KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team heads south this weekend for a three-game series at Kentucky. All three games are set to be streamed live on SEC+.

GAME INFO
Game One: Friday, Feb. 25 | 4 pm | WATCH
RHP Jack Huisman (0-0, 27.00 ERA) vs RHP Cole Stupp (0-0, 13.50 ERA) Game Three: Sunday, Feb. 27 | 1 pm | WATCH
TBA vs LHP Tyler Bosma (1-0, 1.80 ERA)

FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUBaseball

LEADING OFF

• This weekend marks the 16th, 17th and 18th meetings between Western Michigan and Kentucky
• UK leads the all-time series between the two programs, 12-3
• The two teams have not met since 2009, when the Wildcats swept three games from the Broncos
• The three meetings in 2009 are also the most recent matchups for WMU against an SEC foe
• Western Michigan began its 2022 season last weekend by dropping two out of three to Bradley
• The series against the Braves was played in Richmond, Ky., on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University
• Seven different players made their Bronco debuts last weekend, including five pitchers
• In the finale, WMU tallied 19 runs, its most since scoring 21 on Feb. 23, 2019, at Alabama A&M
• The Broncos tallied eight ninth-inning runs to notch the 19-17 come-from-behind victory
• All nine starters had at least one hit, and all 10 players who came to the plate scored at least once
• The Broncos blasted five home runs over the weekend, with five different players going deep
• Brendan Harrity (3R) and Cade Sullivan (GS) each belted the first long balls of their collegiate careers
• The WMU offense drew a total of 21 walks for the weekend, led by Gavin Doyle's five free passes
• In the middle game, junior lefty Dane Armbrustmacher fanned a career-high 10 in five innings of work
• Senior Connor Charping reached safely in all three games, extending his on-base streak to 13 straight

THE FIRST PITCH
This weekend marks the 16th, 17th and 18th all-time meetings on the diamond between Western Michigan and Kentucky. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 12-3, and swept three games from WMU in the two teams' most recent meeting back in 2009. 

LAST WEEKEND RECAP
WMU opened up the 2022 season with a three-game neutral site series against Bradley on the campus of Eastern Kentucky. The Broncos dropped the first two to the Braves, before rallying to score eight in the ninth inning of the finale to claim a 19-17 victory. 

RACKING UP THE RUNS
Western Michigan tallied a season-high 19 runs in Sunday's victory over Bradley, its first double-digit run total of the young season. The 19 runs were the most scored in a single game by WMU since scoring 21 on Feb. 23, 2019, at Alabama A&M. The Broncos notched double-digit runs in 11 of its 50 games in 2021. 

CROOKED NUMBERS
In its series against Bradley, Western Michigan had three innings of four runs or more, highlighted by the eight-run ninth inning in the second game of Sunday's twin bill to secure the come-from-behind win. 

BRONCO BOMBS
After hitting 44 home runs last season, its most since 2009, WMU launched five homers in its Opening Weekend series against Bradley. The five long balls were hit by five different Broncos, as Brendan Harrity, Justin McIntyre, Will Morrison, Cade Sullivan and Josh Swinehart all went deep. Harrity's three-run shot and Sullivan's grand slam marked the first long ball of their respective collegiate careers.

WALK THIS WAY
The Broncos drew 21 walks in the three-game set against Bradley, including 10 in the series finale. Gavin Doyle led the way with five free passes, including three in the opener.

NEW BATS IN THE LINEUP
Seven different players made their Western Michigan debuts during last weekend's season-opening series against Bradley. On the offensive side, Brendan Harrity and Dylan Nevar each marked their collegiate debut with their first hits as collegians in Saturday's season opener. 

NEW ARMS IN THE 'PEN
Six pitchers also made their first appearances as Broncos over the weekend, as Nick Crandell, Ethan Houghtaling, Nevar, Joe Shapiro, Luke Thelen and Nolan Vlcek all came on for relief stints over the weekend. Nevar earned the win in Sunday's finale, while Vlcek struck out the only two batters he faced to collect his first save. 

DANE'S DOMINANCE
Junior lefty Dane Armbrustmacher shined in his season debut on Sunday, fanning a career-high 10 over five innings of work.

NOT JOSHING AROUND
Sophomore Josh Swinehart got his 2022 off to a fast start last weekend, hitting safely in all three games and blasting WMU's first long ball of the year, a three-run shot, on Saturday. Swinehart had a team-high five RBIs for the weekend against the Braves.

CAN'T CATCH THE CATCHER
After stealing a program-record 32 bases in 2021, senior catcher Connor Charping picked up where he left off, swiping a pair of bases last weekend. With his 44 career steals, Charping ranks ninth in WMU history.

GETTING ON THE PAINFUL WAY
Justin McIntyre was hit by a pitch 10 times last year, and was plunked twice on Opening Weekend. The senior has been hit 25 times in his career, eighth-most in WMU history. 

CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Western Michigan enters 2022 having recorded at least 20 wins in five of the past seven seasons. The Broncos have also tallied double-digit MAC wins in eight of the last nine years, including a program-record tying 23 in 2021. 

2000 PROGRAM WINS
After clinching the series finale over Central Michigan late last season, the Western Michigan baseball program became the second team in MAC history to reach 2000 wins as a program.

PRESEASON POLL
Coming off of a tie for third in 2021, Western Michigan was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll. The Broncos were also selected to finish in fourth in D1 Baseball's MAC preview. Reigning league champion Central Michigan was selected as the conference's preseason favorite. 

MAC TOURNAMENT RETURNS
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the MAC Tournament is slated to return this May. The top-4 teams in the final standings will qualify, with the regular season champion to serve as the tournament host. Western Michigan has made six of the nine MAC Tournaments held since Billy Gernon took over as head coach in 2011. 

CHIRPING ABOUT CHARPING
An All-MAC First Team selection last season, Connor Charping was selected as one of the MAC's Preseason Co-Players of the Year by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper heading into the 2022 campaign. The senior also appeared on D1 Baseball's top-50 catchers list, checking in at #27 among the nation's backstops. 

EYES ON EASTON
Prior to the season, Western Michigan junior righty Easton Sikorski was listed as the sixth-best prospect in the Mid-American Conference for the upcoming 2022 MLB Draft. Sikorski tossed four innings, allowing two earned runs over four innings and striking out three, in his first start of the season last Saturday against Bradley. 

PIPELINE TO THE SHOW
Since the start of the MLB Draft in 1965, Western Michigan leads all MAC schools with 113 Draft picks. Of the 113, WMU has had 34 players reach the Major Leagues. Three former Broncos are playing in Major League organizations:

Keegan Akin - Baltimore Orioles
Blake Dunn - Cincinnati Reds
Nic Laio - Pittsburgh Pirates