Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina opens a four-game swing through the Piedmont on Wednesday evening, traveling to face former Southern Conference foe Elon. The first pitch from Elon's Latham Park is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
Fans can follow Wednesday's game with live stats through StatBroadcast with a simple, one-camera stream through Elon's YouTube channel and online audio through the Elon Sports Network from Learfield IMG College.
 
Western Carolina (21-11) has been idle since last Friday when it split a SoCon doubleheader at ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn., while Elon took 2-of-3 from common-foe UNC Wilmington last weekend at home. At the present time, Wednesday's road tilt at Elon represents WCU's final nonconference game of the 2021 schedule and its final midweek match-up. The Phoenix still have one mid-week game at NC State May 4.
 
WCU is slated to start redshirt junior RHP Tristan Campbell on Wednesday in a predetermined appearance after his weekend start at ETSU last Saturday was rained out.
 
Scouting the Elon Phoenix:

• Elon enters Wednesday night's game at 13-17 overall and 6-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and ranked 192 in the latest NCAA RPI … Elon was picked third in the CAA's South Division in the 2021 preseason polls;
• The Phoenix enter the week having taken 2-of-3 to CAA-foe UNC Wilmington last weekend at home as each of the three games were decided by one run including two that needed extra innings;
• Elon had one player named preseason All-CAA – junior starting pitcher Jared Wetherbee – with outfielder Anthony Galason earning an honorable mention;
• The Phoenix has had two CAA Players of the Week – Anthony Galason on March 2 and co-Player of the Week Alex Iadisernia on April 13 … Elon pitcher Brian Edgington has twice earned CAA Pitcher of the Week honors (March 30, April 13) … Justin Cassella collected Rookie of the Week honors back on April 13 for Elon;
• Elon is batting .254 collectively as a team with 49 doubles, three triples, and 32 home runs among the 258 hits collected this season … Opponents are hitting .267 against the Phoenix with 56 doubles, seven triples and 38 homers;
• Outfielder Alex Iadisernia leads four EU players batting above the .300 threshold at .376 (44-of-117) on the season with a team-leading nine doubles, nine homers, and 24 RBI.

Projected Pitching Match-Up:
WCU – RHP #32 Tristen Campbell (2-0, 4.30) vs. ELON – LHP #26 Liam Dabagian (0-0, 12.00)
 
Series History – Western Carolina vs. Elon:

• According to available records, Western Carolina trails in the all-time series 22-26 … Elon has won the last two series meetings with the Catamounts having dropped six of the last 10 meetings overall dating back to 2012;
• The two programs last met in a three-game series in Cullowhee back in 2019 with Elon winning 2-of-3 including a 12-11, 10-inning affair … WCU claimed 2-of-3 in the last meeting played in Elon back in late March of 2014 and carries a two-game road win streak in the series into Wednesday's game;
• Elon represents the THIRD team from the Colonial Athletic Association that WCU has faced this year … the Catamounts opened the season sweeping Towson in Cullowhee, outscoring the Tigers 47-to-10 over the three-game set … WCU dropped 2-of-3 at UNC Wilmington in late February, claiming the series-opener, 8-2, before falling in the next two games 8-6 and 10-6.

 
Additional Catamount Diamond Notes:

• Western Carolina enters the week ranked 38th in the nation in RPI as of Tuesday afternoon … Five of WCU's seasonal opponents continue to rank inside the top 100 nationally in RPI: Tennessee (4), Charlotte (11), Wake Forest (77), Samford (91), and Wofford (96) … Two other seasonal opponents are just outside the top 100 in Gardner-Webb (101) and UNCW (108);
• The Catamounts enter the week ranked fourth in the country in scoring with a SoCon-best 8.8 runs per game average – 280 runs over 32 games played … WCU also leads the SoCon in team batting average (.307), on-base percentage (.429) and hit by pitch (67), while ranking second in slugging percentage (.453), runs scored (280), and RBI (245);
• Six Catamount regulars enter the week batting over .300, led by Will Prater at .418: Justice Bigbie (.352), Daniel Walsh (.350), Luke Robinson (.348), Daylan Nanny (.347), and Pascanel Ferreras (.304) … Seth Graves (.294) is just below the .300 cut;
• WCU also has six players with 22-or-more RBI this season led by Luke Robinson's SoCon-leading 36 … the Catamounts have three of the league's top 10 RBI leaders and four of the league's top run scorers paced by Justice Bigbie with a league-best 43 runs;
• Junior Will Prater continues to lead the SoCon in seasonal batting average among qualifying players with a .418 average – 10th-best in the NCAA … 37 of his 41 seasonal hits have been singles with three doubles and a triple;
• Junior Daylan Nanny Carries a 32-game reached base safely streak into the week, continuing to have reached base in every game this season … Will Prater has reached safely in 17-straight while Luke Robinson has reached in 16-consecutive … Robinson carries a team-best nine-game hitting streak into the week, just ahead of Prater with an eight-game hit streak;
• Junior Immanuel Wilder matched the WCU program record for being hit by a pitch in last weekend's abbreviated series at ETSU … Wilder has been plunked 12 times this year – tied for the most in the SoCon this season (10th nationally at 0.48 HBP per game) – to give him 44 career HBP's, tying former Catamount Barrett Shaft (44, 2005-08) … Luke Robinson has also been hit 12 times this season giving him 39 career HBPs, sixth in WCU's record book;
• Weekend starter – and three-time SoCon Pitcher of the Week – Zebby Matthews ranks second in the SoCon in ERA (2.47) and is fifth in strikeouts (59) including 21 strikeouts looking, third in the conference;
• WCU ranks fourth in the SoCon with a collective team ERA of 4.96;
• Defensively, WCU has turned a SoCon-leading 28 double plays this season, tied for 22nd nationally with an average of 0.88 double-plays per game … Freshman Pascanel Ferreras has been a part of turning 23 double plays, the most among individuals in the SoCon.

 
On Deck for Catamount Baseball:
Western Carolina returns to Southern Conference play this weekend visiting the UNCG Spartans on Friday and Saturday at the on-campus UNCG Baseball Stadium. Friday's game and at least game one of Saturday's doubleheader are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Game dates, start times, and broadcast plans are subject to change.
 
According to UNCG's updated attendance policies at UNCGSpartans.com, there are a limited number of seats available for home and visiting teams' guests through a pass list, and a limited number of seats for the general public on a first come basis. Face coverings are mandatory along with all other social distancing and safety requirements under UNCG, Guilford County, and State of North Carolina regulations.
 
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