Western Kentucky’s baseball team defeated Central Michigan 10-5 to clinch the series on Saturday at Nick Denes Field.

The win moves the Hilltoppers to 9-1, marking the best start WKU has had through 10 games since the 1928 season. The 1928 WKU baseball team totaled a 15-1 record on their way to a State Championship title. The Hilltoppers have started 9-1 just three times in program history – 1924, 1928 and 2025.

WKU scored 10 runs and launched a trio of homers, while starting pitcher Drew Whalen struck out a career-high nine batters on his way to his second win of the 2025 season.

Ryan Wideman got the scoring going in the first with a solo homer over the left center wall to put the Tops up 1-0.

The Chippewas evened the score with an RBI single in the top of the second.

WKU cashed in four times in the second inning with a three-run homer from Reid Howard before Wideman scored Carlos Vasquez with an RBI triple to extend the lead to 5-1.

Central Michigan used an RBI single and a Hilltopper error to cut the deficit to 5-3 in the top of the fifth.

A solo home run to right center from WKU’s Camden Ross made the score 6-3 after five innings.

Ross and Caleb Marmo hit back-to-back RBI doubles before Thomas Marsala drove in another with an RBI single in the seventh inning. That extended the WKU advantage to 9-3.

A Chippewa balk scored Ethan Lizama to put the 10th run on the board for the Tops in the eighth inning.

A Central Michigan home run and an RBI single in the ninth inning made the final score 10-5.

Whalen made his third start on the mound this season. The sophomore’s nine strikeouts in five innings set a new career-high. He reached his previous career-high of eight strikeouts in his two starts prior to Saturday. Whalen improves to 2-0 and now owns a 3.14 ERA after allowing two earned runs on six hits.

Lucas Hartman, Lucas Litteral and Hunter Small saw action out of the bullpen for the Tops. Only one earned run came across for the Chippewas in the final four frames as Hartman, Litteral and Small combined for four strikeouts with only four hits and one walk surrendered.

The WKU offense scored double-digit runs for the second time this season as they put up 10 runs on 13 hits with nine RBIs.

Three Hilltoppers had three-hit outings in Wideman, Ross and Marsala.

Wideman was a single short of the cycle in a 3-for-5 day with two RBIs, two runs, a home run, a triple and a double.

Ross was a triple short of the cycle in a 3-for-4 performance with two RBIs, two runs, a home run and a double.

Marsala had an RBI, a run and a double in a 3-for-4 effort at the plate.

Howard – the only true freshman position player on the squad – hit his first collegiate home run of his career – a three-run shot over the left-field wall – in a 1-for-4 showing.

WKU improves to 7-9 all-time against Central Michigan.

The Hilltoppers wrap up its four-game series against Central Michigan on Sunday. First pitch from Nick Denes Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.