Cullowhee, N.C. – After playing five-straight away from the friendly confines of Childress Field / Hennon Stadium, Western Carolina baseball returns home for a short, four-game homestand beginning with a three-game weekend series against UT Martin. The amended weekend schedule includes a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. after Friday's scheduled series opener was postponed due to inclement weather and unfavorable weather forecasts. Sunday's series finale has also been bumped to a 2 p.m. start.
 
Each game of the weekend series is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com. In-game updates will also be available through social media on Twitter using the handle @CatamountBSB.
 
Western Carolina (8-9) enters the weekend after suffering a 7-5 road loss at Wake Forest on Tuesday that saw the Demon Deacons score each of their seven runs in the decisive third inning, erasing a 3-0 Catamount lead. WCU whittled away at the deficit, clawing back to within two with the bases loaded in the ninth inning but were unable to get any closer in the third-straight series defeat to Wake.
 
Tuesday's defeat comes on the heels of a solid 3-1 record last week that included a road win over Presbyterian (15-2) neutral field victories over Big 12 foe, Kansas (6-3), and one over Cincinnati (8-6) out of the American Athletic Conference. The Catamounts are batting .292 collectively as a team with 54 extra-base hits including 34 doubles, five triples, and 15 home runs. The squad has scored 146 runs on the year, averaging 8.6 runs per game entering the weekend.
 
Sophomore Zach Ketterman earned SoCon Player of the Week plaudits released on Monday after batting .529 with nine hits including three doubles. Ketterman enters the weekend having reached in 11-straight games while senior Bryson Parks continues to have reached base in every game this season, extending his streak to 17-straight on Tuesday.
 
UT Martin (6-9) halted a two-game slide with a midweek home victory over Southern Illinois on Tuesday, downing the Salukis, 5-2. The Skyhawks are batting .242 collectively as a team with 37 extra-base hits including 22 doubles, a triple, and 14 home runs, and are averaging 5.4 runs per game (81 runs scored in 15 games). On the mound, the Skyhawks have a 6.42 team ERA with 114 team strikeouts against 78 walks and 17 HBPs.
 
Despite being picked ninth in the nine-team preseason Ohio Valley Conference baseball poll, expectations remain high for the UTM baseball team. The Skyhawks return 27 letter winners from last year's squad that hit 58 home runs, 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.
 
Additional Game Day Information:

• Fans are encouraged to utilize the new parking garage directly behind the stadium when coming to Childress Field / Hennon Stadium, or also continue to utilize the south baseball lot beyond the outfield fence. Please be reminded that tailgating of any sort is prohibited in the parking garage;
• Tickets are $11 for an adult reserved ticket, $8 for youth (ages 12 and under) reserved ticket … General admission tickets are $6 for an adult and $4 for youth (ages 12 and under) … Purchase tickets online in advance at CatamountSports.com;
• Reminders that the chairback seats in both the field level and upper grandstands are reserved for those season ticket holders … the General Admission ticket areas are located in the upper grandstands on both the first and third baselines … WCU students are encouraged to fill the "Cat Cage" student section, available in Section C along field level behind home plate – this is a first-come, first-serve section for WCU's students;
• WCU has implemented a "Clear Bag Policy" at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Any alcoholic beverages, outside food and beverages, and other items not permitted in the stadium must be discarded before entering the stadium seating areas … Also, please be reminded that pets are not allowed inside the grandstand seating area at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

 
Following the three-game series against UTM, the Catamounts conclude the homestand by hosting mountain-rival UNC Asheville in the front-end of a nonconference home-and-home next Tuesday, March 22 with the first pitch at 5 p.m.
 
Keep track of everything with WCU Athletics and Catamount baseball including weather-related schedule updates through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
 
 
Friday, March 18  |  5:00 p.m.
POSTPONED

Saturday, March 19  |  Gm 1 - 2:00 p.m.  |  Coverage: ESPN+  |  Live Stats
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  |  Gm 2 - approx. 6:00 p.m.  |  Coverage: ESPN+  |  Live Stats
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  |  2:00 p.m.  |  Coverage: ESPN+  |  Live Stats
Probable Starters:
Western Carolina – RHP Gavin Mortenson (1-2, 5.19 ERA, 17.1 IP, 20K, 6BB)
UT Martin – TBA