Mobile, Ala. - Western Kentucky (34-26) won its first-ever Sun Belt baseball tournament title 14-4 over Middle Tennessee (40-20) on Saturday afternoon. The Hilltoppers got a second strong pitching performance by Tournament Most Outstanding Player Grady Hinchman to become the first No. 7 seed to earn the league's automatic bid.
Hinchman (6-5) finished what he started on Wednesday (9 IP, 7 K) with a tournament ERA of 1.80 and 11 strikeouts in 15 combined innings. In Saturday's start, Hinchman threw for six innings giving up only five hits and three earned runs.
The teams were tied at three going into the bottom of the fourth when the floodgates opened and Western scored seven runs to build a 10-3 lead.
Freshman catcher Jordan Newton got things started in the fourth with a lead-off single to right field. Newton advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Matt Ransdell single in the next at bat, 4-3. The Hilltoppers got through the batting order to Newton for a second time. The all-tournament team selection singled in Antone Towns, raising the score to 10-3.
The Hilltoppers are returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years, Joel Murrie's first season as the head coach at WKU.
2004 All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Player - Grady Hinchman, P, WKU
Tim Grogan, 3B, WKU
Jordan Newton, C, WKU
Troy Harp, C, MT
Shane Kemp, OF, MT
John Williams, P, MT
Kevin Ardoin, P, UL
Kevin Preau, OF, UL
Adam Lind, OF, USA
Western Kentucky Head Coach Joel Murrie...
"I can't think or even express the words of what I feel for these young men. This is what it is all about. I've been doing this a long time and there is no doubt the satisfaction that I have, not only for myself and our staff, that is far exceeded by the feelings I have for those young men. All year long we said 'It can happen. We've got the talent, you've got to play and do the little things. And be relentless in every phase of the game'."
Most Outstanding Player - Grady Hinchman, P, Western Kentucky...
"I was fresh (on Wednesday). This game took a whole lot more heart than it (Wednesday's) did. I got out there the first couple of innings and was tightening up a little bit. I got my confidence back to where it needs to be and started pitching with more heart."
Middle Tennessee Head Coach Steve Peterson...
"Our goals this season were to be 1) a regular season champion, we accomplished that, 2) be a tournament champion, we didn't accomplish that. Our third goal is to get into an NCAA regional. Going in I told the team that we had to have success in this tournament. To be successful, would mean win the championship. We did not win because we were not the best-playing team this week. Western Kentucky, hats off-hands down, they were the best-playing team this week. They deserve to win the championship and they will represent the Sun Belt as the automatic qualifier."