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Baseball Media Day: Tops look to stay Healthy in 2020

The weather may not be very baseball-like in recent days, but the Hilltopper baseball team is ready to kick off their season with an opening series against Valparaiso this weekend at Nick Denes field.

Hilltoppers kick off their baseball season on Saturday at home against Valpo
Hilltoppers kick off their baseball season on Saturday at home against Valpo

Head coach John Pawlowski, pitcher Michael Darrell-Hicks, outfielder Ray Zuberer III, and infielders Richard Constantine and Kevin Lambert answered questions from media on a cold February day Tuesday.

"Losing Michael Hicks and Colby Taylor (last season)...both of those guys were going to be on the front of our rotation, so immediately when the season started we had to make adjustments to our rotation," said head coach John Pawlowski. "Now, having Michael back, and Colby's pretty close to being ready to go, it's nice to have some guys that are healthy, that are experienced. Now we just gotta go out and execute."

MORE: JOHN PAWLOWSKI VIDEO INTERVIEW

Hicks proved effective when he last took the mound in 2018, recording a 3.74 earned run average along with 31 strikeouts in just over 21 innings pitched. Taylor, while not boasting quite as impressive numbers in 2018 expects to be an anchor in the Tops rotation this season after transferring from Georgia Highlands College after the 2017 season.

"The goals are going to remain the same. We want to chase a championship, we want to go to Beloxi, and we want to go to the NCAA regionals," claimed Pawlowski. "We feel like this group is a group that's going to push each other. I like the leadership of this group and we feel like they're going to produce some exciting innings for us."

2019 C-USA Triple Crown winner Jake Sanford is without question the Hilltoppers biggest loss heading into the season. Sanford racked up a .398 batting average along with 22 home runs and 66 runs batted in leading the Tops to their first above .500 finish in conference play since 2013.

However, WKU returns their second leading average hitter on the team, Richard Constantine. Constantine hit .376 with 7 home runs and 25 runs batted in in 32 games in 2019.

"We're basically returning our whole lineup, except for Jake (Sanford)," said Constantine. "Coach B(oyd) always says experience is key in baseball, and we do have a lot of bats coming back, so I think everyone is going to be comfortable in their roles."

MORE: RICHARD CONSTANTINE MEDIA DAY INTERVIEW

One key Hilltopper this season will be outfielder Ray Zuberer III. Zuberer, while not boasting spectacular numbers in 2019 is confident in the work he put in this off-season.

"The one thing I'm trying to do this year is...I don't want to worry about average, RBI's, stuff like that. I just want to worry about having quality at-bats for this team, because I feel like that will make us better," said Zuberer.

Another key for the Tops in 2020 will be consistency. WKU started the 2019 season 6-2 before losing 7 straight games to begin the month of March.

This was one of three stretches where the Hilltoppers lost 4 or more consecutive games. Zuberer was also confident in taking the 2020 season as it comes, not focusing on a certain series or matchup.

"We're just going to take it game by game, that's all you can do. To be honest I don't really like looking ahead this season...you want to go day by day and win each game and I think if we do that a lot of success will come of it," said Zuberer.

MORE MEDIA DAY INTERVIEWS: RAY ZUBERER | MICHAEL DARRELL-HICKS | KEVIN LAMBERT

Ultimately the goal for the 2020 WKU Baseball team will be to stay healthy. In 488 and two thirds innings pitched by the 2019 Hilltopper pitching staff, just two hurlers recorded over 50 innings pitched.

"We feel like from the pitching staff we have more options that are going to be available to us," said Coach Pawlowski. "The biggest key now is for these guys to stay healthy and progress forward as the season moves along."

You can catch the Hilltoppers first game at Denes Field on Saturday at 1pm CT. Listen to WKU Baseball all season long on ESPN 102.7 FM in Bowling Green and the surrounding area or espnradio1027.com.

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