Games 26-28 | Nick Denes Field (Bowling Green, Ky.)
Sam Houston (7-18, 1-2 CUSA) at WKU (22-3, 1-2 CUSA)
Projected Starters
Friday, March 28 – 4:00 p.m. | ESPN+
SHSU: RHP Noah Kendrick (0-3, 3.57 ERA, 22.2 IP, 10 K, 3 BB)
WKU: RHP Jack Bennett (4-0, 1.05 ERA, 25.2 IP, 26 K, 3 BB)
Saturday, March 29 – 4:00 p.m. | ESPN+
SHSU: RHP Ryan Peterson (1-5, 5.29 ERA, 34.0 IP, 34 K, 12 BB)
WKU: RHP Drew Whalen (5-0, 2.35ERA, 30.2 IP, 41 K, 7 BB)
Sunday, March 30 – 1:00 p.m.
SHSU: TBA
WKU: TBA
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Sam Houston Bearkats will go in search of their first series win of the season this weekend when they travel to WKU for a 3-game set with the Hilltoppers, starting Friday night at Nick Denes Field.
Games played on Friday and Saturday of the Kats' series against the Hilltoppers will be streamed on ESPN+, while the WKU radio broadcast of Sunday's competition can be heard on the Varsity app. The games can also be followed via Statbroadcast or on social media by following @BearkatsBSB on X and Instagram.
The series will be Sam Houston's first-ever trip to Bowling Green or the State of Kentucky. The Kats had been playing their share of nail-biters prior to Tuesday's 13-3 defeat at No. 7 Texas with seven of its previous eight games being decided by three runs or less.
Sam Houston will tinker with its rotation once again this weekend when they give the ball to RHP Noah Kendrick on Friday night. The sophomore has been one of the Kats' most reliable arms in 2025, making four straight midweek starts before logging 7.2 innings of 1-run long relief in his last two outings vs Abilene Christian and Louisiana Tech.
At the plate, Ryan Franden and Parker Blackman will each carry team-high hit streaks of five games apiece into Friday with Franden having hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games overall, including going 3-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI on Tuesday night at Texas.
The weekend will be a tall task against a Hilltoppers team who is off to a 22-3 start overall under third-year head coach Marc Rardin; however, they took just two of three games from Kennesaw State to open Conference USA play last weekend on the road.
The Tops finished third in CUSA a year ago, taking two of three from the Kats in Huntsville in the only other meetings between the schools.
