(BOWLING GREEN, Ky.) — “It’s gotta be Team 106,” WKU Baseball Head Coach Marc Rardin said Monday morning during the team’s annual preseason press conference. “Team 106 doesn’t care about Team 105 or 104. They want to do their own thing.”

2025 marks 106 years of baseball at Western Kentucky University, and Marc Rardin has made a huge impact and legacy going into just his third year as head coach.

Rardin’s Hilltoppers were voted 3rd in the Conference USA Preseason Poll, only behind the LA Tech Bulldogs and the Dallas Baptist Patriots.

“It’s nice for the recognition,” Rardin said on the poll results. “We’ve worked hard to get where we’re at, but we’ve got to defend ourselves now.”

WKU Baseball is coming off a 36-22 record in the 2024 season, including wins over Louisville and a regular season series win against Dallas Baptist who has long held CUSA under its boot. The Patriots would end up being their demise in the CUSA Semi-Finals (5-7).

Returning position players Austin Haller and Ethan Lizama believed the end of the year stretch was tough due to injuries and fatigue. 

“Towards the end of the year we got a little tired,” Haller said.

The Hilltoppers feature two Preseason All-CUSA Team picks in pitcher Dawson Hall and Ethan Lizama. Lizama is a key returner for WKU after a .309 BA last season, second only to Blake Cavill who graduated. 

“I think it’s just experience,” Rardin said on what was needed for the program to take the next step to the CUSA Championship Game. “They know if we can win 40 games … that’s going to put it somewhere where we need to be towards the end of the season.”

“For me still, I want to get to the final day of Conference USA, because I know if we cant get there, we can really make some things happen,” Coach Rardin said.

The entire staff from last season is returning for the Hilltoppers, including assistant coach and pitching coach Dillon Napoleon who’s worked with Rardin for six seasons. Experience will be key to the Hilltoppers success come April and May, but the start of the year will not see a 100% healthy team.

“We will not be healthy [to start the year],” Rardin said. “We’ve had some bang ups. Everybody needs to make their worth.”

Hilltoppers that will not be ready for the season opener include pitcher Dawson Hall and transfer Kyle Hvidsten (previously Iowa Western Community College).

The Hilltoppers will open their 2025 season with a 4-game series home stand against Illinois State on Friday, February 14th. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Nick Denes Field.