A two-hit shutout victory for the Toppers. WKU advances to battle Tulane tommorrow at 3pm.

GO TOPS

Oxford, Miss. — Western Kentucky University head baseball coach Joel Murrie waited 24 years to return to the NCAA Tournament. Friday night, junior left-hander Grady Hinchman needed just over two hours to give him a win in his first game back in the postseason.
Hinchman carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning en route to a two-hit shutout as the fourth-seeded Hilltoppers defeated No. 1 seed and 13th-ranked Mississippi, 1-0, in the opening round of the Oxford Regional at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.

Western (35-26) will face No. 3 seed Tulane Saturday at 3 p.m. (CDT) in the winner’s bracket, while the Rebels (39-20) take on second-seeded Washington in an 11 a.m. elimination game.

It was the first complete game of Hinchman’s career. He improved to 7-5 with his third consecutive victory, fanning six while walking just two — he needed only 103 pitches in the effort.

Hinchman retired 14 of the first 16 batters he faced before Matt Tolbert led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to left field. A sacrifice and flyout left Tolbert at third base when Chris Coghlan hit a soft liner to right that Antone Towns made a diving catch on to end the threat.

Tolbert would be the only Rebel to pass second base. Hinchman allowed a single and hit a batter in the final frame, but induced a groundout from Brian Pettway to end the contest.

It clinched Western’s 11th win its last 12 outings, including six in a row.

The Toppers gave Hinchman all the support he would need in the top of the second inning. Matt Johnston led off with a walk and moved to third when Towns followed with a single. After a shallow flyout, Jordan Newton hit a ball to the left-center field gap that Alex Presley made a sliding catch on — it allowed the Rebels to double off Towns at first, but not before Johnston crossed the plate.

Western missed a chance to double its advantage in the fifth when Dennis Winn and Matt Ransdell reached on singles to give the Hilltoppers two runners with just one out. After Stephen Head fanned Tim Grogan, Matt Gunning’s check swing came to a stop on the foul line for a hit. However, Winn was caught rounding third and tagged out by catcher Barry Gunther following a rundown.

Ransdell and Winn each went 2-for-4 to lead the Topper attack. Head (6-3) surrendered six hits and four walks, as he struck out three in matching Hinchman with a complete-game effort.

The win was WKU’s first in three tries against the Rebels, who have dropped their last six regional openers.


— WKU —

Congrats! I like seeing the webels lose!

Congrats on the big win

<span style='color:red'><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>GEAUX TOPS!!!!! BEAT TOOLAME!!!</span></span>