CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina softball returns home for a nonconference matchup with Big South preseason co-favorite USC Upstate on Wednesday at the Catamount Softball Complex with the first pitch set for 3 p.m.
Coverage of Wednesday's action with the Spartans is available on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and with live stats through CatamountSports.com. Game day admission on campus is free.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: USC Upstate (18-15, 7-2 Big South) vs. Western Carolina (12-20, 3-6 SoCon)
WHERE: Catamount Softball Complex (Cullowhee, N.C.)
WHEN: 3:00 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Sidearm Stats
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
TWITTER: @CatamountSB
GAME NOTES
Western Carolina makes a brief stop at home after five straight on the road last week as the Catamounts visited both North Carolina Central and ETSU, taking four of the five road contests.
WCU was led at the plate on the week by freshman Sydney Dirks as she went 7-for-13 (.538) with five runs scored and a pair of doubles. Junior Tessa Juett led the way in the circle with a perfect 4-0 week as the Berea, Ky., native tossed three complete games and recorded 28 strikeouts while only allowing four runs. Dirks and Juett were named Southern Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week on Monday for their respective performances.
As a team, WCU totaled a .336 batting average in last week's action with seven doubles and a homer, tallying 25 RBI and 28 runs scored.
Coming off of a week that saw her total six stolen bases, freshman Lily Bell has moved into the top spot in the SoCon for steals this season with 20 as she became the third Catamount to eclipse the 20-steal plateau in a single season. The Woodstock, Ga., native continues to be near the top in batting average, checking in at .376 which is good enough for third in the SoCon as she holds the top spot in average for a league freshman. She's also tied for sixth in hits with 41 base knocks, including a double and triple in 2024.
Juett heads into Wednesday's action ranked second in the league with 94 strikeouts and is also in the runner-up spot with nine complete games for WCU. With her four wins over last week, the reigning SoCon Pitcher of the Week moved into the second spot with her nine seasonal victories.
USC Upstate comes up the mountain with an 18-15 record. The Spartans have won six of their last seven overall including a three-game sweep of Big South co-favorite Longwood last time out. Wednesday's matchup marks the third for Upstate against SoCon schools. The Spartans split a doubleheader at home with Furman before taking a pair of matchups against first-year program, Wofford.
The Spartans are led offensively by Denver Lauer, the Big South Preseason Player of the Year selection. She has a .320 average, including four doubles and four homers, 24 RBIs, and a team-high 28 stolen bases. Carson Shaw leads USC Upstate with five homers. Upstate is third nationally in stolen bases with 111, led by Lauer's 28 and Abby Polk, who's a perfect 21-for-21.
In her debut season in Spartanburg, Sierra Maness is 10-6 with a 2.25 ERA. She has tallied 91 strikeouts in a team-high 112.0 innings. The Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year, Maddie Drerup, is 6-7 with a 3.32 ERA. She's tossed seven complete games and totaled 42 strikeouts.
Upstate finished with a 38-17 record during the 2023 season that included a 13-8 mark in league action. The Spartans fell to top seed Longwood in the Big South tournament to end the year as the Lancers advanced to the tournament finale before falling to Campbell. The Spartans are led by Chris Hawkins, who's in his 30th season leading USC Upstate. He's a 1989 alum of the school.
USC Upstate holds a commanding 28-3 lead in the all-time series with Western Carolina. The Spartans have claimed wins in each of the last six meetings including a doubleheader last season in Spartanburg. WCU looks to claim its first wins over the Spartans since April 5, 2021, when the Catamounts picked up a 4-3 and 6-5 (8 innings) sweep.
Following Wednesday's action in Cullowhee, the Catamounts travel to Spartanburg for a three-game SoCon set against league newcomer Wofford. The series begins with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, from Hope Field. It wraps up on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start. All three contests will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and have live stats available at CatamountSports.com.
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