With the 2023 campaign on the horizon, head coach Marc Rardin and the Hilltoppers have released their non-conference schedule for the upcoming season.
WKU is scheduled for 20 non-conference home games marking the first time the Hilltoppers will play at least 20 non-conference games at home since 2006. The squad kicks off the spring season on February 17 at home against the Dayton Flyers at Nick Denes Field.
"For my first year here, we are excited for this spring. Having a good amount of home non-conference games," said Rardin. "Starting in, pretty much, all of February. Then going through March and April with the non-conference games on Tuesday's. We have a tremendous location for non-conference games. Even on Tuesday's we are not further than two hours away from traveling or even the opponent traveling here, so the convenience is really nice when it comes to our student-athletes and getting back to the classroom the next day. The competition starting off in February, bringing in some northern teams down to play is a big advantage with us. It is always nice to play at home and have that routine. Being able to have all these non-conference home games is an advantage to us."
Following the season-opening series at home against Dayton from Feb. 17-19, the Hilltoppers first road game comes at Belmont for a midweek game against the Bruins in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 21.
The following weekend, the team will begin a 13-game home stretch, hosting a four-game weekend series against Ohio (Feb. 24-26) with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25, beginning at 1 p.m.
Up next the Bellarmine Knights visit The Hill for a midweek game on Feb. 28 before another four-game home weekend series against Northern Illinois (March 3-5) with another doubleheader on March 4.
The Hilltoppers will then play another midweek game against the Belmont Bruins, this time at The Nick on March 7. The final non-conference series comes the following weekend at home against South Dakota State from March 10-12.
Before starting conference play at Middle Tennessee (March 17-19) the next weekend, the Tops head to Clarksville for a midweek matchup with the Austin Peay Governors on March 14.
WKU will head to Louisville for another midweek matchup against its first Power 5 game of the season against the Cardinals on March 21 prior to the team's first Conference USA home series against Louisiana Tech (March 24-26).
The Hilltoppers will then welcome SEC opponent Kentucky to Nick Denes Field on March 28 before heading to San Antonio, Texas to face UTSA (March 30-April 2).
Following the team's return from San Antonio, they head down to Nashville to play Vanderbilt, the winner of the 2014 College World Series, on April 4.
Middle Tennessee heads for The Hill the next weekend for a three-game series from April 7-9 before a midweek game against Evansville on April 11.
The Tops then head south for a road tilt with the UAB Blazers on April 14-16 in Birmingham, Ala. before visiting Evansville for their final non-conference road game of the season on April 18.
WKU will return home for seven straight games beginning with a three-game series against Florida Atlantic on the weekend of April 21-23 before another midweek game against the Austin Peay Governors, this time at home on April 25.
The month of April concludes with a Conference USA weekend series against Charlotte at The Nick from April 28-30 followed up by a trip to Miami, Fla. to play FIU (May 5-7) for the team's first three-game series in May.
The final non-conference game of the year comes as a midweek matchup at home against Eastern Kentucky on May 9 prior to the final home series of the season against the Rice Owls on May 12-14 with Senior Day taking place on Sunday, May 14.
WKU will complete the regular season playing at new Conference USA opponent Dallas Baptist on May 18-20.
The 2023 Conference USA Tournament is scheduled to begin on May 24.
