Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina baseball opens a seven-game road swing this weekend, traveling to the Lone Star State for a three-game nonconference series against the Houston Cougars out of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in the first-ever meetings between the two programs. The series includes 7:30 p.m. ET starts on both Friday and Saturday with Sunday's finale slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch at Sanders Field at Schroeder Park.
 
Each game of the three-game road series will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live audio and StatBroadcast live stats available through Houston's website, UHCougars.com.
 
Western Carolina (10-11) looks to bounce back from a home loss to mountain-rival UNC Asheville that halted a two-game win streak. The Catamounts enter the weekend batting .288 collectively as a team with six regulars hitting above the .300 threshold. The squad has collected 70 extra-base hits this spring including 39 doubles, a Southern Conference leading eight triples, and 23 home runs. With 174 total runs scored this year, WCU is averaging 8.3 runs per game including seven games with double-digit runs. The Catamounts are 10-1 on the year when scoring six-or-more runs including a 7-0 mark when reaching double-figures. Conversely, the squad is 0-10 with scoring five-or-fewer.
 
WCU is third in the SoCon in on-base percentage, a number bolstered by a league-best 43 HBPs – a mark that ranks 10th nationally. In the field, the Catamounts are tied for the SoCon lead with 16 double-plays turned this season
 
Friday's projected starter on the mound, junior RHP Zebby Matthews, leads the SoCon with 45 strikeouts on the season after matching a career-high with 12 punchouts in his most recent start against UT Martin. His 45 seasonal Ks rank him tied for 14th nationally, while his 11.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks him 17th in the NCAA (45 K, 4 BB). The Catamounts are also slated to start junior LHP Eric Wallington in game two with sophomore RHP Gavin Mortenson to toe the rubber in the starting role in the finale.
 
Houston (14-7) opens an eight-game homestand by hosting the Catamounts riding a three-game winning streak and wins in four of their last five overall. The Cougars are batting .272 collectively as a team on the season with 52 extra-base hits including 31 doubles, seven triples, and 14 home runs. Anthony Tulimero paces three players batting above .300 with a .378 average, while Brandon Uhse has a team-best 11 doubles and 22 RBI with both he and Alex Lopez with three home runs. With 142 runs scored this season, Houston is averaging 6.8 runs per game.
 
Houston was picked seventh in the eight-team American Athletic Conference with ECU favored to win the conference championship.
 
The Catamounts are 1-0 this season against teams from the AAC, downing Cincinnati 8-6 in the finale of the First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, S.C. Including the Bearcats, WCU has faced half -- four – of the current baseball-playing members of the AAC with directional rival East Carolina representing the most-played opponent from that league.
 
Western Carolina has played just three true road games, each coming in the midweek with road losses at Wake Forest and USC Upstate and a win over Presbyterian. All told, the Catamounts are 3-4 away from Cullowhee this season, adding a 2-2 mark in four neutral field contests.
 
Following the three-game swing through Texas, WCU travels to nationally-ranked Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., in the midweek next Wednesday (March 30) before opening the month of April with a three-game set against Xavier. Game one of the series against the Musketeers will be played at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, before consecutive games on-campus in Cincinnati.
 
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).
 
Projected Starting Pitchers:
Game 1 – Friday, March 25 – 7:30 p.m. ET | Coverage: ESPN+ | Audio (Houston) | Live Stats
Western Carolina – RHP Zebby Matthews (0-3, 5.34 ERA – 30.1 IP, 45K, 4BB)
Houston – RHP Jaycob Deese (1-1, 3.42 – 26.1 IP, 27K, 8BB)
 
Game 2 – Saturday, March – 7:30 p.m. ET | Coverage: ESPN+ | Audio (Houston) | Live Stats
Western Carolina – LHP Eric Wallington (0-2, 6.23 ERA – 17.1 IP, 20K, 14BB)
Houston – RHP Nathan Medrano (3-0, 4.34 ERA – 29.0 IP, 27K, 7BB)
 
Game 3 – Sunday, March 27 – 2 p.m. ET | Coverage: ESPN+ | Audio (Houston) | Live Stats
Western Carolina – RHP Gavin Mortenson (1-2, 4.50 ERA – 22.0 IP, 21K, 7BB)
Houston – TBD