Game #21 - Chattanooga

The Cats travel to Chattanooga, to meet the Chattanooga Mocs who are coming off a win over Samford. The two fifth-place teams face off a 2 pm on ESPN3.



Game #21 - Chattanooga

When: Saturday, February, 1 - Time: 2:00 pm
Where: The Roundhouse, Chattanooga, GA
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-Radio Announcer: Gary Ayers and Daniel Hookere
TV/video: ESPN3
-TV announcer: Chris Goforth (PxP) & Todd Agne (Analysis)
Live Stats: UTC Live Stats

The Series: The series between the Cats and Mocs tipped off back in 1969, with a 77-64 victory over Chattanooga. Things have not gone well since that first game, as the Cats are 28-66 against Chattanooga overall. Since the Cats and Mocs, joined the SoCon, the Mocs still hold the upper hand with a 54-25 record against Western.

The Mocs are in 8th place in scoring offense, averaging 72.6 ppg, while the Cats still lead scoring in the SoCon with 79.9 ppg.  In scoring defense, the Mocs are giving up, 67.5 ppg and the Cats are giving up 74.6 ppg   


Probable Moc Starters:
Maurice Commander, (6-0 167) So.  5.4 ppg
David Jean-Baptiste, (6-1 19)1 RJr.  13.0 ppg
Matt Ryan, (6-7 215) Gr.  14.8 ppg
Rod Johnson, (6-7 200) RJr.  6.8 ppg
Ramon Vila, (6-8 242) Jr.  11.9 ppg


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13 Days until First Pitch - #18 Justice Bigbie

It's only 13 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.

#18 Justice Bigbie

POSITION Infield / Outfield
HEIGHT 6-3
WEIGHT 200
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN Chesapeake, Va.
HIGH SCHOOL Grassfield HS






2019 (Sophomore): Started all 53 games on the year including 49 starts at third base, three in left field and one in right field … Finished second on the team with a .355 batting average (third in the SoCon), recording a team-best 75 hits with 11 doubles and 12 home runs – two coming as inside-the-park homers … Recorded hits in 44 of WCU’s 53 games (83%) … Finished the season with 21 multiple-hit games including 10, three-hit games and 12 multiple RBI games … Paced the squad with 51 RBI including a team-best 20, 2-out RBI coming on 30, 2-out hits while batting .423 with two outs … Added 29 walks and seven HBPs for a .446 on-base percentage, second in the SoCon … Enjoyed a season-long 12-game hitting streak in the month of March … Finished 3-for-5 with three runs and five RBI in the road win at UNC Asheville (March 3) … Tallied a career-best six RBI in a 3-for-5 outing with two doubles and a home run at UNCG (March 30) … Named the 2019 Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Year by both the league’s head coaches and the voting members of the SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) … Was also named to the first-team All-Southern Conference team at third base.

2018 (Freshman): Played in all 58 of the team’s games with 57 starts seeing the bulk of his action in the outfield, making 33 starts in right field … Also had 13 starts at second base, eight at third base and three times as the DH … Finished the regular season ranked second on the team among the regulars with a .324 batting average, collecting a team-best 73 hits in 225 at-bats with 20 hits going for extra bases – 14 doubles, a triple, and five home runs … Led the team in hitting most of the season until a hand/wrist injury slowed his production over the final month … Led the Catamounts with 46 RBI on the season, finishing with 13, two-out RBI … Tallied a team-leading 14 multi-RBI games while also leading the squad with 22 multiple-hit games including 14, two-hit outings and collecting eight, three-hit games … Finished the year ranked third in SoCon-only games with 34 runs driven in during league play … Grounded into 12 double plays – the most on the team and most in the Southern Conference … Garnered SoCon All-Freshman team plaudits … Named Freshman All-America by Collegiate Baseball, WCU’s first since 2014 … Collected his first collegiate base hit on a ninth-inning infield single in game two of the season-opening three-game set at East Carolina (Feb. 17) … His first career extra-base hit came five games into the season with a fourth-inning double against Canisius (Feb. 23) … Hit his first collegiate home run in game two of a doubleheader against Ball State (March 9) as a part of a three-RBI outing … Doubled twice two times on the season – at The Citadel (March 24) and against ETSU (April 29) … Was a part of turning seven double plays in the field. Summer League: Played in 36 games for the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League … Batted .276 on the summer with 34 hits in 123 at-bats with eight doubles and 23 RBI … Had eight multi-hit games and seven games with multiple RBI … Had a pair of five-game hitting streaks over the summer including one stretch where he went 11-for-21 (.524) with eight RBI.

Prior to Western Carolina: Was a three-time all-conference selection including twice garnering first-team plaudits and twice garnering all-region ... As a senior was a first-team selection on the Virginia 6-A South Region baseball team and a second-team Virginia All-State 6-A selection at shortstop ... Made the North Team All-Star roster in the Tidewater Collegiate Summer League ... Was an all-conference catcher as a sophomore and junior ... Also played football as a prep where he earned all-conference honors, passing for over 3,000 yards with 26 TD passes.

Personal: Full name is Justice Gabriel Bigbie ... Is the son of Sarah Fallon and Scott Bigbie ... Has two younger siblings, Holt and Landry ... His father, Scott, played baseball and football at Elizabeth City State University.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

14 Days until First Pitch - #19 Daniel Walsh

It's only 14 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.

#19 Daniel Walsh 

POSITION  Infield
HEIGHT  5-9
WEIGHT  165
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN  Chico, Calif.
COLLEGE  City College of San Francisco
HIGH SCHOOL  Chico HS




Prior to Western Carolina  COLLEGE City College of San Francisco......5-8 record in 17 games with 14 starts with 4.01 ERA..... 61Ks in 92 IP

HIGH SCHOOL  Named league pitcher of the year 2015.....Was second-team all-league in 2016



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

Robinson & Bigbie selected Team Captains

Western Carolina baseball has elected senior catcher Luke Robinson and junior infielder Justice Bigbie as this season's team captains as preparations for the 2020 campaign continue. The duo was selected by a team vote this preseason.

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations        

15 Days until First Pitch - #27 Immanuel Wilder

It's only 15 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.

#27 Immanuel Wilder

POSITION  Outfielder
HEIGHT  5-11
WEIGHT  180
CLASS  Junior
HOMETOWN   Madison, Ala.
HIGH SCHOOL  James Clemens HS





2019 (Sophomore): Played in 52 of the team’s 53 games with 41 starts including 34 in left field, three as the designated hitter, two apiece between center and right field … Finished the season with a .238 batting average collecting 35 hits in 147 at-bats with 15 extra-base hits including nine doubles, a triple, and five home runs … Finished with seven multiple-hit games and four multiple-RBI outings … Drew 13 walks and was hit by 18 pitches, second-most in the SoCon … Named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week on March 11 after finishing the week 5-for-9 (.556) with three doubles … Enjoyed a career-long six-game hitting streak in early March … Legged out his first career triple against Gardner-Webb (March 20) … Belted his first career home run at ETSU (March 22) … Went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and a home run in a road win at UNCG (March 31) with the four hits representing a career-high … Homered and doubled in the SoCon Baseball Championship ... Named to the 2019 Spring Academic All-Southern Conference team and to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Freshman): Saw action in 19 games with three starts, each coming in the outfield – twice in right field and once in left field … Hit .200 on the season with three hits – all singles – in 15 plate appearances, adding three walks and three HBPs to reach base at a .429 clip … Scored a combined five runs in his rookie campaign … Made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in the season-opening weekend at East Carolina (Feb. 16) … Stole his first base as a collegian at The Citadel (March 24) … Tallied his first career base hit in a pinch-hit role at VMI (April 13) on an infield single to third base … Posted his first career multiple-hit game with a 2-for-2 showing with a pair of singles against VCU (May 19) as a substitution in games played in Forest City, N.C. … Named to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Batted .340 with 15 extra-base hits including seven doubles, six triples, and two home runs while driving in 25 as a junior ... Played for the East Cobb Patriots summer team ... Also played football as a prep, primarily as a wide receiver and kick returner, amassing over 1,300 all-purpose yards in 2015 ... Earned Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.

Personal: Full name is Immanuel LeDet Wilder ... Is the son of Adria and Ike Wilder Jr. ... Has a young sibling, Carrington ... Is related to the professional boxer, Deontay Wilder (cousin).



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

Game #20 - UNCG Spartans

The Cats remain in the Ramsey Center to face the third-place UNCG Spartans, before going back on the road for two conference games.  The Spartans have two losses coming into the game, one a home loss to conference-leading ETSU and the second a road loss to Wofford.



Game #20 - UNCG Spartans

When: Wednesday, January 29, 2020, at 7:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcer: Gary Ayers
TV/video: ESPN3
-announcer: Daniel Hooker
Live Stats: WCU Live Stats
Fan Message Board: UNCG Sports
The Series: The series between Western and UNCG started back in 1979 and Western owns a 31-23 overall record against the Spartans. Western is 19-8 in games played in Cullowhee between the two teams and 26-18 in games played since UNCG joined the SoCon.  However, the Cats are on a 7 game slide against the Spartans,

UNCG's 2019-20 record: 16-5 overall, 6-2 in away games, and 6-2 SoCon games

In the preseason polls, the Spartans were picked to finish 2d behind first-place ETSU.  Currently, the Spartans are ranked 6th in the mid-major top 25, and second in the most recent P&G power rankings of SoCon teams.

The Spartans come to Cullowhee riding a 4 game win streak. UNCG is currently in 6th place in scoring offense averaging 73.4 ppg and 1st in scoring defense, giving up only 59.4 ppg. What may well determine the outcome of the game is the three-point line. Western Carolina ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage with at 38.6%, while the Spartans come in last in 3-point shooting with 32.1% made.

UNCG Probable Starters
Miller, Isaiah junior guard  (6' 189 lbs)  18.4 ppg
Massey, Malik senior guard  (6'3" 195 lbs)   6.1 ppg
Allegri, Angelo sophomore forward  (6'7" 205 lbs)   7.9 ppg
Hunter, Kaleb sophomore guard  (6'4" 194 lbs)   10.1 ppg
Dickey, James senior forward  (6'10" 210 lbs)   8 ppg

16 Days until First Pitch - #33 Seth Graves

It's only 16 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.

#33 Seth Graves#33 Seth Graves

POSITION   Outfielder
HEIGHT  5-8
WEIGHT  175
CLASS  Junior
HOMETOWN  Edmond, Okla.
COLLEGE    Northern Oklahoma College-Enid
HIGH SCHOOL  Edmond Memorial HS



Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Northern Oklahoma College-Enid where he helped lead the Jets to their first JUCO World Series National Championship batting .440 for the series, named to the ALL Tournament Team, his defensive play at the end of the game against number one seed Pearl River to secure the win was recognized by NJCAA TV and Relation Insurance as the play of game… he was also an NJCAA All-Academic First Team in his sophomore year … a JUCO World Series third-place finish his freshman year… He missed the last part of the regular season in his sophomore year due to injury before coming back for the World Series … batting .398 as a leadoff hitter and top five in the nation in home runs, extra-base hits, and slugging percentage prior to his injury… He was named JUCO Region 2 player of the week and was NOC Enid’s male Athlete of the Year …

High school: He was a 2 sport athlete… a four-year letterman and three-year starter for 6A Edmond Memorial HS Edmond, Oklahoma where he played 2nd base outfield leading the Bulldogs to two regional titles and one state championship… He had a career batting average of just under .400… He was a four-year starter and 3X state qualifier in wrestling. 

Personal: He is the son of Matt and Lori Graves… has a sister - Riley.

SoCon MBB Power Rankings (1-27-20)

This is the seventh power ranking of the season, after 12 weeks of SoCon basketball.  Look for the rankings published each Monday during the season.  Not a lot of changes this week based on last week's action.


1. (1) ETSU

2. (2) UNCG

3. (3) Furman

4. (5) Western Carolina

5. (4) Wofford

6. (6) Chattanooga

7. (7) Mercer

8. (8) Samford

9. (9) VMI

10. (10) The Citadel


Last week's ranking in parentheses

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17 Days until First Pitch - #3 Ryan Mitschele

It's only 17 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.


#3 Ryan Mitschele

POSITION  Right-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT  6-2
WEIGHT  185
CLASS  Redshirt Junior
HOMETOWN  Statesville, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL  South Iredell HS





2019 (Redshirt Sophomore): Made 14 appearances on the season with five starts and nine in relief … Finished the season 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA, tossing 33.1 innings … Allowed 44 base hits, 18 of which went for extra bases … Recorded five-or-more strikeouts in his final three starts of the season … Came within two outs of securing his first collegiate victory, tossing 4.1 innings at Prasco Park against Eastern Kentucky (May 14), striking out six … Less than a week later, tossed his first career complete game, limiting The Citadel (May 18) to three runs – one earned – while scattering nine hits with five strikeouts without issuing a walk … Struck out a career-high seven in a 4.2 inning start against Furman (May 23) at the conference tournament ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Redshirt Freshman): Made three relief appearances out of the bullpen, making his collegiate debut against Canisius (Feb. 24) … Finished the year 0-1 with a 23.14 ERA in small sample size, recording just 4.2 innings on the season … Tossed a career-long 4.0 innings against Canisius, striking out a career-high six against five walks … Suffered a concussion after taking a foul ball off the ear in the dugout during the two-game set against VCU (May 18) in games played in Forest City, N.C. … Named to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2017 (Freshman): Did not see game action despite traveling part of the season ... Expected to take a redshirt; Summer League: Pitched for the Irish Hills (Mich.) Leprechauns of the Great Lakes Collegiate League ... Made seven appearances with one start, tossing a combined 14.1 innings ... Finished 0-3 with an 8.79 ERA, striking out 14 batters against 23 walks issued.




Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

18 Days until First Pitch - #24 Jacob Corn

It's only 18 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.


#24 Jacob Corn

POSITION  Right-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT  6-5
WEIGHT  225
CLASS  Redshirt Junior
HOMETOWN  Landrum, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL  Landrum HS





2019 (Junior): Made 21 appearances on the season including two-weekend starts, recording at least two-thirds of an inning in each appearance … Tossed 27.2 innings on the year with a 5.86 ERA, posting a 3-1 record and securing four saves … Recorded 23 strikeouts against 18 walks … Tallied 32 fly ball outs and 24 groundouts including inducing three double-plays … Made his WCU debut in the second game of the season, tossing 2.1 relief innings against Oakland (Feb. 16), striking out three while allowing three runs on four hits in securing his first victory … Picked up his first save at WCU in the one-run, game-two victory over Indiana State (Feb. 27), walking and striking out one in an inning out of the bullpen … Scored the victory over Ohio State (March 10), tossing a WCU career-long 2.2 innings with his third win coming against Gardner-Webb (March 20) … Started at UNCG (March 29) and at home against Wofford (April 5), lasting just three combined innings between the two starts.

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Spartanburg Methodist ... Over two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist, made 16 appearances including six starts posting a 5-1 record with a pair of complete games … Threw 41.2 innings, striking out 50 against 15 walks with a 3.89 ERA.

Personal: Full name is Jacob Levi Corn ... Is the son of Robbin and Keith Corn.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

WCU Player of the Game (Wofford)

Purple & Gold's Player of the Game for the Wofford game is..........  

Mason Faulkner

                                                                       

Junior point guard Mason Faulkner scored 25 points to lead the Catamounts past Wofford, 81-72.  The victory ended a 3 game skid for the Catamounts and broke a 5 game losing streak to the Terriers.  Mason led all scored with his 9 of 18 field goals and hitting 3 of 9 from beyond the arc. He went 4 for 4 at the free-throw line, pulled down 2 rebounds and had 6 assists in the game.  

Honorable mention in the Wofford game goes to Onno Steger with 17 points, Carlos Dotson with his 10th double-double of the season, hitting 13 points and 12 rebounds, as well as Matt Halvorsen, hitting 12 points.

Thanks to all the entire Catamount team for giving us another game to remember

Purple & Gold congratulates Mason Faulkner on his accomplishments in the Wofford game.



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19 Days until First Pitch - #32 Chase Walter

It's only 19 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.


#32 Chase Walter

POSITION  Right-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT  6-7
WEIGHT  260
CLASS  Redshirt Junior
HOMETOWN  Peachtree City, Ga.
HIGH SCHOOL  McIntosh HS


Career: Over 36 career appearances and 178.2 innings over two seasons, he already ranks 19th in WCU program history with 188 career strikeouts.

2019 (Redshirt Sophomore): Made 19 appearances on the season including 11 starts – eight-straight to end the season – and eight relief efforts out of the bullpen … Posted a 4.84 ERA on the season, tossing a team-high 93.0 innings … 23 of the 92 hits he allowed went for extra bases with opponents hitting just .256 against the right-hander on the year … Matched a team-best with five victories with a 5-6 overall record, adding a save in WCU’s neutral field victory over Ohio State (March 10) … Led the Catamounts with a career-best 114 strikeouts, the second-most in the SoCon … His 114 Ks rank as the fourth-best individual season in program history … Recorded double-digit strikeouts four times on the season including a career-best 17 in a complete game victory over Furman (April 20) … His 17 strikeouts were the third-most by an individual in the NCAA in 2019 … Tallied seven-or-more Ks in eight of his 19 appearances ... Recorded 68 fly ball outs and a team-best 80 ground ball outs including 10 double-plays … Was a two-time Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, earning the honors on April 15 following a 13-strikeout performance at Mercer (April 13) and on April 22 after his 17K outing against Furman, also collecting Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week honor ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Redshirt Freshman): Made 17 appearances with 14 starts, tossing a combined 85.2 innings … Finished the year 3-7 with a 5.46 ERA, the best among WCU’s starting rotation … Struck out 74 batters against 49 walks, recording at least one strikeout in all 17 appearances … Tallied three-or-more strikeouts in 12 seasonal appearances and had five-or-more K’s in eight appearances … Was named to the 2018 Southern Conference All-Freshman team … Made his WCU debut in relief in the season-opening weekend at East Carolina (Feb. 18) … Recorded his first collegiate start at nationally-ranked Louisville (March 2), striking out two over three innings … Struck out a career-high nine over 5.2 innings at VMI (April 13) … Scored his first collegiate victory after tossing 7.0 innings in a home win over Mercer (April 20), limiting the Bears to two runs on two hits with five strikeouts … Earned Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing a career-long 9.0 innings in a complete-game victory at Furman (May 5) … Struck out eight against the Paladins, walking two in allowing just one unearned run on four hits … In his second appearance of the SoCon Tournament, tossed 7.1 innings against top-seeded UNCG (May 26), limiting the Spartans to just four runs while matching a career-high with nine batters; Summer League: Pitched in 13 games for the San Luis Obispo Blues in the California Collegiate League, posting a 1-1 record with a pair of saves coming in two opportunities … Posted an ERA of 3.66 over 19.2 innings of work, striking out 28 against just nine walks.

Prior to Western Carolina: Signed with Spartanburg Methodist out of high school, tossing 10.1 innings with 10 strikeouts as a freshman ... Was named to the Dean's List at Spartanburg Methodist;

High School: Three-year letter winner ... Was a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and also an honorable mention in the Southeast Region ... Also played basketball as a prep where he led the state in field goal percentage as both a junior and senior.

Personal: Full name is Chase David Walter ... Is the son of Brian and Dana Walter ... Has two siblings - Will and Cameron ... His father, Brian, played college football at Duke from 1982-85 while his grandfather played at Auburn.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

20 Days until First Pitch - #12 Kitt Capell

It's only 20 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.


#12 Kitt Capell

POSITION  Catcher
HEIGHT  6-0
WEIGHT  220
CLASS  Senior
HOMETOWN  Prosperity, S.C.
HIGH SCHOOL  Ben Lippen HS





2019 (Junior): Played in 22 of the team’s 53 games including five starts – three as the designated hitter and twice behind the plate at catcher … Finished the season 5-for-29, .172 with two of his five hits coming against Wofford (April 5) to match his career-high … Drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk in game three against Oakland (Feb. 16) … Nearly blasted a game-winning pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against Furman (April 20) but his bid was pulled back over the fence in the right field … Made one relief appearance on the mound, tossing an inning at eighth-ranked Georgia Tech (May 3) allowing two runs – one earned – on three hits with an HBP and a strikeout ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Sophomore): Saw action in 29 of the team’s 58 seasonal games with nine starts … Started as the designated hitter six times with three starts coming behind the plate … Batted .167 on the season with eight hits in just 48 trips, driving in five runs while scoring three … Finished the season with the most pinch hits in the WCU lineup with three … Drew three walks to add to his .212 on-base percentage … His first collegiate base hit was a two-run home run coming in a pinch-hit role in game one of a doubleheader against Canisius (Feb. 23) … Tallied his first career multi-hit game with a two-hit outing as the starting catcher at home against Tennessee (March 27).

2017 (Freshman): Did not see game action.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

Game #19 - Wofford Terriers

The Cats return to the Ramsey Center to face the defending SoCon champs, the Wofford Terriers who knocked off both Furman and VMI last week.

Game #19 - Wofford Terriers

When: Saturday, January 25, 2020, at 7:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcer: Gary Ayers
TV/video: ESPN3
-announcer: Daniel Hooker
Live Stats: WCU Live Stats
Fan Message Board: TerrierFans
The Series: The series between Western and Wofford started back in 1948 and Western owns a 28-30 overall record against the Terriers. Western owns a 16-10 record in games played in Cullowhee between the two teams but is on a 5 game slide against Wofford.

Wofford's 2019-20 record: 13-7 overall, 4-6 away, 5-2 SoCon games

The defending SoCon champs come to Cullowhee on a two-game winning streak, having won 5 of their last 6 games, while the Cats are on a 3 game slide in conference play.  Coming into this game, the Cats lead the conference in scoring offense with 81.1 ppg, while the Terriers are #9 posting 72.4 ppg. In defense, Wofford comes in at holding opponents to 67.2 ppg while the Cats are giving up 74.8 ppg.



 

21 Days until First Pitch - #17 Andrew Robinson

It's only 21 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.


#17 Andrew Robinson

POSITION Outfielder
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 205
CLASS Senior
HOMETOWN McLeansville, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL Eastern Guilford HS





2019 (Junior): Played in 34 games on the year with 11 starts including six in right field, four in left field, and one in center field … Batted .180 on the season with 11 hits including four doubles and a triple in 61 trips including a pair of two-hit games … Four of his 11 hits came as a pinch hitter, batting 4-of-16 (.250) in that role … Scored 12 runs while driving in three … Doubled twice in the season-opener against Oakland (Feb. 15) while recording a career-high five at-bats in game one of a doubleheader against the Golden Grizzlies (Feb. 16) … Matched a single-game career-high with two walks twice against Indiana State (Feb. 27) and Michigan State (March 9) … Finished the season hitless over his final 10 games, going 0-for-10.

2018 (Sophomore): Saw action in 44 games with 34 starts spread between all three outfield positions – 19 in right field, 13 in left field, and once in center – with his other start coming as the designated hitter … Hit .165 collective on the year (21-for-127) with four doubles and nine RBI … Got off to a slow start to the season, going hitless in his first three games before breaking out with a three-hit (3-for-4) showing against eventual OVC champion, Morehead State (Feb. 20) … Had three, multiple-hit games including twice tallying three hits while also recording multi-RBI performances … Had a four-game hitting streak and a string of six-straight games in which he reached base safely … Went hitless in the final six games of the season, going 0-for-14 during that same span … Made one pitching appearance on the season, tossing a third of an inning with a strikeout and one hit allowed in game two of a doubleheader against Ball State (March 9).

2017 (Freshman): Played in 43 games making 27 starts including 21 starts in right field, four as the designated hitter, and two starts in left field ... Batted .314 ... Collected his first collegiate base hit as a part of a four-run eighth inning in the home-opener against Marshall (Feb. 24), tallying his first RBI on a run-scoring single ... Recorded his first career multi-hit game with a pair of singles in his first collegiate start at nationally-ranked North Carolina State (March 6), finishing 2-for-5 as the designated hitter ... Finished with 12 multiple hit games including 10, two-hit outings, while also posting three multiple-RBI games ... Belted his first collegiate home run as a part of a two-hit, three-RBI performance in a home win over Savannah State (4/25/17) ... Named to the 2017 Southern Conference All-Freshman team-- the eighth different Catamount recognized since 2011; Summer: Alongside his brother, Luke, played for the Waynesboro (Va.) Generals ... Saw action in 17 games, posting a .264 batting average with 14 ints including three doubles ... Tallied four RBI and 12 runs scored.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

The Road to Asheville (1-22-20)

Week twelve action tips off on Wednesday night, with four conference games on the schedule. All games tonight will be broadcast on ESPN+.



Western Carolina at Mercer 
The #4 Catamounts travel to Macon to face the #7 Mercer Bears in Hawkins Arena. The Bears are 5-4 in home games this season, while the Cats are 5-4 in road games this season. Western holds down the #4 position in our power rankings this week, while the Bears come in at #7. These two teams are headed in different directions when looking at the last two games, the Bears bring in two straight wins, while the Cats are on a two-game slide entering the game. This is the second meeting between the two teams, with the Cats winning the first contest in Cullowhee, 79-71 eleven days ago. Massey projects a 79-76 road win for the Catamounts.

The Citadel at Chattanooga 
The tenth-placed Bulldogs travel to #6 Chattanooga. The Citadel currently has no conference wins thus far in the season, but with the top-ranked scoring offense in the conference at 81.8 ppg, they certainly have the potential to win any game they play. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they also have the bottom-ranked team in scoring defense, giving up 79.1 ppg. In this week's power rankings, the Mocs are ranked at #6, while the Bulldogs come in at #10. Massey gives a big home-court advantage to the Mocs, where UTC is 7-1 this season. Massey projects an 83-71 victory for the home-standing Mocs.

Samford at Furman 
The #7 Samford Bulldogs travel to Timmons Arena to face the #2 Furman Paladins 8-1 at home this season but are 7-0 in games played in Timmons this season. After jumping off to a 2-0 conference record, the Bulldogs have dropped 4 straight conference games coming into Wednesday night's game. Furman is ranked #8 in this week's mid-major top 25 poll and comes in at #3 in our power rankings this week, while Samford is #8 in the power rankings. Massey project the Paladins pick up another win in Timmons, with an 83-66 win over the Bulldogs.

VMI at Wofford 
The ninth-placed VMI Keydets travel to Spartanburg to face the #4 Wofford Terriers in the Richardson Indoor Stadium. The Terriers are 8-1 at home this season and have won 4 of their last 5 games, while the Keydets picked up their first conference victory last Saturday over the Citadel Bulldogs. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they come into the game with an 0-8 record in road games. Wofford comes into the game in 4th place in our power poll, while the Keydets are in 9th place in the rankings. Wofford ranks 8th in the SoCon in scoring offense at 72.7 ppg, while VMI is 7th at 73.4 ppg. Massey gives the Terriers a big home-court advantage, projecting an 85-65win for the Terriers.

SoCon MBB Power Rankings

This is the sixth power ranking of the season, after 11 weeks of SoCon basketball.



1. (1) ETSU

2. (2) UNCG

3. (3) Furman

4. (5) Wofford

5. (4) Western Carolina

6. (6) Chattanooga

7. (9) Mercer

8. (7) Samford

9. (9) VMI

10. (8) The Citadel




Last week's ranking in parentheses

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22 Days until First Pitch - #22 Ty McCulloch

It's only 22 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.


#22 Ty McCulloch

POSITION Left-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 165
CLASS Senior
HOMETOWN Woodridge, Ill.
COLLEGE   Parkland College
HIGH SCHOOL Downers Grove South HS




2019 (Junior): Made 13 appearances with seven starts and six relief efforts … Tossed 39.0 innings with a 1-4 record and a 7.62 ERA, striking out 27 against 27 walks … 19 of the 46 hits he allowed went for extra bases … Made his WCU debut with a 4.1 inning relief winning effort in the season-opener against Oakland (Feb. 15), working around five walks with two strikeouts allowing an unearned run on just two hits … Made his first start against Notre Dame (March 13), tossing three innings with two earned runs allowed on four walks … Struck out a career-best five in the start against VMI (April 28), working 4.1 innings … Tossed a career-long 5.0 innings in the starting role at Samford (May 12) … Made the start for WCU in the SoCon Championship single-elimination game win over The Citadel (May 21) ... Named to the 2019 Spring Academic All-Southern Conference team and to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU prior to Fall 2018 from Parkland College ... Boasted an ERA of 0.83 as a sophomore, posting a 2-0 record in 13 relief appearances with one save in 21.2 innings of work ... Only allowed three runs - two earned - on seven hits on the season ... As a freshman, tossed 21.1 innings in 14 relief appearances with a 1-1 record and a 5.91 ERA ... Struck out 20 against 12 walks ... High School: Was a starting left-handed pitcher and played first base as a prep ... Was an honor roll student.

Personal: Full name is Tyler Oliver McCulloch, but prefers to go by Ty ... Is the son of Cheryl and Tom McCulloch ... Has one sister, Megan ... His father played junior college basketball ... Collects vinyl records.




Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

23 Days until First Pitch - #34 Jack Snyder

It's only 23 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.

#34 Jack Snyder

POSITION  Right-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT  6-1
WEIGHT 195
CLASS  Senior
HOMETOWN  Chicago, Ill.
COLLEGE   Triton College
HIGH SCHOOL  Marist




2019 (Junior): Made a team-high 24 appearances including 19 out of the bullpen with five starts … Posted a 2-4 seasonal record with a 6.98 ERA, tossing 38.2 innings … Struck out 26 batters against 26 walks … Recorded strikeouts in 17 of his 24 appearances … Made his WCU debut in the starting role, tossing 3.2 innings against Oakland (Feb. 16), allowing two runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk … Struck out a career-high three against VMI (April 28) … Tossed a career-long 4.0 innings in a start against No. 8 Georgia Tech (May 3).


Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU prior to Fall 2018 from Triton College ... Was a two-time All-North Central Community College Conference (N4C) selection ... As a senior, tossed 24.1 innings over 11 appearances with a 0-2 record with six saves and a 2.59 ERA ... Struck out 20 against seven walks ... Triton won eight of the 11 games in which he pitched ... Pitched 45.1 innings in 13 appearances with eight starts as a freshman, finishing with a 7-3 overall record with a save and a 6.55 ERA ... Struck out 39 batters against 17 walks ... High School: Played baseball and football as a prep.

Personal: Full name is John Francis Snyder but prefers to go by Jack ... Is the son of Kathy and Jim Snyder ... Has two older brothers - Jimmy and Joey.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

Game #18 - at Mercer

In the eighteenth game of the season for Western Carolina, the Catamounts travel to Macon to face the home-standing Mercer Bears for their second game of the season.  Since the game in Cullowhee, the Bears have won two games, and the Catamounts are on a two-game slide.



Game #18 - Mercer Bears

When: Wednesday, January 22, 2020, at 7:00 pm
Where: Hawkins Arena, Macon, GA
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcer: Daniel Hooker
TV/video: ESPN+
-announcer:
Live Stats: Mercer Live Stats
Fan Message Board: MU Bear Down
The Series: The series between Western and the Mercer started back in 1978 and Western owns a 9-9 overall record against the Bears. Western owns a 6-5 record in conference play since 2015 when the Bears joined the Southern Conference.
Mercer's  2019-20 record: 8-11 overall, 5-4 away, 2-4 SoCon

Since the two teams met on January 11th in Cullowhee, the two teams have gone in 180-degree different directions, with the Bears winning two SoCon games, while the Cats dropped two SoCon games. Of course, the Bears played teams in the lower third record-wise of the conference, while the Cats played the #1 team in the conference in their two losses.

The Bears rank ninth in the conference in scoring offense, posting an average of  72.2 ppg, while giving up an average of 72.1 ppg.  The Cats rank #2 in scoring with 81.2 ppg and are giving up 74.2 ppg.  The Bears currently have two players scoring in double figures, Djordje Dimitrijevic with 17.3 ppg, and Ethan Stair with 16.5 ppg.

Head Coach Greg Gary, in his first season at the helm of the Bears, had only two starters return from last season's 11-20 team. Not only did the Bears lose two seniors from last season, but they also lost 5 freshmen and one sophomore from that roster, possibly due to the coaching change. While much is made of building a team with transfers for ETSU, the Bears have 3 of 5 transfers as starters, and a total of 5 transfers on the roster.

Mercer’s Djordje Dimitrijevic was named the SoCon Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for games from Jan. 14-20.  Dimitrijevic averaged 25.5 points per game in leading the Bears to their first two league wins.  Dimitrijevic scored 26 points against VMI on Jan. 15, going 9-for-15 from the floor and hitting a career-high six 3-pointers, five in the second half, as the Bears rallied for their first SoCon win of the season, 73-62. The senior guard added two rebounds, an assist, and a steal to help Mercer to the comeback win, shooting 60 percent for the game, including 54.5 percent from 3-point range (6-for-11) as the Bears overcame an 11-point halftime deficit. Three days later at Samford, Dimitrijevic scored 25 points, going 8-for-13 from the floor (61.5 percent) and matching his career-high in made 3s with a 6-for-8 effort (75.0 percent) from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds, five assists, and three steals as the Bears rolled to a 90-75 win and picked up consecutive victories for the first time since mid-November. For the week, Dimitrijevic shot 60.7 percent from the floor (17-for-28), 63.2 percent from 3-point range (12-for-19) and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line (83.3 percent), averaging 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.


Mercer Probable Starters:
Jeff Gary G R-So. 6-4 180 Austin, Texas / UNCW
Djordje Dimitrijevic G Sr. 6-2 180 Grdelica, Serbia / Western Nebraska
Daniel Love G So. 6-3 170 Orlando, Fla. / Dr. Phillips HS
Ethan Stair G R-Sr. 6-4 205 Hazel Green, Ala. / Hazel Green HS
Maciej Bender F Jr. 6-11 245 Warsaw, Poland / West Virginia