Herald Newsletter 03-23-2026

Monday, March 23, 2026

No-hitter by Smith highlights Hilltoppers’weekend sweep of Middle Tennessee

WKU right handed pitcher Rylan Smith (17) celebrates a no hit inning during WKU Softball’s game against the University of Louisville Cardinals in Bowling Green, Ky. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.(Eli Randolph)

WKU Softball swept Middle Tennessee in the weekend series at Nick Denes Field from March 20-22.

The wins move the Hilltoppers to 22-7 on the season, and 6-3 in CUSA.

The Hilltoppers had a lot of success in the circle, with junior Rylan Smith throwing her first no-hitter in her career in game two, and the 15th no-hitter for a WKU player in program history

Read more by Peyton Reid andAustin Rice

Read about WKU's Wednesday loss to Louisville here

WKU Baseball falls to Jacksonville State in series sweep

Western infielder Reid Howard (3) watches a ball fly after a hit during Western’s game against Brigham Young University on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 at Nick Denes Field. Howard was the second to last hitter in the game and finished the match with one hit and two stolen bases overall.(Jacob Sebastian)

WKU Baseball suffered its first Conference USAsweep at the hands of Jacksonville State this weekend.

The Hilltoppers have fallen to 13-11 in the season and 3-3 in CUSA.

Jax State’s explosive offense dominated the series, outhitting the Hilltoppers 35-15 and outscoring them 26-5.

The Hilltoppers’starting rotation was limited due to Jax State’s explosive offense, combining for just 8.1 innings while giving up 14 runs on 17 hits.

The College Heights Herald is the independent, student-run news organization operating on the campus of Western Kentucky University, emphasizing accuracy and truth while being a public forum for the fair display of diverse opinions and viewpoints. The Herald works to be steadfast and unwavering in its pursuit of truth while being true to the tenets of the WKU Student Publications mission to grow exceptional journalists and innovative leaders through real-world experiences and a strong educational and ethical foundation centered on principled journalism. All creative and editorial decisions are made by the Herald’s student leadership, and all consequences of those decisions are the sole responsibility of these student leaders. While editorially and operationally independent from the university, the Herald participates in the mission of WKU to prepare students of all backgrounds to be productive, engaged and socially responsible citizen-leaders of a global society, both within and outside of its newsroom. Views expressed are diverse and, as an independent publication, should not be taken as representative of views of WKU and any of its administration, faculty, staff, student body or other constituency

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