WCU Baseball vs. Mercer Bears

The Cats remain in Cullowhee, after a midweek win over USC Upstate, to face the league-leading Mercer Bears. 

Who: Mercer Bears
When: Friday - Sunday, May 6-8, 2022
Time: 5:00 pm; 2:00 pm; 1:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network (Friday & Saturday)
TV/Video: ESPN+   (Sunday Only)
Live Stats: WCU Live stats
Nickname: Bears
Colors: Black & Orange

Fan Message Board: MU Bear Down

Head Coach: Craig Gibson. Since taking over for the legendary Barry Myers in 2004, Gibson (591-407) has guided the Bears from the depths of the Atlantic Sun Conference to the top of the Southern Conference, all while establishing Mercer as one of the most respected programs in the southeast. Consistency has become the standard under Gibson, as Mercer is one of just three NCAA Division I programs with 35 wins in each of the last ten years, joining LSU and Vanderbilt.

Moranda's record vs. Mercere: 10-14
Gibson's record vs. WCU: 13-9

Mercer's 2022 record: 35-9 overall, 22-4 home, 13-5 away, 0-0 neutral court, 9-3 SoCon
Mercer's 2021 record: 35-22 overall, 21-8 home, 14-12 away, 0-2 neutral, 18-9 SoCon

The Series: The Cats have a 10-14 overall record against the Bears, and are 2-8 in games played in Cullowhee. The Cats are only 1-4 against the Bears in the last 5 games played and are currently on a 3-game skid to the Bears dropping all three games last season.

The Bears are coming off a series win in Johnson City over the ETSU Bucs. On the mound, the Bears boast the most victories in the SoCon this season – 34 – with the best collective earned run average at 4.35 and lowest opponent batting average at .246 overall, limiting the opposition to just 369 combined hits to rank second in the SoCon. Mercer pitchers have combined for 437 strikeouts, tops in the league, with WCU, ranked third with 394 K's on the season.  

Projected Starting Pitcher Matchups:
Friday, May 6 | 5:00 p.m. | Coverage: Live Audio (CSN) | Live Stats
Mercer – RHP Ryan Lobus (5-2, 3.04 ERA; 56.1 IP, 55K, 16 BB)
WCU – RHP Zach Franklin (4-1, 2.20 ERA; 45.0 IP, 52K, 10 BB)

Saturday, May 7 | 2:00 p.m. | Coverage: Live Audio (CSN) | Live Stats
Mercer – RHP Josh Farmer (5-0, 3.83 ERA; 47.0 IP, 39K, 15 BB)
WCU – RHP Gavin Mortenson (3-7, 5.76 ERA; 54.2 IP, 43K, 22 BB)

Sunday, May 8 | 1:00 p.m. | Coverage: ESPN+ | Live Stats
Mercer – RHP Josh Harlow (6-2, 4.78 ERA; 52.2 IP, 67K, 20 BB)
WCU – TBA

USC Upstate (mid-week game)

Western Carolina hosts USC Upstate in a midweek game in Cullowhee on Wednesday, hoping to avenge a 3-9 loss to the Spartans in February 2022. 

Who: USC Upstate Spartans 

When: Wednesday, May 4th, 2022 

Time: 6:00 pm 

Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

Radio: none 

TV/Video: ESPN+

Live Stats: WCU Live stats

Nickname: Spartans 

Colors: Green, White, Black 

Head Coach: Mike McGuire is in his second season as the head baseball coach at USC Upstate. McGuire joins USC Upstate after seven seasons as head coach of the NCAA Division I baseball program at Morehead State University in Kentucky. Under McGuire's leadership, the team compiled an overall record of 228-187 and a conference record of 118-91, including an average of 37 wins per season over the past five years. During the past five seasons, McGuire led the Eagles to 183 victories, which ranks in the top-40 nationally. The team defeated 10 nationally-ranked opponents and were champions of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and NCAA Regional Participants in 2015 and 2018.

Moranda's record vs. Upstate:  1-1

McGuire's record vs. WCU:  1-1 

USC Upstate's 2022 record: 27-17 overall, 20-7 home, 7-9 away, 0-1 neutral court, 13-5 Big South

USC Upstate's 2021 record:  37-16 overall, 18-5 home, 19-9 away, 0-2 neutral, 28-12 Big South

The Series: In the eleventh overall meeting between the two teams, the Cats are 7-3 against the Spartans in a series that started in 1986. The Cats had won the last 6 games in the series with the Spartans until Upstate broke the string with a 9-3 win over the Cats back in February in Spartanburg, SC.

The Spartans claimed a program-record 37 victories a season ago, picking up wins over Clemson and No. 12 Georgia Tech during a record-setting season. Upstate captured a program-best 28 conference victories in 2021, claiming the No. 2 seed in last season's Big South Tournament following a 37-16 (28-12 Big South) campaign. Last season, Upstate was one of the top teams in the nation at both the plate and on the mound, concluding the season ranked in the top-25 in the NCAA in both batting average (24th; .298) and earned run average (16th; 3.68). 

After 37 wins last season, the Spartans were picked second in the Big South Conference preseason poll. The Spartans are coming off a series win against GWU (2 of 3 games) and have won 6 of their last 7 games.

Probable Starting Pitchers 

Western Carolina | RHP Nick Hyde (0-0; 8.62 ERA) 

USC Upstate | RHP Trey Miller (1-3; 5.44 ERA)

SoCon Baseball (Week #4 - update Sunday)

This weekend the Southern Conference moves into week number four of conference play on Friday, April 29, through Sunday, May 1, 2022.  Wofford and Mercer continue to lead conference play and are number 1 & 2 respectively in the standings, with ETSU a close third. 

The current standings:

1. Wofford (8-1)

2. Mercer (7-2)
3. ETSU (6-3)

4. Samford (5-4)
5. Western Carolina (3-6)

5. VMI (3-6)

7. Citadel (2-7)
7. UNCG (2-7)

This weekends games are:

#2 Mercer at #3 ETSU

#1 Wofford at #4 Samford

#7 UNCG at #7 The Citadel

#5 Western Carolina at #5 VMI

***Friday Update***

Samford was the big winner, knocking off #1 Wofford, with Mercer's win the Bears are now tied again for fist place with the Terriers. Other than Samford's home will, all the visiting teams won in conference play on Friday, with WCU beating VMI, Mercer over ETSU, and UNCG beating the Citadel.  Final scores:

Wofford 4 - Samford 5

Mercer 10 -  ETSU 3

UNCG 6 -  The Citadel 3

Western Carolina 7 -  VMI 6

The current standings after Friday's games:

1. Mercer (8-2)

1. Wofford (8-2)

3. ETSU (6-4)

3. Samford (6-4)
5. Western Carolina (4-6)

6. VMI (3-7)

7. UNCG (3-7)

8. Citadel (2-8)

***Update Sunday***

In a very big surprise, the Samford Bulldogs won the three-game series with league-leading Wofford, winning two of three games in Birmingham. Mercer won their series with ETSU picking up two wins in Johnson City.  The Catamounts also won their series with VMI in Lexington, VA, 2 games to1, and UNCG swept their series with the Citadel in Charleston, SC.

Sunday's scores: 

Wofford 16 - Samford 6

UNCG 5 -  The Citadel 3

Western Carolina 8 -  VMI 5

The current standings after Sunday's games:

1. Mercer (9-3)

1. Wofford (9-3)

3. ETSU (7-5)

3. Samford (7-5)
5. Western Carolina (5-7)

5. UNCG (5-7)

7. VMI (4-8)

8. Citadel (2-10)

On the Road to Greenville...

                               

WCU Baseball: at VMI

The Cats resume their conference road trip with a stop in Lexington, VA to face the VMI Keydets. 

Who:  VMI
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 29 & 30 & May 1, 2022

Time:  at 6 pm / 2pm / 1pm - respectively
Where: Gray-Minor Stadium, Lexington, VA
Radio: none
TV/video: ESPN+
Live Stats: VMI Live Stats
Nickname: Keydets

Mascot: Moe, the Kangaroo

Colors:  Red, Yellow, and White

VMI Fan Message Board: Keydet Sportstalk

Head Coach: Jonathan Hadra - Jonathan Hadra, a four-year letterman and 2004 graduate of VMI, recently concluded his seventh season as the head coach of the Keydets. Hadra was named the 20th head coach in VMI baseball history on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. He had served as associate head coach for the Keydets previously and was the acting head coach for 10 days following the resignation of Marlin Ikenberry. The 2021 team responded well to adversity and finished strong, going 12-9 down the stretch - including an 11-7 mark in Southern Conference action. 

2022 VMI Baseball Record: 12-29 overall, 3-6 conf., 9-10 home, 3-19 away, 0-0 neutral
2021 VMI Baseball Record: 18-29 overall, 13-17 conf., 11-14 home, 7-15 away, 0-0 neutral

The Series: The Cats are 67-22 overall vs. the Keydets, posting a record of  26-11 in games played in Lexington. 

Bobby Moranda's record vs. VMI: 11-7
Jonathan Hadra's record vs. WCU: 7-11

The Keydets return home having dropped the last 4 conference games.

Presbyterian Blue Hose (game two)

The Cats return to Cullowhee for a midweek game with the Presbyterian College Blue Hose after their series win in Charleston against the Citadel. With the series victory, the Cats are now tied for fifth place with VMI, Western's upcoming weekend opponent.  


Who: Presbyterian College Blue Hose
When: Wednesday (April 27)
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: none
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU live stats
Nickname: Blue Hose
Colors: Garnet & Blue
Conference: Big South

The Series: The Cats own a 6-2 overall record with the Blue Hose, and the Cats are 4-1 in games played in Cullowhee, NC. With the win in Clinton in early March, the Cats have won three of the last four games played.     

The two teams last played in Cullowhee in 2017.  

Head Coach:  Elton Pollock, a 1995 graduate of Presbyterian College, completed his 17th season as head coach of the Blue Hose baseball program in the spring of 2021. Pollock follows Tim Corbin and Doug Kovash as the third head coach to lead the program since its reinstatement in 1988.

PC's 2022 record:  18-20 overall, 10-10 home, 8-10 away, 0-0 neutral, 8-7 Big South
PC's 2021 record:  22-23 overall, 9-6 home, 10-16 away, 3-1 neutral,  18-16 Big South

Coming off of the program's first Big South Championship and first NCAA regional appearance, the Presbyterian College Baseball team was tabbed fourth by the league coaches in the Big South preseason poll.

The Blue Hose are coming off a three-game sweep of Winthrop in Clinton and will face Clemson on Tuesday before playing the Catamounts on Wednesday. 

SoCon Baseball (Week #3 Updated Sunday)

This weekend the Southern Conference moves into week number three of conference play on Friday, April 22, through Saturday, April 24, 2022.  A couple teams have taken the early lead in conference play, with both Mercer and Wofford sporting 6-0 records in conference play. Their closest opponent is Samford at 4-2, and the SoCon still has one team with no conference wins, UNCG at 0-6. 

The big showdown occurs in Macon this weekend when the Bears host the Terriers in a three-game series. Will there still be an unbeaten team on Sunday?

This weekend's action has:

#1 Wofford  at  #1 Mercer
#6 Western Carolina  at  #6 The Citadel
#4 VMI  at  #4 ETSU
#3 Samford  at  #8 UNCG

Current conference ranking:
1. Mercer (6-0)
1. Wofford (6-0)
3. Samford (4-2)
4. ETSU (3-3)
4. VMI (3-3)
6. Citadel (1-5)
6. Western Carolina (1-5)
8. UNCG (0-6)

***Updated Friday***

Friday's games are complete and we now only have one team with an unblemished record in conference play. Wofford is now 7-0 after dominating the other unbeaten team, Mercer in Macon by a final score of 17-7. The Catamounts picked up their second conference win of the season beating the Citadel in Charleston.  ETSU scored a one-run victory over VIM and Samford kept UNCG winless in conference play. 

Today's scores:

Wofford 17 at  Mercer 7
Western Carolina 4 at  The Citadel 2
VMI 8  at  ETSU  9
Samford  5 at  UNCG 3

The standings after Friday's games:
1. Wofford (7-0)

2. Mercer (6-1)
3. Samford (5-2)
4. ETSU (4-3)
5. VMI (3-4)

6. Western Carolina (2-5)
7. Citadel (1-6)
8. UNCG (0-7)

***UpdatedSaturday***

Three teams won their series with a second win on Saturday; Western Carolina; and Wofford; & ETSU won today, going 2-0 in their respective series. Samford and UNCG split their series, as the Spartans took a 10-5 victory over Samford. Wofford remains unbeaten at 8-0 in the SoCon, and we no longer have a winless team with the Spartans win. ETSU and Samford are now tied for third place in the standings, while Western and VMI are tied for fifth.;

Today's scores:

Western Carolina 8 - The Citadel 1

Wofford 5 -  Mercer 0
VMI 5  -  ETSU  10
Samford  5  -  UNCG 10

The standings after Saturday's games:
1. Wofford (8-0)

2. Mercer (6-2)
3. Samford (5-3)
4. ETSU (5-3)
5. VMI (3-5)

6. Western Carolina (3-5)
7. Citadel (1-7)
8. UNCG (1-7)

***Updated Sunday***

We no longer have an unbeaten conference team, as the Terriers were the victims of a walk-off home run at the hand of the Mercer Bears on Sunday. All the home teams won on Sunday, meaning no teams got a sweep this weekend, as The Citadel & Mercer picked up a win in the third game of their series. The Spartans entered their series with Samford winless and picked up a series win going 2-1 versus the Samford Bulldogs.

Sunday's scores:

Western Carolina 0 - The Citadel 3

Wofford 10 -  Mercer 12
VMI 4  -  ETSU  10
Samford  1  -  UNCG 11

The standings after Sunday's games:
1. Wofford (8-1)

2. Mercer (7-2)
3. ETSU (6-3)

4. Samford (5-4)
5. Western Carolina (3-6)

5. VMI (3-6)

7. Citadel (2-7)
7. UNCG (2-7)

On The Road to Greenville...... 

Baseball: at The Citadel

The Cats return to the road after a 4-game homestand and travel to the South Carolina low country to face the Bulldogs of The Citadel. The Bulldogs are currently tied for 6th place in the conference with the Catamounts, both teams coming in at 1-5 conference records.


Who: The Citadel
When: Friday - Sunday (April 22 - 24)
Time: 5:00 pm; 5:00, 2:00 pm
Where: Riley Park, Charleston, SC
Radio: Citadel Radio (FM 94.7 The Zone)
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: Citadel live stats
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Blue and White

The Series: The Cats own a 94-68 record against the Bulldogs and are 35-40 in games played in Charleston. The Cats have won the last 6 games played against the Bulldogs, and are 9-2 in the last 11 games played.

Head Coach: Tony Skole, enters his fifth season as the Bulldogs’ head coach. Skole was officially announced as the head coach at The Citadel on June 8, 2017. He enters the 2021 season with 619 career wins as a head coach, including 524 wins at the Division I level. In returning to his alma mater, Skole has been tasked with returning the Bulldog program back to one of the top teams in the Southern Conference and restoring the Bulldog’s Championship Tradition. Solidifying his program’s foundation has been his immediate priority, and this began with reestablishing the brand of Citadel Baseball.

Skole's record vs. WCU: 4-13
Moranda's record vs. the Citadel: 29-14

Citadel's 2022 record: 19-15 overall, 17-7 home, 2-8 away, 0-0 neutral, 1-5  SoCon
Citadel's 2021 record: 12-39 overall, 10-22 home,  2-17 away, 0-0 neutral, 4-25  SoCon

While the Bulldogs have lost 9 of their last 11 games, they do sport a 17-7 record in games played in Charleston's Riley Park this season and a 2-8 record in games played on the road (both conference series thus far were played on the road for the Bulldogs). This will be a difficult team to beat in Riley Park.  

Midweek Baseball: Gardner-Webb

After a series loss to Samford, the Catamounts remain in Cullowhee for a midweek game against Big South Conference foe Gardner-Webb.   


Who: Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs
When: Tuesday (April 19)
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: none
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU live stats
Nickname: Runnin' Bulldogs
Colors: Scarlet and black
Conference: Big South Conference

The Series: The Cats own a 17-9-1 record against the Runnin' Bulldogs and are 8-5-1 in games played in Cullowhee. The Cats have won the last three games in the series, breaking a 4-game skid against the Bulldogs.

Head Coach: Jim Chester is in his third year as the head coach of the Gardner-Webb baseball team after taking over the program in June 2019. Chester led Gardner-Webb to 29 wins in 2021, his first full season at the helm. That included a 27-13 mark and a tie for second place in the Big South Conference standings, Gardner-Webb's highest finish ever since joining the league prior to the 2009 season. 

Chester's record vs. WCU: 0-2
Moranda's record vs. GWU: 10-5-1

GWU's 2022 record: 13-23 overall, 11-13 home, 2-10 away, 0-0 neutral, 4-8 Big South
GWU's 2021 record: 29-23 overall, 16-9 home, 12-12 away, 1-2 neutral, 27-13 Big South

The Runnin' Bulldogs were picked 5th in the 11-team Big South preseason poll. GWU is coming off a series win over Winthrop in Boiling Springs, however, the Dogs have lost 7 of their last 10 games.  The team is hitting an average of .243 over 36 games.

WCU Baseball: vs. Samford Bulldogs

After a rain-out against Asheville on Tuesday, the Catamounts return home to host their second conference series, this time against the Samford Bulldogs. While three teams have perfect 3-0 records in conference play, the Bulldogs are the only team sporting a 2-1 record.  


Who: Samford Bulldogs
When: Thursday - Saturday (April 14 - 16)
Time: 5:00 pm; 5:00, 2:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: none
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU live stats
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Blue and Red

The Series: The Cats own a 19-26 record against the Bulldogs and are 12-6 in games played in Cullowhee. The Cats are 2-10 in the last 12 games played between the two teams. 

Head Coach: Tony David, a long-time associate head coach at Samford, enters his first season as the program's head coach. David served on the Samford staff for the past 17 seasons, including the last 16 as associate head coach. David also served as the program’s recruiting coordinator from 2005 to 2017.

David's record vs. WCU: 0-0
Moranda's record vs. Samford: 19-26

Samford's 2022 record: 15-15 overall, 10-7 home, 5-8 away, 0-0 neutral,2-1 SoCon
Samford's 2021 record: 35-24 overall, 20-5 home, 12-17 away, 3-1 neutral, 20-10  SoCon

In preseason polls, the Bulldogs were picked 3rd by the media and 6th by the coaches. Samford junior third baseman Will David was named to the first-team all-conference roster, while catcher Kaden Dreier earned second-team honors.  The Bulldogs come to Cullowhee riding 4 losses out of the last 6 games, however, those two wins against VMI last weekend gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 conference record, good enough for 4th place in the early conference standings.  

...on the Road to Greenville

SoCon Baseball (2nd Week conf. play update #2)

This weekend the Southern Conference moves into week number two of conference play on Thursday, April 14, through Saturday, April  16, 2022.

This weekend's action has:

#4 Samford  at  #6 Western Carolina  at 5 pm
#1 ETSU  at  #1 Wofford at 6 pm
#6 The Citadel  at  #5 VMI  at 6 pm
#1 Mercer  at  #6 UNCG  at 6 pm

The premier series of the weekend has two unbeaten teams in conference play facing each other in Spartanburg as the Bucs remain on the road to face Wofford. Another big series has a military flair as the Citadel travels to Lexington to face the Keydets. 

Currently, after week #1, the standings are:
1. Mercer    3-0
1. Wofford   3-0
1. ETSU      3-0
4. Samford  2-1
5. VMI         1-2
6. Western  0-3

6..Citadel    0-3
6. UNCG     0-3

***Thursday Update***

The Thursday series of conference games left two teams undefeated in conference play (Mercer & Wofford) as well as, two teams with no conference wins (the Citadel & UNCG).  Today's winners were Western Carolina, Mercer, Wofford, and VMI.  In the clash of the unbeaten, Wofford pulled off a narrow 5-3 win over the Bucs. In the military classic, the Kedets protected their home field with a 5-2 win over the Bulldogs. Western Carolina was the only team from the group of three without a conference victory to win today, an 11-8 victory over the Samford Bulldogs. 

Thursday's results:

Samford 8  at  Western Carolina  11
ETSU  3 at  Wofford 5
The Citadel 2 at  VMI 5
Mercer 12 at  UNCG  8

The standings after game 1:
1. Mercer      4-0
1. Wofford    4-0
3. ETSU       3-1
4. Samford   2-2
5. VMI          2-2
6. Western   1-3

7. Citadel     0-4
7. UNCG      0-4

***Friday Update***

Mercer and Wofford both continued their undefeated string in conference play, while VMI took their second win of the series with the Citadel for the series win.  Samford topped Western Carolina for a series split. At this point, we have two undefeated teams and two teams without a conference win.  

Friday's results:

Samford 7  at  Western Carolina  4
ETSU  2 at  Wofford 13
The Citadel 2 at  VMI 5
Mercer 5 at  UNCG  4

The standings after game 2:
1. Mercer      5-0
1. Wofford    5-0
3. ETSU       3-2
3. Samford   3-2
3. VMI          3-2
6. Western   1-4

7. Citadel     0-5
7. UNCG      0-5

The Road to Greenville...... 

SoCon Baseball (1st Weekend of conference play - updated)

This weekend the Southern Conference kicks off conference play on Friday, April 8, 2022.

This weekend's action has:

#3 ETSU  at  #6 Western Carolina
#8 VMI  at  #5 Samford
#4 The Citadel  at  #1 Mercer
#6 UNCG  at  #2 Wofford

Currently, the standings are:
1. Mercer 24-5
2. Wofford 21-9
3. ETSU 17-8
4. Citadel 17-10
5. Samford 13-13
6. Western 14-15

6.. UNCG 14-15
8. VMI 9-21

***Friday Update***

In Friday's games, ETSU, Mercer, Wofford, and Samford were all winners on the first day of conference play. In all four games, the higher-ranked (based on out-of-conference games) were the winners, with three of the four home teams capturing wins, the exception being Western Carolina. All eight teams will resume their conference play on Saturday. 

ETSU 6  at  Western Carolina 3
VMI 3  at  Samford 4
The Citadel 2  at  Mercer 8
UNCG 0  at  Wofford 7

The standings after day 1 of SoCon play:

1. ETSU  (1-0)

1. Samford (1-0)

1. Mercer (1-0)

1. Wofford (1-0)

5. WCU (0-1)

5. VMI (0-1)

5. Citadel (0-1)

5/ UNCG (0-1)

***Saturday Update***

In Saturday's games, ETSU, Mercer, Wofford, and Samford all sealed series wins in Saturday's game. Three of the four home teams picked up a win, as did ETSU visiting Western Carolina.  

***Sunday Update***

In Sunday's games, ETSU, Mercer, Wofford, and VMI were winners.  ETSU swept WCU, Mercer swept the Citadel, and Wofford swept UNCG. Samford did win their series with VMI but dropped the final game, 1-0 to the Keydets.  We now have 3 teams with a perfect 3-0 conference record (ETSU, Mercer, and Wofford), as well as three teams with 0-3 records in conference play (Western Carolina, the Citadel, and UNCG). Samford has a 2-1 record, while VMI is 1-2 thus far in conference play.

Currently, the standings are:
1. Mercer 3-0
1. Wofford 3-0
1. ETSU 3-0
4. Samford  2-1
5. VMI  1-2
6. Western 0-3

6..Citadel  0-3
6. UNCG 0-3

Next weekend's games (Thursday - Saturday) will feature two unbeaten teams (ETSU at Wofford), as well as Samford at Western, the military classic with the Citadel at VMI, and Mercer at UNCG.

The Road to Greenville...... 

ETSU comes to Cullowhee

The Catamounts open conference play against the ETSU Bucs in Cullowhee. The Bucs are having a very good year coming into the series at 17-9 overall. 

Who: ETSU
When: Friday - Sunday (April 8 - 10)
Time: 5:00 pm; 3:00, 1:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: none
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU live stats
Nickname: Bucs
Colors: Navy Blue and Gold

The Series: The Cats own a 46-29 record against the Bucs and are 36-22 in games played in Cullowhee. The Cats are 1-5 in the last 6 played.

Head Coach: On July 10, 2017, the ETSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that former Stony Brook associate head coach Joe Pennucci has been named the new head coach of the Buccaneers baseball program. Through four seasons at the helm, Pennucci owns a 98-74 record. Last season, the ETSU concluded with a 24-25 record and a 13-16 mark in league play. The Bucs had a 12-3 record in 2020 before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pennucci 's record vs. WCU: 5-8
Moranda's record vs. ETSU: 12-12

ETSU's 2022 record: 17-8 overall, 15-3 home, 2-5 away, 0-0 neutral, 0-0 SoCon
ETSU's 2021 record: 24-25 overall, 15-11 home, 9-14 away, 0-0 neutral, 13-16  SoCon

The Bucs come to Cullowhee sporting a 17-8 record but are just off a 3-game sweep by Baylor University of the Big XII in Waco, Texas. The Bucs were picked just behind WCU in both preseason polls – fourth in the coaches' preseason tabulation and fifth from the voting media with the Catamounts tabbed third and fourth, respectively. ETSU put three players on the preseason All-SoCon team highlighted by SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year in Saturday starter, senior LHP Colby Stuart on the first team. He was joined by classmate Bryce Hodges on the first team with shortstop Ashton King finishing behind WCU's Pascanel Ferreras in the voting.

Projected Starting Pitcher Match-ups:

Friday, April 8 | 5:00 p.m. 
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – RHP Zebby Matthews (1-5, 5.74 ERA, 42.1 IP, 54K, 9BB)
ETSU – RHP Zach Kirby (2-0, 2.28 ERA, 27.2 IP, 24K, 11BB)

Saturday, April 9 | 3:00 p.m. 
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – LHP Dylan Wheeler (0-1, 5.19 ERA, 8.2 IP, 6K, 4BB)
ETSU – LHP Colby Stuart (3-0, 5.52 ERA, 31.0 IP, 24K, 15BB)

Sunday, April 10 | 1:00 p.m.
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – RHP Gavin Mortenson (2-3, 3.75 ERA, 36.0 IP, 29K, 10BB)
ETSU – RHP Hunter Loyd (3-1, 1.34 ERA, 33.2 IP, 47K, 11BB)

Catamount Baseball

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

 

WCU athletics this week (4-10 April

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

 

vs. Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs

After a seven-game road swing, the Catamounts return to Cullowhee for a midweek game against Big South foe Gardner-Webb and the final warm-up for the Cats before conference play tips off this weekend for the Cats. 


Who: Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs
When: Wednesday (April 6)
Time: 4:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: none
TV/Video: none
Live Stats: WCU live stats
Nickname: Runnin' Bulldogs
Colors: Scarlet and black
Conference: Big South Conference

The Series: The Cats own a 16-9-1 record against the Runnin' Bulldogs and are 7-5-1 in games played in Cullowhee. The Cats have won the last two games in the series, breaking a 4 game skid against the Bulldogs.

Head Coach: Jim Chester is in his third year as the head coach of the Gardner-Webb baseball team after taking over the program in June 2019. Chester led Gardner-Webb to 29 wins in 2021, his first full season at the helm. That included a 27-13 mark and a tie for second place in the Big South Conference standings, Gardner-Webb's highest finish ever since joining the league prior to the 2009 season. 

Chester's record vs. WCU: 0-1
Moranda's record vs. GWU: 9-5-1

GWU's 2022 record: 10-18 overall, 9-11 home, 1-7 away, 0-0 neutral, 1-5 Big South
GWU's 2021 record: 29-23 overall, 16-9 home, 12-12 away, 1-2 neutral, 27-13 Big South

The Runnin' Bulldogs were picked 5th in the 11 team Big South preseason poll. GWU is coming off a three-game sweep in Boiling Springs by Campbell and the Dogs have lost 8 of their last 9 games.  The team is hitting an average of .236 over 29 games

The WCU Mountain Boomers

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

 

Xavier University Musketeers

The Catamounts continue their 7 game road trip, traveling to Cincinnati to face the Xavier Musketeers in a three-game weekend series. 

Who:  Xavier University Musketeers
Where: Hayden Field, Cincinnati, OH
When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday (April 1-3)
Time: Fri - 5:00; Sat - 2:00 pm; Sun - 1:00 pm
Radio: Cougar All Access
TV/Video: Game 1 (no video), Games 2 & 3 on FloSports (pay service)
Live Stats: Xavier live stats
Nickname: Musketeers
Mascot: D'Artagnan the Musketeer
Colors: Navy Blue, White, & Silver
Conference: Big East

The Series: The two teams met in a three-game series in Cullowhee in 2007. The Cats won the series 2-1.

Head Coach: Billy O'Conner was named the seventh head coach of the Xavier baseball program in June of 2017 after a decorated playing career and six years on the staff as an assistant. In his first four seasons, O'Conner led Xavier to an overall record of 80-102 with a 34-26 mark in BIG EAST play.

Xavier's 2022 record: 13-13 overall, 3-0 home, 10-10 away, 0-3 neutral, 0-0 conference
Xavier's 2021 record: 28-26 overall, 13-8 home, 12-16 away, 3-2 neutral, 15-11 conference

The Musketeers were picked third in the Big East following last season's runners-up performance in the BIG EAST Tournament.  Four Musketeers earned a spot on the preseason All-Big East squad. Catcher Jerry Huntzinger, infielders Luke Franzoni and Jack Housinger, and outfielder Andrew Walker each earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team.

Xavier is coming into the game riding a 6 game win streak, most recently sweeping Cincinnati in a four-game series.  The Musketeers have won 8 of their last 9 games, while the Cats are on a 2 game skid, losing 4 of their last 6 games, most recently dominated by the number 1 Tennessee Volunteers.  

Game one will be played at Prasco Park in Mason, OH, with games 2 & 3 at  Hayden Field on the campus of Xavier.  

The Cats

 

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations   

at #1 University of Tennessee

The Cats continue their 7 game road trip with a midweek game at the #1 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.  The Vols moved to the number one spot this week after sweeping Ole Miss. 


Who: University of Tennessee Volunteers
Where: Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Knoxville, TN
When: Wednesday (March 30)
Time: Wednesday, 5:30 pm
Radio: Tennessee Radio
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: UT live stats
Nickname: Volunteers
Colors: Orange & White
Conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)

The Series: The Cats and Vols have met 29 times on the baseball diamond and are 6 - 23 in those games.  The Cats are 4-16 in games played in Knoxville, TN. 

Head Coach: Tony Vitello accepted the position of head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball program on June 7, 2017.

UT's 2022 record: 23-1 overall, 18-0 home, 3-0 away, 2-1 neutral, 6-0 conference
UT's 2021 record: 50-18 overall, 29-9 home, 16-5 away, 5-4 neutral, 20-10 conference

After sweeping top-ranked Ole Miss on the road and moving into the #1 ranking nationally, Tennessee had two players earn SEC weekly honors on Monday, as announced by the league office.

Starting pitchers Chase Dollander (SEC Pitcher of the Week) and Chase Burns (SEC Freshman of the Week), were both recognized after stellar outings in Oxford over the weekend.

University of Houston Cougars

The Catamounts take to the road after a humbling loss to UNC Asheville on Tuesday night. In the 7 game road trip, the first stop is in Houston, Texas to face the Houston Cougars, then on to Knoxville, Tenn before the final stop in Mason, OH.  

Who: University Houston Cougars

Where: Schroeder Park, Houston, Texas
When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday (March 25-27)
Time: Fri - 7:30; Sat - 7:30 pm; Sun -2:00 pm
Radio: Cougar All Access
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: UH live stats
Nickname: Cougars 
Mascot: Shasta
Colors: Red, Red & White
Conference: American Athletic Conference (AAC)

The Series: This will be the first meeting between the two teams on the baseball diamond.

Head Coach:  Todd Whitting rejoined his alma mater as University of Houston Baseball head coach on July 1, 2010. The 2022 season will be his 12th at the helm for the Cougars.

UH's 2022 record: 14-7overall, 9-2 home, 5-2 away, 0-3 neutral, 0-0 conference
UH's 2021 record:  19-34 overall,  11-13 home,  8-19 away,  0-2 neutral,  7-21 conference

The Cougars are batting .272 collectively as a team on the season with 52 extra-base hits including 31 doubles, seven triples, and 14 home runs. Anthony Tulimero paces three players batting above .300 with a .378 average, while Brandon Uhse has a team-best 11 doubles and 22 RBI with both he and Alex Lopez with three home runs. With 142 runs scored this season, Houston is averaging 6.8 runs per game. Houston was picked seventh in the eight-team American Athletic Conference with ECU favored to win the conference championship. The Cougars come into the game riding a three-game winning streak.

Projected Starting Pitchers:
Game 1 – Friday, March 25 – 7:30 p.m. ET 
Western Carolina – RHP Zebby Matthews (0-3, 5.34 ERA – 30.1 IP, 45K, 4BB)
Houston – RHP Jaycob Deese (1-1, 3.42 – 26.1 IP, 27K, 8BB)

Game 2 – Saturday, March – 7:30 p.m. ET 
Western Carolina – LHP Eric Wallington (0-2, 6.23 ERA – 17.1 IP, 20K, 14BB)
Houston – RHP Nathan Medrano (3-0, 4.34 ERA – 29.0 IP, 27K, 7BB)

Game 3 – Sunday, March 27 – 2 p.m. ET
Western Carolina – RHP Gavin Mortenson (1-2, 4.50 ERA – 22.0 IP, 21K, 7BB)
Houston – TBD

UNC Asheville

The Catamounts will finish up a 4 game home stand when they host UNC Asheville in a mid-week game before departing Cullowhee on a 7 game road trip, with stops in Houston, TX, Knoxville, TN, and Mason, OH.  


Who: UNC Asheville
When: Tuesday (March 22)
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: none
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU live stats
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Red, Blue & White
Conference: Big South Conference 

The Series: The Cats own a 52-24 overall record vs. the Bulldogs, but have lost 7 of the last 8 in the series, and are riding a 2 game losing skid vs. UNCA.  

Head Coach: Scott Friedholm will begin his eighth season as the Head Baseball Coach at UNC Asheville in 2022. He was appointed head coach on June 17, 2014.  The 2021 season saw Friedholm lead the Bulldogs to a 15-33 record overall and a 14-26 record vs. Big South foes. Friedholm picked up his 100th career victory leading the Bulldogs on March 21. He is the first Bulldog Head Coach to ever reach this milestone.

Moranda's record vs. UNCA:  9-11

Friedholm's record vs. WCU:  7-1

UNCA's 2022 record: 5-13 overall, 4-2 home, 1-11 away, 0-0 neutral, 1-2 conference
UNCA's 2021 record:  15-33 overall, 11-11 home, 4-22 away, 14-26 conference

The UNC Asheville baseball team was picked to finish ninth in the eleven-team Big South Conference preseason poll. The Bulldogs are coming off a 3-game series against Longwood, having dropped 2 of 3 games. So far this season, the Bulldogs have played Wofford, a 3-game series at Mercer, and ETSU out of the SoCon (all losses).  

Happy St. Patrick's Day

WCU Baseball - UT Martin

The Catamounts return home to Hennon Stadium to host the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks for a weekend series. This will be the first meeting between the two teams. 


Who: University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin)
When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday (March 18-20)
Time: Fri - 5:00; Sat - 2:00 pm; Sun -1:00 pm
Where: Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: none
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU live stats 
Nickname: Skyhawks

Mascot: Captian Skyhawk
Colors: Red, Blue & Orange
Conference: Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)

The Series: This will be the first meeting between the two teams on the baseball diamond.

Head Coach: Ryan Jenkins is in his fifth season as head coach of the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball program in 2022. He was named to the position on April 17, 2018 after serving as interim head coach for the previous four months. Last season, the Skyhawks boasted three Ohio Valley Conference postseason honorees, which are tied for the second-most in program history. Winston Cannon became only the second starting pitcher in school history to be named All-OVC first team, David Hussey became just the second relief pitcher in program history to earn All-OVC second-team status while Wil LaFollette captured OVC All-Freshman honors.

UTM's 2022 record: 6-9 overall, 2-3 home, 4-5 away, 0-1 neutral, 0-0 conference
UTM's 2021 record: 19-29 overall, 5-8 home, 14-21 away, 0-0 neutral, 10-17 conference

The 6-9 Skyhawks come to Cullowhee fresh off a midweek win over Souther Illonise which broke a two-game skid on the road. The only common opponent thus far is Illinois State.  

Picked ninth in the nine-team preseason Ohio Valley Conference baseball poll, expectations remain high inside the UTM baseball team. The Skyhawks return 27 letter winners from last year's squad, headlined by sophomore infielder Will Smith who was the lone UTM player on the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason baseball team. Martin has five players that had started 35-or-more career games entering the season. Friday's starter for UTM, 

Rhett Fetner was dubbed the OVC Pitcher of the Week on March 14 after tossing the program's first complete-game shutout since 2016 in blanking Central Arkansas, scattering four hits over the nine-inning outing with four strikeouts to counter a pair of walks.

Friday, March 18 | 5:00 p.m. | Coverage: ESPN+
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – RHP Zebby Matthews (0-2, 4.94 ERA, 23.2 IP, 33K, 2BB)
UT Martin – RHP Rhett Fetner (3-1, 3.46 ERA, 26.0 IP, 21K, 11BB)

Saturday, March 19 | 2:00 p.m. | Coverage: ESPN+ 
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – LHP Eric Wallington (0-2, 4.91 ERA, 14.2 IP, 18K, 9BB)
UT Martin – RHP Matt Dickey (1-2, 8.53 ERA, 12.2 IP, 16K, 9BB)

Sunday, March 20 | 1:00 p.m. | Coverage: ESPN+ 
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – RHP Gavin Mortenson (1-2, 5.19 ERA, 17.1 IP, 20K, 6BB)
UT Martin – TBA

 

Mid-week Baseball: at Wake Forest

The Catamounts will remain on the road for mid-week action, traveling to Winston-Salem to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacon of the ACC.


Who: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
When: Tuesday, March 15
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: David F. Couch Ballpark, Winston-Salem, NC
Radio: Deacon All Access
TV/Video: ACC NETWORK EXTRA
Live Stats: WF live stats
Nickname: Demon Deacons
Colors: Black and Gold
Conference: ACC

Fan Message Board:  Old Gold & Black Boards

The Series: The Cats are 5-7 overall vs. Wake Forest, and come into this game on a two-game skid against the Demon Deacons.

Head coach: Tom Walter enters his 13th season in 2022 as the head coach of Wake Forest baseball. With 325 wins at Wake Forest, he enters 2022 as the second-winningest coach in program history, trailing only George Greer (608 wins in 16 years). Additionally, Walter is one of just two active head coaches in the country to lead three different programs to the NCAA Division I Tournament,.

2022 Record: 13-3 overall,  13-2 home, 0-1 away, 0-0 neutral, 1-2 ACC

In Coach Walter’s 13th season at the helm of the Wake Forest baseball program, the Deacs will rely on 20 returners from last year’s team. Additionally, the Deacs welcome a highly-regarded class of newcomers consisting of 13 first-year players as well as six transfers. The class was ranked in the top 13 by both D1 Baseball and Baseball America.

The Deacs are off to one of the best starts in program history with a 13-3 record, the first time since 1964 Wake Forest won their first eleven games.   

2022 First Pitch Invitational (Cincinnati Bearcats)

The Cats remain at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC for the 2022 First Pitch Invitational, and return to action on Sunday afternoon against Cincinnati. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be streamed through Greenville Drive's YouTube page with live stats available.

Who: Cincinnati
When: Sunday, March 13
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: Flour Fluor Field, Greenville, SC
Radio:   none
TV/Video: YouTube
Live Stats: Live Stats
Nickname:  Bearcats
Colors:  Red & Black
Conference:  American Athletic Conference (AAC)

The Series: The two teams have met three times, with the Cats holding a 1-2 record against the Bearcats.  They last met in Cincinnati in 2017. 

Head coach: Scott Googins was named the 28th head baseball coach at the University of Cincinnati on June 6, 2017, and will enter his fifth season in the spring of 2022. 

2022 Record:  6-6 overall, 4-1 home, 2-4 away, 0-1 neutral  

Googins guided the Bearcats to their first winning season since 2011 in 2021. UC finished 29-26 and had five players named to the All-AAC First or Second Team. Left-handed pitcher. Besides the talented pitching, the Bearcats had one of the best offenses in the conference in 2021, ranking in the top-3 in just about every offensive category.  Cincinnati was picked third in the 2022 American Athletic Conference preseason poll led by AAC Preseason Player of the Year, outfielder Paul Komistek as three Bearcat outfielders were named all-conference. The Catamounts are 1-2 all-time against Cincy on the diamond, upending the Bearcats back in 2013 at the same tournament at Fluor Field with a pair of road losses in 2016 and 2017.

Cincinnati entered the weekend at 6-5 overall with wins in four of its last six games. The Bearcats faced Michigan State on Friday and Kansas on Saturday before they meet the Catamounts – the fourth all-time series meeting with WCU trailing, 1-2. Cincinnati was picked third in the 2022 American Athletic Conference preseason poll and is led by AAC Preseason Player of the Year, outfielder Paul Komistek as three Bearcat outfielders were named all-conference. 

Sunday, March 13 | 5:00 p.m.
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – RHP Gavin Mortenson (1-2, 4.72, 13.1 IP, 14K, 5BB)
Cincinnati – RHP Garrett Harker (0-0, 7.27 ERA, 8.2 IP, 7K, 7 BB)

2022 First Pitch Invitational (Michigan State)

The Cats remain at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC for the 2022 First Pitch Invitational, hosted by Michigan State. This year the participants are Michigan State, Kansas, Cincinnati, and Western.  Western Carolina returns to action on Saturday afternoon against tournament-host Michigan State which rallied to score a walk-off victory over Cincinnati on Friday afternoon. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be streamed through Greenville Drive's YouTube page with live stats available.


Who: Michigan State
When: Saturday, March 12
Time: 2:00 pm
Where: Flour Fluor Field, Greenville, SC
Radio: 
TV/Video: YouTube

Live Stats:  MSU live stats
Nickname: Spartans
Colors: Green and White
Conference: Big 10  (B1G)

The Series: The two teams have met twice and the current record is 1-1. Both games were played in this Invitational series (2019 & 2020)

Head coach: Jake Boss Jr. was appointed the 16th head coach in Michigan State baseball history on July 1, 2008, and has quickly become one of the most successful coaches in the program’s 130-year history.

2022 Record: 6-6 overall, 0-0 home, 3-4 away, 3-2 neutral

WCU and Michigan State have split a pair of meetings with both coming at Fluor Field. WCU won 6-4 in 10 innings back in 2019 and fell to the Spartans in 2020, 4-3.  Three Spartans were selected to the Big Ten Baseball Preseason Honors List.

Michigan State opened the Invitational with a 4-2 loss to the Clemson Tigers at Fluor Field on Wednesday night and play Cincinnati on Friday before facing WCU on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans have dropped five of their last seven on the season with wins over Kansas and West Virginia at the Minnesota Cambria College Classic in Minneapolis. Michigan State rallied to score a walk-off victory over Cincinnati on Friday afternoon. 

Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – LHP Eric Wallington (0-1, 5.06 ERA, 10.2 IP, 11K, 7BB)
Michigan State – LHP Nick Powers (1-1, 5.56 ERA, 11.1 IP, 10K, 5BB)

   2022 First Pitch Invitational

   Fluor Field | Grenville, S.C. | Tournament Schedule (subject to change): 

Saturday, March 12:	Times:	YouTube:	Other Coverage:
Western Carolina vs. Michigan State	2 p.m.	Watch	Live Stats (MSU)
Cincinnati vs. Kansas	6 p.m.	Watch	Listen (Kansas)

  

 

The 2022 Catamount Football Schedule