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SAN MARCOS – Texas State will play the team's second conference series of the season in the Sun Belt Conference this weekend with a three-game slate against Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky.
 
Game Info: Texas State (13-7, 3-1 SBC) vs. WKU (12-9, 2-1 SBC)
Site: Bobcat Ballpark – San Marcos, Texas
Date: Friday-Sunday, March 21-23
Time: Friday – 6 p.m. | Saturday – 3 p.m. | Sunday – 1 p.m.
 
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday: #32 RHP Taylor Black (2-2, 3.31) vs. #31 RHP Justin Hageman (0-1, 2.88)
Saturday: #31 RHP Austen Williams (2-0, 2.87) vs. #13 RHP Austin Clay (3-0, 2.57)
Sunday: #21 RHP Lucas Humpal (1-0, 3.34) vs. #23 RHP Jake Thompson (2-0, 2.20)
 
The Series                                                                                                  
The Bobcats and Hilltoppers have only met once in the past, a 4-3 Texas State loss back on Feb. 27, 2010. The teams met on a neutral field at Baylor in Waco, Texas. No Bobcat tallied more than one hit as the team only knocked five, but WKU did not do much better with six hits in the game.
 
Western Kentucky scored first in the game with two runs. The Bobcats came back to tie it but the Hilltoppers scored two runs in the top of the eighth and Texas State could only answer with one in the bottom of the inning. After a scoreless ninth, WKU took the win.
 
On the Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky is coming off a 10-3 loss at Kentucky. It was the team's fourth loss in the last six games. Despite taking two wins off of Georgia State in a conference series, but dropped the series opener after two losses to Georgia.
 
The Hilltoppers have three contributors averaging above .300 and one more batting .399. Ryan Messex leads the team at .367 but Ryan Church brings the power with four home runs. Cody Wofford has three long balls while Scott Wilcox has two. Rounding out the home run hitters is Trevor Lowe with one on the season.
 
The weekend's three starters for WKU are a combined 5-1 on the season and none of them among Jake Thompson, Austin Clay or Justin Hageman have an ERA higher than 2.88. The team's top closer is Ian Tompkins with seven saves in 10 appearances. He has 22 strikeouts to eight walks and eight hits with just one run given up.
 
On the Bobcats
Texas State will be looking to rebound off a tough midweek loss to No. 11 Rice. Before that, however, the Bobcats were riding high with an impressive three-game sweep of UT Arlington to start conference play.
 
Granger Studdard had an impressive weekend with two home runs, one of which was a walk-off to clinch the game two victory. He currently leads the team in batting average (.328), on-base percentage (.443) and runs scored (14).
 
Matt Smith looks to have taken over at second base and is batting .324 in 37 at bats. He's scored seven runs on 12 hits with four RBI and four hits for extra bases.
 
Texas State's starting trio of pitchers continues to play lights out. Lucas Humpal stands with a 3.34 ERA and both Taylor Black and Austen Williams boast better marks than that. They're a combined 5-2 on the season with Williams leading the way in strikeouts with 34.
 
Closing out for Texas State is senior sidearm Hunter Lemke. He is one of just 10 NCAA Division I Baseball players to lead his team in both wins (four) and saves (six). He has notched 12 strikeouts to just two walks on the year.
 
A Look Ahead
It'll be a quick turnaround for Texas State coming in off the road against Western Kentucky. The Bobcats will play Texas on the road at 6 p.m. Tuesday and then hit the road again for a conference series against Arkansas State.