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GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Purdue (6-5) at Western Kentucky (8-4)
Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8 at 4 p.m., 2 p.m. & 2 p.m.. ET
Nick Denes Field / Bowling Green, Kentucky
Free Video Streams of Friday & Sunday live on HSSN on Facebook
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Bo Hofstra (Jr., RHP) vs. WKU's Michael Darrell-Hicks (R-Jr., RHP)
Saturday: Cory Brooks (R-So., RHP) vs. WKU's Sean Bergeron (Jr., RHP)
Sunday: Jett Jackson (Fr., RHP) vs. WKU's Dalton Shoemake (Jr., LHP)
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 5-4 / All-Time in Bowling Green: Purdue leads 5-3
Last Series: WKU swept a 3-game set (March 2008 in Bowling Green)
Purdue's Last Series Win vs. WKU: Purdue swept a 3-game set (March 2007 in Bowling Green)
First Meeting: Purdue 16, WKU 7 (April 1948 in Bowling Green)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After a couple early-season tournaments, Purdue baseball plays traditional three-game series each of the next 11 weekends, beginning with a visit to the Bluegrass State for a set with Western Kentucky.
First pitch at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green is slated for 4 p.m. ET on Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network is offering free video streams on Facebook of Friday's series opener and Sunday's finale.
The Boilermakers have already played eight different opponents over their first 11 games of the season. Neutral-site tournaments such as the Campbell Invitational and Minnesota's CambriaCollegeClassic were positive opportunities for Purdue, providing games vs. six different foes. But the three-game weekend series in many ways is the essence of college baseball. The Boilermakers' first visit to Bowling Green since March 2008 doubles as their first true road series of the young season.
Purdue alumnus Ben Wolgamot (2008-09) is in his second year as an assistant coach at WKU. He also coached against the Boilermakers multiple times during his five seasons as an assistant at Valparaiso (2014-18). Purdue head coach Greg Goff and WKU skipper Pawlowski also have a long history. Pawlowski saw the Boilermakers up close in 2012 and 2014 when he was the head coach at Auburn and pitching coach at San Diego State. The former big league pitcher was hired at Western Kentucky in the summer of 2015.
The Boilermakers are tweaking their plan on the mound this weekend, moving Bo Hofstra from closer to Friday starter in the rotation. Trent Johnson is projected to take on Hofstra's featured role in the bullpen. Johnson excelled as a fireman in the bullpen over the first half of the 2019 campaign before finishing the year as a starter. The first inning Friday will be Hofstra's 100th career frame for Purdue. His 56 appearances are most among active Boilermakers, but 54 have been in relief. His two career starts were both on spring break -- at Tulane in 2018 and at Indiana State last season.
Purdue's Tennessee natives – Jett Jackson (Burns) and Blake Schmitt (Franklin) – both grew up less than two hours from Bowling Green. Jackson said he was told a large contingent from Dickson County could be making the trip up Sunday to see him start on the mound for the fourth consecutive weekend.
The Hilltoppers opened their season with an eight-game homestand, winning two of three in weekend series vs. Valparaiso and Wright State and taking midweek games vs. Murray State and Ausitn Peay. Western Kentucky also won two of three last weekend at USC Upstate. They've scored at least six runs in all eight of their victories.
This weekend represents Purdue's first games in Kentucky since an April 2017 midweek game at Louisville. The Boilermakers have not played a weekend series in the Bluegrass State since sweeping a three-game set at Murray State in March 2012.
PURDUE STARING PITCHING THE LAST 2 WEEKENDS
• 32 IP, 19 H, 6 ER, 10 BB, 29 K, 1.69 ERA
• Extra-Base Hits Allowed: 3
• Scoreless Innings Finished: 28 – Jett Jackson 10, Cory Brooks 9, Trent Johnson 9
INNINGS TO WATCH – SCORING TOTALS
• First: Opponents 8, Purdue 6 – 6-1 Boilermakers prior to Wednesday at Indiana
• Second: Purdue 8, Opponents 2 – All 8 runs during the 5-game win streak
• Sixth: Opponents 26, Purdue 8 – Conceded multiple runs in the frame 6 times
• Eighth: Purdue 18, Opponents 2 – Scored 5-plus runs in the frame 3 times; only runs allowed March 1 vs. UNC
HUNTER'S PURSUIT
Skyler Hunter is chasing Purdue all-time records for hits and triples (13) as a senior this season
• Hits in 2020: 13 in 11 Games
• Career Hits: 217 in 174 Games
• Purdue All-Time Record: 279 (Daryl Hallada, 1997-00)
• 15th Place on All-Time List: 220 (Phil Hollis, 1988-91)
• Season Pace: 66
• Career Pace: 273
…Pace totals based on 56-game approximations for 2020
• Career Multi-Hit Games: 64
• Hit Safely in Every Game of a Weekend (Minimum 3 Games): 21 Times
STATISTICAL NOTABLES
• Batters vs. Cory Brooks with 2 Outs: 0-for-14
• Batters vs. Cory Brooks with Runners on Base: 3-for-23
• 2-Out RBI Leaders: Evan Albrecht (7 of 11), Skyler Hunter (7 of 8)
• With Runner on 3rd & Less Than 2 Outs, Scored That Runner in All 3 Opportunities: Evan Albrecht, Ben Nisle, Miles Simington
• Reached Safely to Begin an Inning in 50% of his Opportunities: Evan Albrecht (6 of 10), Zac Fascia (6 of 12), Ben Nisle (6 of 12)
• More Free Passes Than Strikeouts: Zac Fascia (11 vs 6), Miles Simington (8 vs 6), Milo Beam (6 vs 3), Mason Gavre (5 vs 4)
• More Strikeouts Than Hits Allowed: Andrew Bohm (13 vs 9), Trent Johnson (13 vs 10), Cory Brooks (15 vs 13), Jett Jackson (10 vs 8)
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Purdue (6-5) at Western Kentucky (8-4)
Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8 at 4 p.m., 2 p.m. & 2 p.m.. ET
Nick Denes Field / Bowling Green, Kentucky
Free Video Streams of Friday & Sunday live on HSSN on Facebook
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Bo Hofstra (Jr., RHP) vs. WKU's Michael Darrell-Hicks (R-Jr., RHP)
Saturday: Cory Brooks (R-So., RHP) vs. WKU's Sean Bergeron (Jr., RHP)
Sunday: Jett Jackson (Fr., RHP) vs. WKU's Dalton Shoemake (Jr., LHP)
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 5-4 / All-Time in Bowling Green: Purdue leads 5-3
Last Series: WKU swept a 3-game set (March 2008 in Bowling Green)
Purdue's Last Series Win vs. WKU: Purdue swept a 3-game set (March 2007 in Bowling Green)
First Meeting: Purdue 16, WKU 7 (April 1948 in Bowling Green)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After a couple early-season tournaments, Purdue baseball plays traditional three-game series each of the next 11 weekends, beginning with a visit to the Bluegrass State for a set with Western Kentucky.
First pitch at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green is slated for 4 p.m. ET on Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network is offering free video streams on Facebook of Friday's series opener and Sunday's finale.
The Boilermakers have already played eight different opponents over their first 11 games of the season. Neutral-site tournaments such as the Campbell Invitational and Minnesota's CambriaCollegeClassic were positive opportunities for Purdue, providing games vs. six different foes. But the three-game weekend series in many ways is the essence of college baseball. The Boilermakers' first visit to Bowling Green since March 2008 doubles as their first true road series of the young season.
Purdue alumnus Ben Wolgamot (2008-09) is in his second year as an assistant coach at WKU. He also coached against the Boilermakers multiple times during his five seasons as an assistant at Valparaiso (2014-18). Purdue head coach Greg Goff and WKU skipper Pawlowski also have a long history. Pawlowski saw the Boilermakers up close in 2012 and 2014 when he was the head coach at Auburn and pitching coach at San Diego State. The former big league pitcher was hired at Western Kentucky in the summer of 2015.
The Boilermakers are tweaking their plan on the mound this weekend, moving Bo Hofstra from closer to Friday starter in the rotation. Trent Johnson is projected to take on Hofstra's featured role in the bullpen. Johnson excelled as a fireman in the bullpen over the first half of the 2019 campaign before finishing the year as a starter. The first inning Friday will be Hofstra's 100th career frame for Purdue. His 56 appearances are most among active Boilermakers, but 54 have been in relief. His two career starts were both on spring break -- at Tulane in 2018 and at Indiana State last season.
Purdue's Tennessee natives – Jett Jackson (Burns) and Blake Schmitt (Franklin) – both grew up less than two hours from Bowling Green. Jackson said he was told a large contingent from Dickson County could be making the trip up Sunday to see him start on the mound for the fourth consecutive weekend.
The Hilltoppers opened their season with an eight-game homestand, winning two of three in weekend series vs. Valparaiso and Wright State and taking midweek games vs. Murray State and Ausitn Peay. Western Kentucky also won two of three last weekend at USC Upstate. They've scored at least six runs in all eight of their victories.
This weekend represents Purdue's first games in Kentucky since an April 2017 midweek game at Louisville. The Boilermakers have not played a weekend series in the Bluegrass State since sweeping a three-game set at Murray State in March 2012.
PURDUE STARING PITCHING THE LAST 2 WEEKENDS
• 32 IP, 19 H, 6 ER, 10 BB, 29 K, 1.69 ERA
• Extra-Base Hits Allowed: 3
• Scoreless Innings Finished: 28 – Jett Jackson 10, Cory Brooks 9, Trent Johnson 9
INNINGS TO WATCH – SCORING TOTALS
• First: Opponents 8, Purdue 6 – 6-1 Boilermakers prior to Wednesday at Indiana
• Second: Purdue 8, Opponents 2 – All 8 runs during the 5-game win streak
• Sixth: Opponents 26, Purdue 8 – Conceded multiple runs in the frame 6 times
• Eighth: Purdue 18, Opponents 2 – Scored 5-plus runs in the frame 3 times; only runs allowed March 1 vs. UNC
HUNTER'S PURSUIT
Skyler Hunter is chasing Purdue all-time records for hits and triples (13) as a senior this season
• Hits in 2020: 13 in 11 Games
• Career Hits: 217 in 174 Games
• Purdue All-Time Record: 279 (Daryl Hallada, 1997-00)
• 15th Place on All-Time List: 220 (Phil Hollis, 1988-91)
• Season Pace: 66
• Career Pace: 273
…Pace totals based on 56-game approximations for 2020
• Career Multi-Hit Games: 64
• Hit Safely in Every Game of a Weekend (Minimum 3 Games): 21 Times
STATISTICAL NOTABLES
• Batters vs. Cory Brooks with 2 Outs: 0-for-14
• Batters vs. Cory Brooks with Runners on Base: 3-for-23
• 2-Out RBI Leaders: Evan Albrecht (7 of 11), Skyler Hunter (7 of 8)
• With Runner on 3rd & Less Than 2 Outs, Scored That Runner in All 3 Opportunities: Evan Albrecht, Ben Nisle, Miles Simington
• Reached Safely to Begin an Inning in 50% of his Opportunities: Evan Albrecht (6 of 10), Zac Fascia (6 of 12), Ben Nisle (6 of 12)
• More Free Passes Than Strikeouts: Zac Fascia (11 vs 6), Miles Simington (8 vs 6), Milo Beam (6 vs 3), Mason Gavre (5 vs 4)
• More Strikeouts Than Hits Allowed: Andrew Bohm (13 vs 9), Trent Johnson (13 vs 10), Cory Brooks (15 vs 13), Jett Jackson (10 vs 8)