MOBILE – For Colby Beach, the story gets bigger with every game.The Franklin County native and former Co-Lin standout will beleading his Western Kentucky Hilltoppers into the Sun BeltConference Tournament this week in Mobile, Alabama, for an NCAATournament bid.

“I think we’ve got a good chance of winning it,” said Beach,about the tournament. “We struggled early, but we’re playing a lotbetter now.”

The Hilltoppers (25-28) will battle the top eight teams in theirconference in Sun Belt Conference Tournament from May

23-26. Beach, who has moved from the teams’ number-one closer tostarter, is 4-2 overall this season with three saves. He gained hisfirst two starts last week at Purdue and Middle Tennessee State intwo Hilltoppers wins.

Former Auburn assistant Chris Finwood serves as the head coachof the Hilltoppers Finwood is in second season at the helm.

“Coach Finwood is a great coach,” said Beach. “He’s a great guyto play for.”

Over the past three months, Beach has beaten the likes ofUL-Lafayette and Oklahoma. His victory at Middle Tennessee Statelast Saturday helped clinch WKU’s berth into the Sun BeltConference Tournament.

Beach’s journey to Western Kentucky was by chance. The 6-foot-1,205-pound junior signed with Delta State University in 2005 priorto his sophomore season at Co-Lin. Two weeks before his regularseason at Co-Lin was to begin, Beach was sidelined with an arminjury that required Tommy John Surgery to his right throwing arm.Beach was redshirted by the Wolves and had the option to return toCo-Lin in 2006 or go on to Delta State. Beach chose the Statesmenand won two games and collected two saves as the teams closer lastyear as he came back from injury.

After the season, the Delta State coaches sent Beach to Kentuckyto play in the Kentucky Summer Wooden Bat league. Beach impressedthousands upon thousands in the league with his 91-mph fastball anddominating 70-mph curve that threw batters off and major leaguescouts on. Beach drew the interest of the N.Y. Mets and Kansas CityRoyals brass, and gained confidence about possibly changing NCAAdivisions as well.

“My goal since high school was to always play Division Onebaseball,” said Beach. “And I thought I could, given thechance.”

In August of 2006, Beach made the decision to leave Delta Stateand transfer to Western Kentucky. NCAA rules mandated that he wouldhave to sit out a year, because of the Division Two to Division Onerise rule, unless DSU released him from his athletic scholarship.After a three month battle, Delta State finally gave Beach hisrelease, and he walked on to Western Kentucky.

Beach quickly impressed WKU coaches, and in an instant won overthe squads number-one closer spot and later a starting role in therotation.

Now as he prepares for the biggest games of his career, Beachhas one more choice to make after the season is over. Return forhis senior season at WKU or listen to what the pro scouts have tosay before the MLB Draft on June 7-8.

“Right now, I’m concentrating on the tournament and what teamswe may face,” said Beach. “That other stuff will just have towait.”