CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Carrying the momentum of a 13-4 victory on Sunday afternoon over North Carolina Central, Western Carolina softball returns to the diamond on Tuesday for a doubleheader against Presbyterian with a 2 p.m. first pitch. The Catamounts' eight-game homestand then wraps up on Wednesday with Sun Belt foe Georgia State visiting for a twin bill with a 1 p.m. start.

Both games will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with coverage available through live stat online at CatamountSports.com.

Over four games in the inaugural Catamount Classic last weekend in Cullowhee, the Catamounts were paced by freshman Maya McPherson who tallied six hits including a double and her first two collegiate homers. Jeralynn Wells went 4-for-9 with three runs scored and a home run, while Savannah Baldwin connected on the first multi-homer game of her collegiate career in Sunday's win over NCCU. WCU belted eight home runs in Sunday's win, led by Baldwin's two long balls in the 13-4 victory which were two of the program record-tying five big flies for a single game. 

In the six games played last week for WCU, Bell led the offense with 10 hits, running her season total to a team-high 15 while also tallying four of her team-high seven steals a week ago. Bell ranks in a tie for third in the league with her seven steals thus far in 2024. Tessa Juett ranks eighth in the conference with her .370 average, totaling 10 hits with five for extra bases thus far. 

Coming off a victory over Jacksonville on Sunday in a tournament hosted by the Dolphins, Presbyterian enters the midweek doubleheader with an 8-15 record. The win on Sunday snapped the Blue Hose's three-game skid. PC had a win on the young season over SoCon foe Wofford a week ago. 

The Blue Hose are led by the lone preseason All-Big South selection, Kaitlyn Tucker. She's recorded a .305 average with 11 runs scored, along with five doubles and a triple. Two-way threat Kasey Wolfe checks in with a .297 average and three doubles to her credit thus far in the young season. Wolfe also has made 11 appearances in the circle with a 2-5 record and a 2.65 ERA for the Blue Hose. 

Jenna Greene leads the Blue Hose in the circle with a 4-6 record in 12 appearances, totaling 10 starts. Greene has 65 strikeouts to her credit thus far, with five complete games. Greene comes in carrying Big South Pitcher of the Week honors, while Wolfe was named the league's Freshman of the Week on Monday. 

Led by David Williams who's in his sixth season leading the program, Presbyterian was picked sixth in the Big South Preseason poll.

WCU has faced Presbyterian in 25 previous meetings between the two programs, with the Blue Hose holding a 15-10 edge in the head-to-head matchups. PC claimed both ends of a 2023 twinbill in Clinton by the score of 5-2 and 6-5. The Catamounts hold a 6-3 edge in the all-time series with the Blue Hose in games played in Cullowhee. 

Georgia State enters Wednesday's action with an 8-13 record following a victory on Monday over UTSA in Atlanta. The Panthers have already faced Mercer out of the SoCon, suffering a 10-2 defeat to the Bears earlier this season. GSU has only played three true road games against UCF, Georgia Tech, and Auburn, and is looking for their first victory in a road contest.

The Panthers are led by Jaycee Goodwin, who has a .351 average and has scored 11 runs and four doubles thus far. Chloe Nadler comes into Wednesday with a .345 average. She's scored 12 runs and connected on a pair of homers for GSU. Georgia State has five qualified players above a .300 average thus far on the young season, led by Goodwin and Nadler. 

Sydney Boulware leads Georgia State in the circle at 3-6 with a 3.73 ERA. She's made 17 appearances, including 11 starts. Boulware comes into play on Wednesday afternoon with a team-high 73 strikeouts over 75 innings. The junior has six complete games to her credit in 2024. 

Georgia State was tabbed 10th in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league coaches. The Panthers are led by Angie Nicholson, who's in her third year. 

Georgia State holds a commanding 17-4 edge in the all-time series with Western Carolina. The Panthers have claimed each of the past four head-to-head meetings between the two programs. A season ago in Atlanta, the Panthers defeated the Catamounts 6-3 and 1-0, as GSU used a pair of walk-off homers in both games to down WCU. 

Following Wednesday's action in Cullowhee, the Catamounts begin Southern Conference play on March 23 with a trip to Greenville to battle chromatic rival Furman in a three-game league series. The Catamounts and Paladins square off in a 1 p.m. twinbill before closing out the series the following afternoon at 1 p.m. All three contests will feature live stats available at CatamountSports.com and be shown ESPN+ (paid subscription required). 

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