7 Days until First Pitch - #35 Eric Wallington

It's only 7 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.

#35 Eric Wallington

POSITION Left-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT 6-6
WEIGHT 215
CLASS Sophomore
HOMETOWN Asheville, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL T.C. Roberson HS




2019 (Freshman): Made seven appearances including six out of the bullpen and one start … Tossed a combined five innings on the year with an ERA of 23.40 over a small sample size … Struck out five against 19 walks and two hit batters … Made his collegiate debut at the Keith LeClair Classic against Utah (March 2) … Earned his first career start against Gardner-Webb (March 20) … Tossed a career-long 2.0 innings against VMI (April 27), striking out a career-high four ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Played for former WCU assistant coach, Eric Filipek, at T.C. Roberson HS, where he was a part of the state 4-A championship, 31-3 team as a junior ... Two-time WMAC All-Conference selection as a junior and senior ... Tabbed second-team All-WNC by the Citizen-Times as a senior ... Selected to the Collegiate Baseball 2018 High School All-America second team ... Earned Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year accolades as a junior featuring a perfect 11-0 record and a gleaming 0.76 ERA ... He struck out 61 batters in 55.1 innings of work ... Named to the NCBCA 4-A All-State team and to the Citizen-Times All-WNC team ... Played showcase baseball in the summer for the Southern Athletics.

Personal: Full name is Eric Michael Wallington ... Is the son of Danette West and Michael Wallington ... Has one sibling, Taylor.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations


                                                

WCU Player of the Game (Samford)

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

Carlos Dotson

                                                                       

Senior forward Carlos Dotson completed his sixth straight double-double and thirteenth of the season against the the Bulldogs in the Hanna Center. Dotson scored 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. He was 8 of 14 in field goals and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line. Carlos also had 2 steals and one assist in the game.

Honorable mention in the Chattanooga game goes to Onno Steger with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists and  Mason Faulkner with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.

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

Purple & Gold congratulates Carlos Dotson on his accomplishments in the  Samford game.



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8 Days until First Pitch - #21 Zach Franklin

It's only 8 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.

#21 Zach Franklin 

POSITION  Right-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT  6-2
WEIGHT  180
CLASS  Redshirt Sophomore
HOMETOWN  Marion, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL  McDowell HS





2019 (Sophomore): Made seven appearances, six in relief with one start all before being sidelined with a throwing arm injury … Is expected to apply for a medical redshirt … Posted a 2-1 record with a 4.00 ERA prior to injury, striking out 32 against 15 walks with four hit batters … Struck out a season-high six three times including against Oakland (Feb. 16), Elon (March 15), and at ETSU (March 22) … Recorded 36 ground ball outs and 30 fly ball outs … Limited Oakland to one hit over 5.1 innings with six strikeouts in recording his first win of the year … Matched a career-long with seven relief innings in scoring a home win over Elon (March 15) ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Freshman): Made 23 appearances including 20 out of the bullpen with three starts … Finished with a 1-4 overall record with a 3.23 ERA and three saves … Pitched a combined 47.1 innings … Recorded 50 strikeouts against 24 walks, surrendering 49 hits with just 12 going for extra bases – eight doubles and four home runs … Limited the opposition to a .254 batting average against … Made his collegiate debut in a weekend start at East Carolina (Feb. 18) … Struck out a career-high seven in his second career start against Canisius (Feb. 24) … Earned his first career save in striking out two in an inning of relief out of the bullpen in the victory over The Citadel (March 24) … Collected his second career save in tossing 2.1 innings in game one of a doubleheader against Samford (May 12) … Saved WCU’s first win in the 2018 Southern Conference tournament, tossing a perfect ninth against The Citadel (May 22) that started WCU’s postseason run … Tossed a career-long 7.0 innings in just his third career start in the SoCon Tournament with the Catamounts facing elimination against ETSU (May 25), matching his career-high with seven strikeouts in securing his first collegiate victory … Named to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: A Western North Carolina product that was the Mountain Athletic Conference (MAC) 4A/3A Pitcher of the Year as a junior ... Posted a 4-4 record with two saves, tossing a no-hitter in a tough-luck loss to A.C. Reynolds ... Finished his junior year with a 1.53 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 59.1 innings while limiting opponents to a .170 batting average ... Earned a spot on the District 8 PowerAde State Games team.

Personal: Full name is Zach Aaron Franklin ... Is the son of Holly and Jody Franklin ... Has an older sister.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

Dotson named to Dos Equis 3x3U National Championship Midseason Watch List

ATLANTA -- Western Carolina's Carlos Dotson is one of 10 Southern Conference seniors on the Dos Equis 3x3U National Championship Midseason Watch List, which was released today.

The 2020 event is scheduled for April 3-5 at Atlanta's Atlantic Station, where it will be contested outdoors for the first time.

The single largest gathering of draft-eligible talent leading up to the NBA Draft, the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship will feature 128 seniors from all 32 Division I conferences vying for one of the biggest purses at any FIBA-sanctioned 3x3 event. Teams will compete for $150,000, with $100,000 going to the tournament champions. The winning team will once again earn an automatic berth to the 2020 USA Basketball 3x3 Open National Championship in May.

Dotson is joined on the watch list by nine other SoCon seniors:  Brandon Austin, (Samford); Djordje Dimitrijevic, (Mercer); James Dickey, (UNCG); Nathan Hoover, (Wofford); Jordan Lyons, (Furman); Jeromy Rodriguez, (ETSU); Matt Ryan, (UTC); Josh Sharkey, (Samford); and Ethan Stair, (Mercer).

The 2020 Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship will be available to a national audience beginning with pool play games on Friday and Saturday, April 3-4, and knockout rounds on Sunday, April 5. Twitter will be the exclusive home of pool play games, as well as the Round of 16 and quarterfinal games. ESPN2 will carry the semifinal, consolation and championship contests. 

Each team roster will be comprised of four eligible seniors from the same Division I conference. Teams will be organized into eight pools of four and each team will be guaranteed three pool play games, earning $1,000 for every victory on Friday and Saturday. The top two teams in each pool will move on to Sunday's knockout stage, where the stakes skyrocket. Only the teams competing in the tournament final will earn additional prize money, with the champions winning $100,000. 

"The Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship is unlike any basketball environment around. These elite athletes are entering the prime of their basketball careers, and the fast-paced, physical nature of 3x3 makes this a truly unique experience for players and fans alike," said Drew Russell, executive vice president at Intersport, which owns and operates the event. 

Last year, the team from the Colonial Athletic Association went a perfect 7-0 during the tournament and took home the $100,000 grand prize. Brantley and Wright-Foreman were drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft, and are currently part of the Utah Jazz organization. Cacok recently signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

For more information on the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship, including event updates, details, rules and more, follow on Twitter at @3X3UHoops or online at www.3X3UHoops.com.

9 Days until First Pitch - #4 Angle Torres

It's only 9 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.

#4 Angle Torres 

POSITION Infield
HEIGHT 6-0
WEIGHT 200
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN El Paso, Texas
PRIOR COLLEGE  Odessa College
HIGH SCHOOL Riverside HS






Prior to Western Carolina:  Odessa College

SoCon MBB Power Rankings (2-3-20)

This is the eighth power ranking of the season, after 13 weeks of SoCon basketball.  The top and bottom look stable in the ranking, just a little change in the middle, this week.

Look for the rankings published each Monday during the season.





1. (1) ETSU

2. (2) UNCG

3. (3) Furman

4. (4) Western Carolina

5. (5) Wofford

6. (7) Mercer

7. (6) Chattanooga

8. (8) Samford

9. (9) VMI

10. (10) The Citadel




Last week's ranking in parentheses

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Game #22 - at Samford

The Catamounts travel to Birmingham, Alabama to face the Samford Bulldogs for the first time this season. The Cats are coming off a big sweep of Chattanooga, while the Bulldogs are in an eight-game slide.


Game #22 - Samford

When: Wednesday, February, 5 - Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Hanna Center, Birmingham, AL
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-Radio Announcer:  Daniel Hooker
TV/video: ESPN3
-TV Announcer: Curt Bloom (Play by Play), Murry Bartow (Color Analyst), Courtney Johnson (Sidelines)
Live Stats: Samford Live Stats
Message Board:  The Dog Pound

The Series: The Cats are 12-11 in the overall series with the Bulldogs, but only 2-9 on games played in Birmingham. The Cats and Dogs have split the last two seasons, with each team winning at home.

The Bulldogs 2019-20 record:  8-16 overall, 2-8 SoCon, 6-5 home

The Bulldogs are strong down low, ranking second in the SoCon in blocked shots (30 blocks), while Robert Allen (7.2) and Jalen Dupree (7.1) rank 5th and 6th in the league in rebounding through nine contests. Nationally, Samford has the 33rd most rebounds in the country (848) and ranks in the top 50 in free throws made (37th) and free throws attempted (45). Senior guard Josh Sharkey, meanwhile, ranks third in the country in steals (58), steals per game (2.90) and fourth in both assists (153) and assists per game (7.7).

Senior guard Brandon Austin is off to a hot start to his final season. For the season, he is averaging 14.1 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 15 games so far this season. Samford forward Jalen Dupree, who sat out last season as a transfer from Murray State, has had an immediate impact on this year’s team. So far, he is averaging 11.7 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. He has produced three double-doubles so far this season.

Individually, Samford players rank in the top five in the Southern Conference in several statistical categories. Josh Sharkey leads the league in scoring (18.9 ppg.), assists (7.7 apg.), steals (2.9 spg.) and minutes played (34.8 pg.), and he ranks fifth in assist-turnover ratio (1.3). Jalen Dupree ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds (2.7 pg.) and fifth in rebounds (7.0 pg.). Robert Allen ranks fifth in the league in blocked shots per game (1.1), while Brandon Austin ranks fourth in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage (.426) and third in three-pointers made per game (2.6).

Two of the SoCon's top three scorers will be on the court in Birmingham. Sharkey ranks second in the league in scoring at 18.6 points per game while leading the SoCon at 7.6 assists per game. Faulkner ranks third in scoring at 18.1 points per game and averages 6.2 assists per game to rank second. In SoCon games, Faulkner is averaging 18.9 points per game, fifth just ahead of Dotson, who is averaging a double-double – sixth with 16.6 points per game and a league-leading 10.6 rebounds per game.

Samford is currently 5th in offensive scoring with 74.4 points per game (ppg), but comes in last in the conference in points given up per game at 80 ppg.

Probable Samford Starting Lineup
    PLAYER          PPG RPG APG
0 Brandon Austin 14.1  4.1  1.9
3 Josh Sharkey 18.6  3.8  7.6
21 Robert Allen 12.9  6.6  1.1
24 Jalen Dupree 11.5  7.0  0.3
34 Logan Padgett 2.3  3.5  0.5

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2020 WCU Football Schedule

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

Johnny Cash's "Ragged Old Flag"

10 Days until First Pitch - #5 Will Prater

It's only 10 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.

#5 Will Prater 

POSITION Infield
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 165
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN Dallas, Ga.
HIGH SCHOOL East Paulding HS




2019 (Sophomore): Played in all 53 of the team’s games with 52 starts including 42 starts at second base and 10 at shortstop … Batted .282 on the year with 58 hits including 14 for extra bases including 10 doubles, three triples and a home run … Finished the season with 19 multiple-hit games and five multi-RBI outings … Enjoyed a career-long, 8-game hitting streak in early March, accumulating seven, multi-hit games during that stretch … Tallied a career-high three hits four times – three during the eight-game hitting streak … Doubled twice in the season-opener against Oakland (Feb. 15) … Tallied two hits including a double in the home win over Elon (March 15) … Legged out a run-scoring triple in the home win over Wofford (April 6) … Belted his first collegiate home run against VMI (April 27) … Finished 4-for-12 (.333) with four RBI to earn SoCon All-Tournament Team honors at second base.

2018 (Freshman): Played in 55 of the team’s 58 games on the season with 49 starts in the infield including 38 at second base and 11 at shortstop … Finished the year with a .293 batting average, collecting 54 hits in 184 plate appearances … Had five extra-base hits including four doubles and a triple … Drew 18 walks against 49 strikeouts … Made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in the season-opener at East Carolina (Feb. 16) … Collected his first career base hit as a part of the first multi-hit game of his career in the series finale at ECU (Feb. 18), finishing 2-for-2 in a pinch-hit / defensive substitution role … Made his first career start in the home-opener against Morehead State (Feb. 20), tallying his second-straight multi-hit game in a 2-for-3 showing at the plate while starting at shortstop … Finished rookie season with 17 multiple hit games … Tallied his first extra-base hit with a double as a part of a two-hit outing against nationally-ranked Kentucky (April 11) … Tallied a double and a triple in the series against ETSU in Cullowhee … Was a part of turning a team-high 23 double-plays in the infield this season ... Named to the 2018 Southern Conference All-Freshman team; Summer League: Played in 27 games for the Lake Erie Monarchs of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League … Finished second on the team with a .314 batting average, collecting 32 hits in 102 at-bats with five doubles and a home run adding 12 walks … Drove in five runs while scoring a team-high 26 runs … Stole six bases.

Prior to Western Carolina: Multi-sport athlete who pitched and played the infield in high school ... Two-time all-region as an infielder, collecting all-state honors a senior ... Was tabbed the region player of the year as a senior ... Also played basketball as a prep, averaging nearly 15 points per game as a senior.

Personal: Full name is William Michael Prater ... Is the son of Lisa and Sam Prater ... Has a sister, Sarah ... His father, Sam, played college golf at Kennesaw State.



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

11 Days until First Pitch - #6 Bryson Parks

It's only 11 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.

#6 Bryson Parks



POSITION Outfielder
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 170
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN Marietta, Ga.
HIGH SCHOOL Hilgrove HS





2019 (Sophomore): Played in 45 of the team’s 53 games making eight starts, all in center field … Batted .171 with six total hits in 35 plate appearances, doubling once against Gardner-Webb (March 20) … Was a pinch-runner 20 times on the season, seeing the bulk of his action as a defensive substitution in the outfield … Drew two walks and stole a pair of bases … Struck out 12 times on the season while drawing a pair of walks ... 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 28 games on the season including 24 starts, each coming in center field … Finished the year with a .200 batting average, collecting 15 hits in 75 plate appearances … Six of his 15 hits came during the team’s run through the SoCon tournament … Also made several diving catches in center field that turned heads defensively … Drew three walks and was hit by three pitches on the year … First collegiate hit was a second-inning RBI triple in the series finale against Kent State (March 18), reaching twice in what was his first career start while also recording his first of six stolen bases … Hit his first of two seasonal home runs as a part of his first career two-hit game at home against Samford (May 13) also blasting a solo homer against top-seeded UNCG (May 26) in the conference tournament as a part of a career-best three hits (3-for-4) with two RBI … Named to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Hit .348 as a senior with three home runs, collecting all-county and all-region honors ... Tabbed as a 2017 Southeast Region Honorable Mention by Perfect Game ... Also played football as a prep earning honorable mention all-state honors, and was an AP / Honors student.

Personal: Full name is Bryson Adarus Parks ... Is the son of Kimberly Favors-Parks and Rick Parks ... Has two siblings with an older brother, Tyrus, who lives in California, and a younger sister, Kyra.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

WCU Player of the Game (Chattanooga)

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

Carlos Dotson

                                                                       

Senior forward Carlos Dotson completed his fifth straight double-double and twelfth of the season against the Mocs in Chattanooga's roundhouse, scoring 15 points and pulling down 14 rebounds (2 offensive - 12 defensive). He was 7 of 13 in field goals and 1 of 2 from the free-throw line. Carlos also had one assist in the game.

Honorable mention in the Chattanooga game goes to Mason Faulkner with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.

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

Purple & Gold congratulates Carlos Dotson on his accomplishments in the Wofford game.



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12 Days until First Pitch - #9 Daylan Nanny

It's only 12 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.

#9 Daylan Nanny

POSITION Outfielder
HEIGHT 5-11
WEIGHT 210
CLASS Junior
HOMETOWN Plainfield, Ind.
COLLEGE   Arizona Western
HIGH SCHOOL Plainfield HS




2019 (Sophomore): Played in 50 of the team’s 53 games with 50 starts, 42 coming in right field, seven at first base and one as the designated hitter … Batted .320 on the season with 66 hits including a team-best 19 doubles – tied for the second-most in the SoCon – with seven home runs … Drove in 31 runs while scoring 44 on the season … Finished with a team-best 24 multiple-hit games with six multiple-RBI outings … Added 22 walks and seven HBPs to bolster a .403 on-base percentage … First hit at WCU was a double in the season-opener against Oakland (Feb. 15) … Belted a grand-slam home run in the third game against Oakland (Feb. 16) … Doubled twice in his first three-hit performance against Indiana State (Feb. 27) … Named Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week on March 4 after going 9-for-21 (.429) with three doubles, two home runs, and six RBI … Enjoyed a 10-game hitting streak in late-April through early May that included five, multi-hit games … Hit 4-for-13 (.308) with three walks in the SoCon Baseball Championship.

Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Arizona Western prior to Fall 2018 ... In 57 games as a freshman at AWC, batted .347 with 11 doubles, a triple and a home run ... Drove in 34 runs including three sac flies, scoring 46 runs ... Drew 39 walks as a part of a .473 on-base percentage ... Stole five bases in six attempts;

High School: Was honorable mention on the 2017 IHSBCA 4-A All-State team ... Finished his prep career with a .394 batting average, collecting a Plainfield High record 100 base hits and 50 RBI ... Posted a career .487 on-base percentage ... Hit .452 with a career-high 38 hits as a senior ... Originally committed to the University of Evansville in the fall of his senior year ... Played with the USSSA 14U National team in a tournament in Italy.

Personal: Is the son of Jennifer and Jamie Nanny.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

The Road to Asheville (2-1-20)

Conference action continues Saturday with only 4 games on tap. The big game for the day starts at 4 pm as UNCG travels to Johnson City to face ETSU in a replay of their matchup in Greensboro in early January.


Western Carolina at Chattanooga
The Cats travel to Chattanooga to face the Mocs in a facility that has proven difficult for Western Carolina to win, as the Moc's Round House has been unkind to the Catamounts. The Mocs and Cats are currently tied with Chattanooga for 5th place in the conference standings with 5-4 records in conference play. While the Mocs are coming into the game off a win, the Cats are coming off a home loss to UNCG on Wednesday. The two teams meet with a top-six spot in the conference standings on the line, as we know, the first six teams at the end of the regular season receive byes in the first round of the SoCon Championships. The Cats are also playing for its second season sweep all-time against the Mocs. Massy favors the home-standing Mocs with a 4 point home advantage and project a 78-74 win for UTC.


UNCG at ETSU
The two teams tied for second place in the conference face off in Johnson City at 4 pm Saturday, in a rematch between these two teams. ETSU picked up the win in the first game that was played in Greensboro, and have declared a White Out at the Freedom Hall for game two, looking for the sweep. The Bucs are coming off their first home loss of the season, while the Spartans are coming off a convincing win over Western Carolina. ETSU leads its series against the Spartans 17-14 all-time. The Bucs and Spartans are randed 1 and 2 respectively in this week's power ranking and rank 4 and 6 respectively in this week's mid-major top 25 poll.  Massey projects a 2 point home advantage for the Bucs, and a 64-62 win by ETSU.


The Citadel at Mercer
The Bulldogs travel to Macon on Saturday in search of their first conference win. However, this will prove difficult as they face one of the hottest teams in the conference, with a five-game win streak and entering the game having just knocked off the #1 ETSU Bucs on Wednesday night. Currently, Mercer is in a three-way tie for 5th place in the conference standing, and the Bulldogs are #10 in the rankings. Massey projects a big home advantage for the Bears, and an eleven point win by Mercer over the Bulldogs, 83-72.


Samford at Wofford
The eight place Samford Bulldogs travels to Spartanburg to face the 4th place Terriers of Wofford in the final game of the day. The Terriers have won 3 of their last 4 games, and are coming in off a win at the Citadel, while the Bulldogs are in a seven-game skid.  Wofford holds an 18-5 series lead and is 6-3 in SoCon play. Massey gives the home-standing Terriers a big home-field advantage and projects an 82-69 win over the Bulldogs.

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.