Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina opens a three-game nonconference road series with Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) favorite UNC Wilmington on Friday afternoon at Brooks Field in Wilmington.
 
Due to anticipated inclement weather on Friday, UNCW has moved the series-opener up to 1:30 p.m. The first pitch for the remaining two games of the series are scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Western Carolina (4-1) is coming off a four-game season-opening sweep of Towson – also out of the CAA – before dropping its first game of the year in the midweek at home against UNC Asheville. UNCW (3-0) swept VCU to open its 14-game homestand. The Seahawks don't leave the Port City until late March when they travel north to Williamsburg, Va., to face William & Mary to open league play.
 
Three Catamount regulars are batting over .400 to start the season as WCU is batting a collective .312 as a team. Preseason All-SoCon outfielder Justice Bigbie is hitting a team-best .471 with eight hits – four of which have gone for extra bases, including three home runs – in 17 trips. The 2019 SoCon Player of the Year collected his first SoCon Player of the Week accolade following the opening weekend.
 
BIgbie is tied for second nationally with 12 RBI through the first five games of the season. The Chesapeake, Va., native has reached base safely in 14-consecutive games dating back to last year's abbreviated season.
 
Junior second baseman Daniel Walsh – who paced the squad in the shortened 2020 season – is batting .429 with a double and home run and six RBI, while freshman Pascanel Ferreras is hitting at a .412 clip coming off consecutive multi-hit games. Ferreras tallied a career-best three hits against UNC Asheville on Tuesday, legging out his second career double. Fifth-year senior Luke Robinson has two of WCU's 10 home runs and is second on the squad with nine RBI, including the game-winner in Saturday's doubleheader nightcap on a walk-off, run-scoring double.
 
Combined, the Catamounts are averaging 10.2 runs per game (51 runs in five games) with 44 total RBI and have 20 extra-base hits as a team – 10 doubles and 10 home runs, including three grand slams.
 
On the mound, Catamount pitching has tallied 53 strikeouts over 45.0 innings of work. Right-hander Zebby Matthews, WCU's Friday night starter for a second-straight season, earned his fourth victory in a Catamount uniform to improve to 4-1 at WCU. Freshman Gavin Mortenson is expected to make his second career start on Saturday with Ryan Mitschele, who leads the squad with seven strikeouts in his five-inning start against Towson, expected to get the ball in Sunday afternoon's finale.
 
UNCW's Saturday starter Luke Gesell – a preseason All-CAA honorable mention – was named the CAA Pitcher of the Week, while Jac Croom collected Rookie of the Week honors following the three-game sweep of VCU. Redshirt sophomore Brooks Baldwin hit .333 on opening weekend, completing the cycle over the three-game set. Friday's scheduled starter Landen Roupp was tagged as the CAA Preseason Pitcher of the Year on the heels of a 2.00 ERA and a 3-1 record in four starts prior to the cessation of the season.
 
UNC Wilmington was selected as the favorite in the CAA South Division, including the College of Charleston, Elon – who the Catamounts play on April 28, James Madison, and William & Mary. The Seahawks are batting .268 as a team with nine extra-base hits, including six doubles, two triples and one homer.
 
WCU holds a slim, 12-10, edge in the all-time series with the Seahawks that dates back to 1976. The two UNC system schools last met early in the 2016 season – a 15-2 UNCW victory in the season-opener in Wilmington. The Seahawks have won three-straight on the heels of a four-game win streak by WCU through the mid-to-late 1990s. The last 10 meetings have been split evenly, 5-5. The Catamounts have just three victories over UNCW in 12 true road games in the series (3-9).

Per UNCW Athletics, on the heels of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper's Wednesday announcement per Executive Order No. 195, UNCW announced new guidelines relating to attendance at home events, effective on Friday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m. The updated policy will go into effect for baseball on Saturday. A total of 500 fans will be allowed under the new guidelines. Available seating will be allocated to the following groups before any general public ticket sales: (1) Seahawk Club donors (2) UNCW Students (3) UNCW Home Team (4) Visiting Team.
 
Fans will still be required to wear face coverings at all times when not actively eating or drinking. Social distancing and frequent hand washing will continue to be encouraged. Hand sanitizing stations will be available.
 
Friday and Saturday's games are slated to be broadcast online at FloBaseball.tv (paid subscription required), with Sunday's finale available through the Seahawk Digital Network. Live audio from UNCW will be available online for each game.
 
Projected Pitching Match-Ups:
Friday – So. RHP Zebby Matthews (WCU) vs. R-Jr. RHP Landen Roupp (UNCW)
Saturday – Fr. RHP Gavin Mortenson vs. R-Sr. RHP Luke Gesell (UNCW)
Sunday – R-Jr. RHP Ryan Mitschele vs. Fr. RHP Ryan Calvert (UNCW)