Blue Raiders open Sun Belt play at WKU Friday

FIRST PITCH
Friday - 6 p.m.
Saturday - 3 p.m.
Sunday - 1 p.m.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Middle Tennessee baseball team opens Sun Belt play this weekend with a three-game series at WKU. Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Ky.

The series is tied 56-56 after the two teams split six games last year. The Blue Raiders took the series finale, 6-1, in Bowling Green last year in the final game of the regular season after dropping the first one, 4-2, and the second, 5-4, in 13 innings.

MT (11-6) is coming off a midweek split against Southern Illinois. The Blue Raiders won the first, 4-2, before dropping the finale by the same score.

Michael Adkins continues to lead MT at the plate with a .349 average. Johnny Thomas has been the team's leading RBI-getter with 14, while Ryan Stephens has a 12-game hitting streak.

The same rotation will head to the mound for the weekend, beginning with Hunter Adkins on Friday. Adkins touts a 3-1 record and 2.17 ERA to go along with a team-best 22 strikeouts. Johnathan Frebis will head to the hill Saturday with a 2-1 record and 2.57 ERA. Zac Curtis rounds out the rotation on Sunday with a 3-1 record and 4.29 ERA.

The Hilltoppers (7-9) dropped a pair at Tennessee during the midweek, falling 4-0 and 5-4 in 10 innings. Scott Wilcox paces WKU with a .369 average, just in front of Devin Kelly's .360 average. Regan Flaherty has driven in a team-best 13 runs.

WKU will send Tanner Perkins to the mound on Friday, followed by Andrew Edwards and Tim Bado. Perkins is 2-0 with a 3.77 ERA, Edwards is 0-1 with a 4.19 ERA and Bado is 1-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

All three games this weekend can be heard online at GoBlueRaiders.com or live on WMTS 88.3 with Dick Palmer and John Callow on the call.

Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MTAthletics for continued updates.