Cullowhee, N.C. – Seeded fourth in the four-team postseason, Western Carolina opens its quest for a league-record 11th tournament crown on Thursday, May 27 as it begins play in the 2021 Southern Conference Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at 3:30 pm against top-seeded Wofford at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
 
Thursday's game – as well as each subsequent game played in the tournament – will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with free, live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network as well as live stat links available online at CatamountSports.com.
   
Tickets for the 2021 SoCon Baseball Championship are on just $12 for a day session and are on sale now through the Greenville Drive box office at (864) 240-4528 and online HERE.
 
Western Carolina (26-19, 14-11 SoCon) is riding a four-game winning streak entering the postseason, taking the final game of the three-game series against the Terriers in Cullowhee before sweeping The Citadel in Charleston to earn its berth in the altered tournament field. WCU enters the postseason leading the SoCon in team batting average at .301
 
Earlier this week, five Catamounts earned All-Southern Conference plaudits including three on the first team including OF Justice Bigbie, DH Will Prater, and C Luke Robinson. Right-handed pitcher Zebby Matthews collected second-team honors with freshman SS Pascanel Ferreras landing on the second team as well as the 2021 SoCon All-Freshman team.
 
The Catamounts face regular-season champion Wofford (35-19, 21-9 SoCon), which earned its first-ever SoCon seasonal title this year. The Terriers claimed 2-of-3 against Mercer at home on the final day of the season to claim the division and the overall top spot in the tournament. Wofford, which sits just behind WCU with a team season batting average of .292, won four of the six meetings over the Catamounts on the year, taking 2-of-3 in both Spartanburg (April 2-3) and Cullowhee (May 14-15).
 
Wofford took home three of the top individual honors including the player of the year, Colin Davis; the pitcher of the year, Elliot Carney; and coach of the year, Todd Interdonato. Like WCU, Wofford had five players on the all-conference team with a league-best four earning first-team including Carney, Davis, reliever Dalton Rhadans, and third-baseman Jack Renwick, with OF Nolen Hester earning second-team honors. Renwick and Trey Yunger earned all-freshman plaudits.
 
WCU and Wofford have only met three times previously in the SoCon Tournament with the Catamounts (3-0) winning each. The first meeting was a 9-4 Catamount win in Charleston back in 1998 with WCU earning a 9-2 win over the Terriers in Charleston in 2002. The most recent victory was a come-from-behind, 10-9 win that started WCU's magical 2016 run to the tournament championship. The Catamounts erased a four-run deficit over the final two innings with JD Long drawing a walk-off walk for the one-run victory.
 
Thursday's winner advances to the 7 p.m., game on Friday, May 28 against the winner of the No. 2 Samford – No. 3 Mercer game. The loser faces elimination back in the 3:30 p.m., game on Friday against the loser of Thursday's second game. WCU took 2-of-3 from Samford in the only series meeting this year while the Catamounts dropped all three at home against Mercer with the series in Macon being canceled in mid-March.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
 
Projected Pitching Match-Up:
Thursday: WCU – Sr. RHP Jack Snyder (1-0, 3.41) vs. WOF – Sr. RHP Josh Vitus (3-4, 6.40)
 
Catamount Club Tournament Pregame Socials:
The Catamount Club will hold a special pre-tournament social at Mac's Speed Shop (930 S. Main St., Greenville, S.C.) from 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. ahead of Thursday's (May 27) tournament opener. That time will remain if the Catamounts play again at 3:30 p.m. on Friday (May 28) or will shift to 5:30 – 7:15 p.m., if WCU is playing in the session's second game.
 
To RSVP for the social, please email the Catamount Club at catamountclub@wcu.edu or call (828) 227-3749.