Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina baseball returns to Southern Conference action this Friday and Saturday, traveling to Russell C. King Field in Spartanburg, S.C., to face divisional foe, the Wofford Terriers. The first pitch of Friday's series opener is set for 5 p.m., with Saturday's doubleheader scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
 
Friday's game is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats provided by Wofford available for each game with links online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Western Carolina (13-5, 2-0 SoCon) had its eight-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night, falling at No. 6 Tennessee, 9-2, in Knoxville. The eight-straight victories were WCU's longest stretch since winning 12 in a row back in 2014. The Catamounts were held to season lows of two runs on just three hits by the seven different pitchers used by the Volunteers. WCU's best offensive production came in the third inning as Seth Graves drew a one-out walk before Luke Robinson greeted a new pitcher with a two-run homer to right field on the first pitch that he saw.
 
Junior OF Justice Bigbie saw his 26-game reached base safely streak halted, finishing 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Bigbie's streak included each of the first 17 games of this season and the final nine-straight of the shortened 2020 campaign. Freshman Pascanel Ferreras and junior Daylan Nanny extended their reached base streaks to include all 18 games this season, while junior Daniel Walsh, who missed his third-consecutive game, carries a 16-game active streak into the weekend that includes the final game of 2020 and the first 15 in which he's played this season.
 
Despite Tuesday's off-night offensively, the Catamounts continue to pace the SoCon with a .299 team batting average, a .471 slugging percentage, and a .434 on-base percentage – the latter of which ranks third nationally. WCU, which is second nationally with a league-leading 9.3 runs per game, boasts four of the top 10 batting averages in the SoCon including Walsh hitting at a league-best .407 clip. He's joined by Robinson (3rd, .394), Bigbie (4th, .382), and Nanny (10th, .343).
 
WCU's pitching staff ranks second in the conference with a 4.22 ERA over 18 games. The Catamounts will be challenged by a patient Wofford squad that leads the league with 124 walks and has 53 stolen bases on the season – fifth-best in the NCAA – including 12 by SoCon individual leader Jack Renwick. An injury to freshman RHP Gavin Mortenson in last weekend's series against The Citadel has moved second-year freshman Corey Bright (Barbourville, Ky.) back into the weekend rotation. Bright made three starts in the abbreviated 2020 season, striking out a career-best seven in 6.0 innings in a start against Appalachian State.
 
Wofford (14-10, 3-3 SoCon) enters the weekend having dropped three of its last four overall including a midweek nonconference loss against former SoCon-member, Davidson, and losing 2-of-3 at Mercer last weekend in league play. The Terriers opened conference play by winning twice in Charleston and are square through six SoCon games this spring.
 
The Terriers boasted five preseason All-SoCon selections on their roster headlined by SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year, Hayes Heinecke. The junior left-hander had a 10-2 record with a 2.65 ERA in 2019 and started 3-1 in the abbreviated 2020 season. However, through six starts this spring, Heinecke has a 2-4 overall mark and a 4.42 ERA, surrendering 22 runs – 18 of which have been earned – with 11 extra-base hits allowed including four home runs.
 
Wofford's SoCon preseason first-team selections include SS Matty Brown (.149), OF Colin Davis (.322, 5 HR, 20 RBI), and DH Lawson Hill (.281, 9 2B, 16 RBI), with first-baseman John Dempsey (.221, 2 HR, 14 RBI) as a second-team preseason selection. Batting .265 collectively as a team, the Terriers are currently being led by OF Nolen Hester with a .328 batting average. Davis is tied for sixth in the league with five home runs while Hill's nine doubles are second in the conference and tied for 19th nationally.
 
With three-weekend games scheduled, the all-time series between WCU and Wofford will reach the century mark by the end of Saturday. WCU leads the series, 73-24, including a 26-13 edge in games played in Spartanburg though the Terriers swept the Catamounts in the most recent meeting at Russell C. King Field in 2018 – its first and only three-game series sweep over WCU. Wofford has won six of the last seven series meetings dating back to May 2017.
 
Western Carolina concludes its five-game road swing by visiting Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, April 7 with the first pitch in Boiling Springs, N.C., set for 5 p.m. The Catamounts then are scheduled for eight-straight at home from April 9 through April 20.
 
Series History:
Overall – WCU leads, 73-24 (L-1)
In Spartanburg – WCU leads, 26-13 (L-3)
In Cullowhee – WCU leads, 44-11 (L-1)
Neutral – WCU leads, 3-0 (W-3)
 
Projected Pitching Rotation:
Fri.: WCU – Soph. RHP Zebby Matthews (4-1, 3.19) vs. WOF – Jr. LHP Hayes Heinecke (2-4, 4.42)
Sat., Gm 1: WCU – Jr. RHP Ryan Mitschele (2-1, 3.91) vs. WOF – Fr. LHP Sam Stratton (1-1, 2.25 ERA)
Sat., Gm 2: WCU – Fr. RHP Corey Bright (0-0, 5.40) vs. WOF – Sr. RHP Elliot Carney (3-2, 3.58)
 
Additional Catamount Diamond Notes:

• Western Carolina continues to rank inside the national top 20 in RPI per the NCAA, updated through games played March 31 … WCU enters the weekend ranked 16th in RPI, best in the SoCon … Two additional SoCon teams grace the top 100 in NCAA baseball RPI – Samford (80) and Mercer (86) … WCU's weekend opponent, Wofford, is ranked 197 in RPI;
• The Catamounts are averaging 9.3 runs (3rd nationally) on an average of 10.3 hits per game this spring;
• Senior OF Immanuel Wilder has been hit by a pitch a SoCon-leading nine times this season and ranks tied for 17th nationally … Wilder has 41 career HBPs, already tied for second in the school's record books matching Danny Bermudez (2013-16) and Jonathan Greene (2005-07) … Wilder is just THREE HBPs shy of matching career leader Barrett Shaft (44, 2005-08);
• Among WCU's 22 home runs this season are FIVE grand slam homers including two by Daniel Walsh and one apiece by Justice Bigbie, Luke Robinson, and Pascanel Ferreras … Nine of WCU's home runs have been solo shots with two coming as lead-off homers – both by Bigbie;
• Relievers Eric Wallington (t-3rd, 12) and Davis Tyndall (t-6th, 11) rank among the SoCon leaders in relief appearances this season;
• Western Carolina enters the weekend having turned a SoCon-best 16 double plays this season … WCU ranks tied for 26th nationally with 0.89 double-plays per game (16 in 18 games).