CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Following a weekend off from competition, the Western Carolina softball team returns to the diamond for a midweek road tilt against Sun Belt opposition Georgia State on Wednesday afternoon. The Catamounts and the Panthers are slated for a 4 p.m. first pitch from the Bob Heck Softball Complex, with live stats available through a link on CatamountSports.com.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Western Carolina (2-8) at Georgia State (5-12)
WHERE: Bob Heck Softball Complex (Decatur, Ga.)
WHEN: Wed., Feb. 26 - 4 p.m.
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
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TWITTER: @CatamountSB
About the Catamounts:
Western Carolina split its doubleheader with in-state foe Gardner-Webb last time out, taking a 2-1 victory in eight innings in the opener of the twin bill before suffering a 5-1 setback in the nightcap. Sophomore Lily Bell tallied three hits between the two games to run her seasonal total to a team-high 13 and sophomore Sydney Dirks tallied her first triple of the season. Classmate Maya McPherson hit the go-ahead and game-winning solo blast in the 2-1 win.
In the circle, freshman Amanda Fulton posted a dynamite start as she scattered seven hits over eight innings, only allowing one run and recording five strikeouts to earn her first collegiate win. In game two, senior Tessa Juett recorded her best outing of the young season with 2.1 scoreless frames in relief as she recorded six strikeouts.
Bell begins the week sixth in the Southern Conference in batting average (.448) while ranking in a three-way tie for first in stolen bases (6). Bell also ranks seventh in on-base percentage (.515).
Scouting the Opposition – Georgia State Panthers:
Georgia State (5-12) hosts Utah Valley in a doubleheader before welcoming the Catamounts to Atlanta. In their home I-75 challenge, Georgia State earned a split against Dayton and Memphis while dropping a 1-0 decision to nearby foe Kennesaw State.
WCU and Georgia State have one common opponent thus far in the 2025 season as the two teams both squared off with Michigan. The Catamounts also mark the second SoCon school that the Panthers have faced in the young season, already facing Mercer in midweek action earning the 7-5 road win.
The Panthers were picked 12th in a 12-team Sun Belt Preseason poll. GSU is led by first-year head coach Becca Mueller, who was tabbed to lead the Panthers after serving as an assistant coach for UCF, California-Berkley, and Georgia over the past six seasons.
Junior infielder/pitcher Maia Mumpfield leads the Panthers with a .453 batting average as she's tallied 24 hits including seven doubles. Senior outfielder Chloe Middlebrooks has a .306 batting average as she's tallied 11 hits in 13 games, including a pair of doubles and a team-high two homers. Sophomore infielder Bella Morton leads the Panthers with eight runs knocked in.
Georgia State is led in the circle by senior Sydney Boulware, who's 2-4 over seven appearances, with six being starts. Boulware has tallied a team-high 37 strikeouts over 36.1 innings. Seniors Emily Hodnett, Kate Kastelic, and sophomore Makayla Stephens have a win in the circle thus far for GSU.
Series History:
Georgia State represented the first-ever opponent for Western Carolina's fast-pitch softball team back in the inaugural 2006 season. Since, WCU and Georgia State have met 23 times ahead of Wednesday's midweek tilt with the Panthers leading the series, 17-6. The Catamounts swept the twin bill against Georgia State in Cullowhee last season, which snapped a four-game skid for WCU. Georgia State has claimed 12 of 14 all-time meetings on its home field, including each of the previous three.
In the 2024 matchups in Cullowhee, Lily Bell led the Catamounts with four hits and Matie Mentel had three hits, including a home run, in the 8-0 win. Sydney Dirks, Jeralynn Wells, and Becka Wonsick homered in the doubleheader. Tessa Juett tossed a complete game as part of the 5-3 win over the Panthers, recording 10 strikeouts.
On Deck for Western Carolina:
Following Wednesday's midweek trip to the Peach State, the Catamounts begin their home slate by hosting the Catamount Classic beginning on Friday, Feb. 28. The 10-game tournament will feature matchups between WCU, Presbyterian, N.C. A&T, and Rhode Island. All 10 scheduled contests will feature live stats available at CatamountSports.com.
Western Carolina's games over the first two days are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., with the tournament finale on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. All the Catamount Classic tournament details can be found at Tournament Central (LINK).
