Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina is scheduled to close a brief four-game homestand on Tuesday evening, hosting Big South foe Gardner-Webb in the front end of a nonconference home-and-home set with the Runnin' Bulldogs at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
With the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m., Tuesday's game is slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com. Game dates and times are subject to change – check CatamountSports.com and social media (@catamounts, @catamountbsb) for any weather-related schedule alterations.
 
Western Carolina (11-11) is eager to get back on the field following Sunday afternoon's extra-inning loss in Southern Conference play to ETSU that allowed the Buccaneers to claim the weekend series. The Catamounts rallied from a 6-1 deficit, tying the game with a three-run home half of the ninth to force overtime in the series rubber match. Showing resiliency, WCU again rallied from a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to tie and extend the game before eventually falling in the 12th with the tying marker on second base.
 
The consecutive weekend losses to ETSU at home snapped WCU's seven-game win streak that saw the Catamounts claim neutral-field victories over Michigan State (9-5) and Western Michigan (18-6, 7 inn.) and a three-game sweep of the Ivy League's Harvard Crimson. WCU also completed the nonconference midweek sweep of mountain-rival UNC Asheville (14-5) before claiming the series opener against the Bucs last Friday.
 
Entering the week, the Catamounts rank second in the SoCon with 35 home runs, only trailing Samford which has hit 40 over 23 games. WCU is also third with 49 doubles. Defensively, the Catamounts have turned a SoCon-leading 23 double plays, four more than second-place The Citadel with 19.
 
Individually, Nate Stocum continues to lead the league with his 12 home runs, boasting the second-best slugging percentage at .790, and ranks tied for fourth with a team-leading 30 RBI. Transfer middle infielder Trent Turner ranks second in the conference with 37 base hits including eight doubles, tied for the third-most, while also leading the SoCon having taken part in fielding 18 double-plays with a league-best 65 assists.
 
On the mound, two Catamounts have collected a team-high 20 strikeouts this season coming in differing roles. Gavin Mortenson has made three starts in tossing 17.2 innings to collect his 20 Ks, while Todd has 10 relief appearances among his 11 on the year to post 20 strikeouts over 13.2 innings.
 
WCU is expected to start freshman RHP Davis Budd (0-0, 5.06) against Gardner-Webb on Tuesday evening. The Acworth, Ga., product has made six appearances this season with one start that came in the midweek last week at UNC Asheville. Budd has twice tossed a career-long 3.0 innings – against Georgia State (March 2) and at UNCA (March 19), and most recently, he matched his career-best with three strikeouts over 2.1 relief innings against ETSU last Saturday.
 
Gardner-Webb (8-15) comes to Cullowhee after dropping 2-of-3 in conference play at home to Winthrop over the weekend. The Runnin' Bulldogs have also lost six of their last eight games dating back to March 12 with a home win over Winthrop and a road triumph at common foe, Charlotte (8-4, March 20).
 
GWU has scored 109 runs over 23 games, averaging 4.7 runs per game coming on 188 total hits with 32 doubles, two triples, and 25 home runs – an average of 8.2 per game. The Runnin' Bulldogs are surrendering an average of 7.7 runs on 8.6 hits per game by its opposition.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs were picked second in the Big South Conference's preseason poll just behind the favorite USC Upstate Spartans. Infielder Alec Burns was a lone preseason All-Big South selection as voted on by the league's coaches for the first time in conference history.
 
Burns enters the week leading Gardner-Webb as one of three regulars batting over the .300 threshold at.329 (27-of-82) with four doubles and a team-high tying six home runs. Tommy Tavarez and Peter Capobianco likewise have six round-trippers for the 'Dogs this season – Capobianco leading the team with 16 RBI.
 
Gardner-Webb is slated to start redshirt senior RHP Derek Cabrera who will make just his second appearance of the season after tossing 1.2 innings in a loss at USC Upstate back on March 17. The Barry Univ., transfer made 24 appearances for the Buccaneers between 2021 and 2023, posting a 4-3 record and a 5.51 ERA over 32.2 innings. He recorded 32 strikeouts against 14 walks in his time with the NCAA Division II school.
 
WCU and Gardner-Webb meet for the 32nd time on the baseball diamond on Tuesday with the Catamounts leading the series 18-12-1 that includes a 9-6-1 mark in games played in Cullowhee. After WCU won four straight, the Runnin' Bulldogs have won the last three meetings in the head-to-head series. GWU looks to match its series-long win streak of four (2016-19).
 
Following Tuesday's nonconference meeting with Gardner-Webb, the Catamounts open an eight-game stretch away from home beginning with a three-game Southern Conference series at The Citadel scheduled for Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. The series opens on Thursday at 6 p.m., with Friday's game pushed back to a 5 p.m. start before concluding Saturday with the first pitch at 1 p.m. The weekend games are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
WCU's eight straight games away from home include midweek tilts at Big South foes Gardner-Webb (April 2) and Presbyterian (April 9) with the SoCon set at The Citadel and a trio of neutral field games against Akron (April 5-7) at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.
 
Keep track of everything related to WCU Athletics and Catamount baseball including any game day schedule changes through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).