OXFORD, Miss. — It only took one inning Friday for Western Kentucky to prove it’s not the same Hilltopper team that skidded into the NCAA Tournament.

Third-seeded WKU used a six-run first inning and didn’t sweat after that, easily handling No. 2 Missouri 11-5 in Friday’s opening round of the Oxford, Miss., regional.

The Hilltoppers (40-18) entered the regional as losers of six of their last eight games, including a doubleheader sweep to Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. WKU scored only five runs in those two losses.

But WKU topped that run total in Friday’s first inning and picked up only the fourth regional win in the program’s history, setting up a winner’s bracket meeting with top seed Ole Miss (41-17) at 5 p.m. today.

“Today was very similar to how we played for (most of the season),” WKU coach Chris Finwood said. “For two weeks we kind of got in a funk there, but it was really good to see our guys get back out there and play with that kind of energy and enthusiasm and enjoy the atmosphere of being here.”

The Hilltoppers certainly were enthusiastic in the first inning.

One batter after Missouri shortstop Michael Liberto committed an error on a potential double-play ball, WKU’s Wade Gaynor slammed a three-run home run down the left field line.

“It was huge for us,” Gaynor said of the first inning. “Our hitting feeds off our pitching, our pitching feeds off our hitting. Any time we put up a big inning in the first, it seems we really get rolling after that.”

Terrence Dayleg - who went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI - later added a run-scoring single in the inning.

“It was really simple,” Dayleg said. “We just wanted to go up there and attack strikes early in the count. We did that well early, which we haven’t been doing the last couple weeks.”

The Hilltoppers made Missouri pay the price for opting not to start ace Kyle Gibson, an expected high Major League Baseball draft pick who entered the regional with a 10-3 record and 3.47 earned-run average.

Instead, Missouri coach Tim Jamieson went with Nick Tepesch and his 6-4 record and 5.81 ERA.

Tepesch lasted only one inning, giving up five earned runs on three hits and three walks.

The Tigers (34-26) eventually used eight pitchers, and WKU had already built an 8-0 lead in the top of the third on Matt Payton’s double.

“I think there’s definitely extra motivation,” Gaynor said about Missouri choosing not to throw its ace. “But they did what they thought they needed to.”

Jamieson said he made the move because he thought it would give the Tigers the best chance to win their first two games.

“Hindsight is 20-20,” Jamieson said. “We had to win with both (Tepesch and Gibson) starting, regardless of the opponent. We weren’t bypassing anybody, we just did what we thought was best for our ball club to get to Sunday at 2-0, and it didn’t work out.”

Finwood, meanwhile, didn’t mind seeing Tepesch on the mound.

“We talked a little about it, but we didn’t want to get caught up in that,” Finwood said. “To be honest with you, I’m kind of glad they didn’t (throw Gibson) - if we’re being honest.”

WKU didn’t have nearly the pitching problems the Tigers had. Hilltopper starter Matt Ridings went 6 1/3 innings and gave up four earned runs on five hits and four walks. Ridings also struck out eight.

Ridings was sharp early. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning, when Missouri plated three runs on Aaron Senne’s three-run homer to cut WKU’s lead to 8-3.

“It’s always easy to pitch with a big lead,” Ridings said. “Anytime you come out in the first inning and you get six, it takes all the pressure off me.”

WKU quickly bounced back after Missouri pulled within 8-3. Matt Hightower sliced a two-run double down the right field line in the top of the fifth for a 10-3 WKU lead.

Missouri got within 10-4 on Kyle Mach’s single in the bottom of the sixth, but the Hilltoppers’ Matt Rice hit a solo home run in the eighth for an 11-4 lead.

Rice went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI.

“Aggressive was the main thing that we were, that’s why we were so successful today hitting the ball hard,” Dayleg said.