. Rightfully so, he was distinguished numerous times over the years for both his academics and on-field performances. His top awards include 2011 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year, 2010 American Baseball Coaches Association third-team All-American, and Collegiate Baseball Insider Southeast Region Player of the Week (2010) among numerous other academic and Sunbelt Conference honors. Matt Rice has been one of the major faces of WKU baseball the last few seasons, and his presence will be missed on the field. Although his and other Hilltopper’s careers ended with their loss on Thursday to Troy, many Hilltoppers have a potential future in baseball. MLB.com’s draft tracker lists six players from WKU as potential draftees in this year’s draft. Kes Carter, Rye Davis, Casey Dykes, Matt Rice, Logan Robbins, and Phil Wetherall could all hear their name called in the annual draft. However, realistically only Carter and Rice have a high potential to go relatively early. Talk around campus says that if Carter is drafted early, he will likely sign and will not return to the hill for his senior year. However, Carter remains the only player with a moderate chance of not returning next year. Dykes (.281 average; 27 RBI’s), Robbins (.286 average; 33 RBI's), and Wetherall (1-3, 4.25 ERA) still need time to develop fully and will likely go in the late rounds. However, all three should return to WKU next season. Senior Rye Davis hurt his draft chances with his performance this year. A 36^th round draft pick last year, his above 6 ERA will likely cause him to go even later this year. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens. Both Carter and Rice boosted their chances with very good seasons this year. Make sure you tune in to see how the Hilltoppers fare in this year’s draft.

WKU Baseball 2011: The Season Review

As #8 seed UALR (23-32) completed the ultimate Cinderella story of the Sunbelt Conference Baseball Tournament with a 7-6 win over FIU (49-17-1), the WKU Hilltoppers saw their season officially come to an end. Although the season came to a disappointing conclusion, the season was full of high points for the Hilltoppers. The Tops started the season strong with a five game win streak before dropping five of their next six, granted four of those loses came against ranked opponents. Despite failing to clinch a win against a top ranked opponent during this stretch, WKU showed they could compete when they fell to #2 Vanderbilt 5-6 in the bottom of the 9^th. The Hilltoppers then bounced back going 19-8 in their next 27 games, including a three game sweep of MTSU and wins over UK and Louisville. However, WKU quickly saw their mid-season surge fade as they finished below .500 in the final stretch of the regular season. WKU secured the #4 seed in the Conference Tournament, but it would not matter as #8 UALR would surprise everyone and take home the automatic bid to the College World Series. WKU finished the season with a respectable 33-24 record, while winning many other honors. The season was capped off on a high note as Matt Rice received the honor of 2011 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year. Check back on Tuesday for a complete review of Rice’s distinguished career at WKU and the chances WKU will see multiple players selected in the 2011 MLB Draft.

WKU falls to UALR 5-9

The Hilltopper baseball team suffered a blow to their NCAA tournament hopes yesterday. WKU lost 5-9 at the hands of UALR at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Starting pitcher Rye Davis took the loss, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits in 4 innings. The Hiltoppers then threw 5 relievers at the Trojans with little success. Each reliever allowed at least one run with two relievers allowing one run a piece in 1/3 inning’s work. Despite the bullpen’s stuggles, WKU remained in the game late. Down 6-2 in the 8^th, WKU scored 3 runs to make it 6-5, thanks in large part to Ryan Huck who led off the inning with a solo home run. Kes Carter and Scott Wilcox each tallied RBI singles in the inning. UALR then scored 3 runs in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 9-5, where it stayed to post as the final.

WKU has virtually eliminated themselves from the tournament. The best case scenario involves a WKU victory and a UALR loss. That would leave both teams atop Pool A with 2-1 records while FAU and Troy would sit at 1-2. The tiebreaker to decide which team advances out of the pool is head-to-head competition among the two tied teams. UALR’s win means they win the tiebreaker against WKU and advance no matter what. If Troy defeats WKU, UALR still advances because they defeated Troy earlier in the week. Point blank, #8 seed UALR has won Pool A and will face the winner of Pool B on Sunday for an NCAA tournament bid. A win against #1 seed Troy would look good on WKU’s resume for an At-Large bid, but bears no weight in the conference tournament outcome.

WKU wins thriller!

The Hilltoppers jumped out to an 2-0 lead in the 2^nd inning with a solo shot by Ivan Hartle and a RBI single by Senior leader Matt Rice. FAU quickly responded to tie the game in the top of the 4^th. The score remained the same until Logan Robbins belted a two-out grand slam. WKU looked to be in control of the game until the 8^th inning. Relief pitcher Brian Edelen gave up 3 ER in the top of the 8^th. Then in the top of the 9^th, Raymond Church launched a solo shot off Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Justin Hageman to tie the game 6-6. WKU’s four run lead had quickly vanished and the Hilltoppers soon found themselves fighting an uphill battle. Twice in extra innings the Hilltoppers faced a two run deficit. In the top of the 11^th, the Tops relief pitchers continued to struggle as FAU SS Nick Delguidice hit a 2 run shot to put the Owls up. WKU responded with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning. However, FAU quickly reclaimed their lead in the next inning with a pair of runs making it 10-8. Down by two again, WKU found one last effort and put the game away for good. After already scoring one in the inning, Jared Andreoli’s two-out walk off double in the bottom of the 12^th knocked in two runs to give WKU the 11-10 victory. With the win, the Hilltoppers sit atop the Pool A standings. WKU will face #8 seed UALR tomorrow at 3pm. Although ranked the eighth seed in the tournament, UALR took 2 of 3 in the only series the teams played this year. No starting pitchers have been announced for the game, but after using five pitchers today, it will be interesting to see whom WKU chooses. Let’s just hope that tomorrow, the pitching staff will be able to hold onto their leads.

Quick Stats

Andreoli: 5-6, 2 RBIs. 5 hits are a career high.

Rice: 3-4, 2 RBIs

Carter: 2-5, 1 RBI

Robbins: 1-5, Grand Slam, 4 RBIs

Hartle 2-6, 2RBIs

Rest of team: 1-16