Cullowhee, N.C. – A combined 28 home dates spread between 13 opponents, and a total of 10 games against five schools that advanced to last year's NCAA postseason comprise Western Carolina baseball's 56-game 2026 schedule, released today by fourth-year head coach Alan Beck. WCU's schedule features six repeat nonconference foes from a season ago, along with a pair of first-time opponents in George Washington and Big Ten foe Rutgers.
 
Opening on Friday, Feb. 13, seven of WCU's first eight games will be played inside the friendly confines of Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The season culminates with the 2026 Southern Conference Baseball Championship, presented by Holston Gases, at Fluor Field at the West End in Greenville, S.C., home of the Boston Red Sox affiliate, the Greenville Drive, on May 19-23.
 
Five of WCU's opponents this spring played in last year's NCAA postseason, including SoCon champion East Tennessee State, East Carolina, Georgia, USC Upstate, and Wake Forest, for a total of 10 games.
WCU's 2026 nonconference schedule includes 35 games against 17 teams across nine NCAA conferences. Sixteen of the nonconference games will be played in Cullowhee, with 15 road meetings and four neutral-site contests, including one true road game at the Keith LeClair Classic, hosted by East Carolina in Greenville, N.C. A total of 19 games are scheduled as part of a three-game weekend nonconference series, three at home and three on the road.
 
The Catamounts have three game series in Cullowhee against A-10 foe George Washington (Feb. 13-15), Bowling Green (Feb. 20-22) out of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), and a four-game Cullowhee series with Ohio Valley Conference-member Morehead State (March 12-15). The squad's nonconference weekend three-game road series includes trips to Big South foe Winthrop (April 2-4), and a three-game set over two days at ACC-foe Wake Forest (May 9-10), while also facing Big South foe Radford and American Conference-member Charlotte (March 6-8) for two games apiece.
 
WCU's schedule also features home-and-home sets against Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, UNC Asheville, and USC Upstate. Additionally, the Catamounts have single games at East Carolina and at home against Akron, as well as neutral-site contests against Troy and Rutgers.
 
Western Carolina has a seven-series, 21-game Southern Conference slate that includes four home series against Samford (March 20-22), Mercer (April 10-12), mountain-rival ETSU (April 24-26), and a regular-season-concluding three-game set against in-state rival UNCG (May 14-16). The Catamounts have three league series on the road, including visits to Charleston, S.C., and The Citadel (March 27-29), VMI (April 17-19) in Lexington, Va., and to Spartanburg, S.C., against Wofford (May 1-3).
 
After seven of its first eight games at home in February against George Washington, Bowling Green, and Akron, with a road trip to USC Upstate sprinkled in, the Catamounts open March in eastern North Carolina at the Keith LeClair Classic (Feb. 27 - March 1). The annual three-day, four-team weekend tournament is named in memory of LeClair, who played for the Catamounts from 1985 through 1988 and coached in Cullowhee from 1992 through 1997, earning SoCon Coach of the Year honors three times. He led the Pirates to four straight NCAA regional appearances, three CAA championships, and a Conference USA title.
 
March includes road trips to SEC-foe Georgia (March 4), a three-team mini-tournament in the Queen City against Radford (March 6-7) and Charlotte (March 7-8), and at rival Appalachian State (March 10) in the front end of the home-and-home. The Catamounts then play eight straight home games beginning with four against Morehead State (March 12-15) and Gardner-Webb (March 17), with Southern Conference play opening with a home series against Samford (March 20-22). WCU's string of eight consecutive games against Bulldog monikers continues at UNC Asheville (March 24) and The Citadel (March 27-29).
 
April's schedule includes a three-game road series at Winthrop (April 2-4) and SoCon-foe VMI (April 17-19), with home games against USC Upstate (April 7), Mercer (April 10-12), App State (April 14), and a month-ending series against defending league champion ETSU (April 24-26).
 
Heading towards the conference tournament at the end of the month, Western Carolina has a SoCon series at Wofford (May 1-3) and in Cullowhee against UNCG (May 14-16) to end the regular season. The Catamounts also have nonconference meetings with UNC Asheville (May 5), at Wake Forest (May 9-10), and at Presbyterian (May 12) in Clinton, S.C.
 
Season tickets for WCU's 28-game 2026 home schedule are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, and online any time at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets. Tickets start at just $51 for adult general admission or $26 for youth general admission. Additional seating options include reserved field-level chair-back seats and upper-reserved chair-back seats under cover beneath the press box.
 
Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public in mid-January ahead of the season-opening weekend in mid-February.
 
Western Carolina is coming off a 30-28 regular-season finish last season, which included 10 victories in Southern Conference play and a fifth-seed finish in the conference tournament. WCU upended eighth-seeded VMI 15-1 in seven innings and upset No. 4 seed Mercer 10-3 before falling to top-seeded ETSU, 16-13, and nearly rallied past No. 3 seed The Citadel, 11-10.
 
Beck and the Catamounts return 25 combined players from last season, including 13 letter-winning position players and 12 pitchers. Among the returners are seven position players with 31-or-more starts last season, including Brooks Wallace Award watch lister and SoCon All-Defensive team member SS Trent Turner, first-team All-SoCon selection and summer-league All-Star, Wyatt Stanley, and SoCon All-Freshman team honoree, Trey Spees. A pair of weekend starting pitchers in LHP Davis Wright and sophomore Carter Burnette highlight WCU's dozen returning hurlers, which includes junior Davis Budd, who is coming off a summer all-star effort in the Valley League.
 
The Catamounts also welcome 17 newcomers, including seven transfers – three redshirt sophomores, two juniors, a sophomore, and one graduate transfer – with five freshman position players, and five rookie pitchers to their 2026 roster.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).
 
2026 Catamount Baseball Schedule:
Feb. 13-15 – GEORGE WASHINGTON – Cullowhee
Feb. 17 – at USC Upstate – Spartanburg, S.C.
Feb. 20-22 – BOWLING GREEN – Cullowhee
Feb. 24 – AKRON – Cullowhee
Feb. 27-March 1 – Keith LeClair Classic – Greenville, N.C.
              East Carolina, Troy, and Rutgers
March 4 – at Georgia – Athens, Ga.
March 6-7 – vs. Radford – Charlotte, N.C.
March 7-8 – at Charlotte – Charlotte, N.C.
March 10 – at Appalachian State – Boone, N.C.
March 12-15 – MOREHEAD STATE – Cullowhee
March 17 – GARDNER-WEBB – Cullowhee
March 20-22 – SAMFORD * – Cullowhee
March 24 – at UNC Asheville – Asheville, N.C.
March 27-29 – at The Citadel * – Charleston, S.C.
March 31 – PRESBYTERIAN – Cullowhee
April 2-4 – at Winthrop – Rock Hill, S.C.
April 7 – USC UPSTATE – Cullowhee
April 10-12 – MERCER * – Cullowhee
April 14 – APPALACHIAN STATE – Cullowhee
April 17-19 – at VMI * – Lexington, Va.
April 21 – at Gardner-Webb – Boiling Springs, N.C.
April 24-26 – ETSU * – Cullowhee
May 1-3 – at Wofford * – Spartanburg, S.C.
May 5 – UNC ASHEVILLE – Cullowhee
May 9-10 – at Wake Forest – Winston-Salem, N.C.
May 12 – at Presbyterian – Clinton, S.C.
May 14-16 – UNCG * – Cullowhee
May 19-23 – 2025 Southern Conference Baseball Championship – Greenville, S.C.
 
BOLD = Home game
* = Southern Conference series
 

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2026 Nonconference Opponent Breakdown:
Akron Zips (Mid-American Conference)
2025: 20-34, 9-21 MAC
Last Meetings: WCU won 2-of-3 (2025)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 5-3 (L-1)
 
Appalachian State Mountaineers (Sun Belt Conference)
2025: 23-31, 13-17 SBC
Last Meetings: Series split, 1-1 (2025)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 84-54-1 (L-1)
 
Bowling Green Falcons (Mid-American Conference)
2025: 33-22, 19-11 MAC
Last Meetings: WCU swept three (2009)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 3-0 (W-3)
 
Charlotte 49ers (American Conference)
2025: 36-22, 18-9 American
Last Meetings: Charlotte, 5-2 in 2023
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 12-8 (L-1)
 
Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (Big South Conference)
2025: 17-36, 6-18 BSC
Last Meetings: WCU won 3-of-4 (2025)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 22-14-1 (W-3)
 
George Washington Revolutionaries (Atlantic-10)
2025: 27-27, 14-16 A-10
Last Meetings: n/a
Series Vs. WCU: First-ever meetings
 
Georgia Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference)
2025: 43-17, 18-12 SEC
Last Meetings: UGA won, 6-0 (2016)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts trail, 18-36 (L-2)
 
Morehead State Eagles (Ohio Valley Conference)
2025: 14-39, 4-23 OVC
Last Meetings: WCU won, 6-2 (2018)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 6-1 (W-5)
 
Presbyterian Blue Hose (Big South Conference)
2025: 17-35, 9-15 BSC
Last Meetings: WCU swept three (2025)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 11-4 (W-5)
 
Radford Highlanders (Big South Conference)
2025: 28-28, 13-11 BSC
Last Meetings: WCU swept three (2023)
Series vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 7-1 (W-4)
 
Rutgers Scarlett Knights (Big Ten Conference)
2025: 29-28, 16-9 B1G
Last Meetings: n/a
Series Vs. WCU: First-ever meetings
 
Troy Trojans (Sun Belt Conference)
2025: 39-21, 18-12 SBC
Last Meetings: WCU won 3-of-4 (1995)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 3-1 (L-1)
 
UNC Asheville Bulldogs (Big South Conference)
2025: 15-35, 8-16 BSC
Last Meetings: WCU swept two meetings (2025)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 59-25 (W-6)
 
USC Upstate Spartans (Big South Conference)
2025: 36-25, 19-5 BSC
Last Meetings: Split two games (2025)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 10-7 (L-1)
 
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Atlantic Coast Conference)
2025: 39-22, 16-14 ACC
Last Meetings: Wake swept three (2024)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts trail, 5-11 (L-6)
 
Winthrop Eagles (Big South Conference)
2025: 31-29, 13-11 BSC
Last Meetings: WCU won two (2014)
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 14-3 (W-2)
 
Southern Conference Opponents:
ETSU Buccaneers
2025: 41-17, 14-7 SoCon – SoCon Regular-Season and Tournament Champion
Last Year: WCU, 0-4
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 71-51(L-6)
 
Mercer Bears
2025: 35-25, 12-9 SoCon – No. 4 seed
Last Year: Series split, 2-2
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 20-18 (W-1)
 
Samford Bulldogs
2025: 30-27, 13-8 SoCon – No. 2 seed
Last Year: WCU, 2-1
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts trails, 25-33 (L-1)
 
The Citadel Bulldogs
2025: 31-26, 12-9 SoCon – No. 3 seed
Last Year: Series split, 2-2
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 103-72 (L-2)
 
UNCG Spartans
2025: 21-33, 9-12 SoCon – No. 6 seed
Last Year: WCU, 2-1
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts trail, 40-51 (W-1)
 
VMI Keydets
2025: 27-26, 6-15 SoCon – No. 8 seed
Last Year: Series split, 2-2
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 74-28 (W-1)
 
Wofford Terriers
2025: 33-27, 8-13 SoCon – No. 7 seed
Last Year: WCU, 2-1
Series Vs. WCU: Catamounts lead, 80-31-1 (W-2)