Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina baseball hosts Presbyterian in the first of three midweek nonconference regular-season meetings on Tuesday (March 18) afternoon at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The first pitch between the Catamounts and Blue Hose is scheduled for 4 p.m. in just the second home midweek matchup for WCU this spring.
 
Tuesday's game will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with live streaming audio and live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Western Carolina (9-11) is coming off a weekend series win over Eastern Illinois, a team picked fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). WCU swept a doubleheader last Friday to claim the series, rallying for a 5-3 win before controlling game two, 9-2. The Catamounts were denied the series sweep with a 9-5 loss on Sunday despite five RBI including a grand slam home run by Hayden Friese.
 
Presbyterian (9-12) has lost two in a row – and six of its last eight, though three of the losses came against nationally-ranked opposition – 11-2 at No. 4 Clemson and a pair of seven-inning losses at No. 23 Alabama. PC opened Big South play by dropping two at Winthrop over the weekend. The Blue Hose has a win over the Crimson Tide – dropping 'Bama from the ranks of the unbeaten – and a one-run victory over SoCon-foe Wofford to its tally to date.
 
The Catamounts are 7-4 at home this season while PC is 2-7 away from Clinton, S.C., this season.
 
About Western Carolina:
After knocking the proverbial cover off the ball in the four-game home series against Rider, WCU's offense was stymied by Eastern Illinois in the most recent set at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. In the series against the Broncs, the Catamounts pounded out 57 base hits (14.25 per game) on a .407 average with 21 extra-base hits – 11 doubles and 10 home runs. While nearly impossible to maintain those videogame-like numbers, WCU was held to 29 hits (9.7 per game) on .293 hitting by EIU – but most surprising was of the 29 knocks, only four went for extra bases – a double, a triple, and two home runs.
 
The Catamounts enter the week third in the SoCon in batting average (.328), with a league-best 234 hits including 45 doubles (2nd), six triples (t-2nd), and 22 home runs (4th) for 72 extra-base hits – fourth-most in the SoCon behind ETSU (84), Mercer (76), and VMI (73). WCU is the second-highest-scoring team in the conference with 186 runs, averaging 9.3 per contest to date.
 
Elijah Smith remains tied at the conference with his nine doubles despite not starting game one last Friday and missing Saturday's finale with injury. He also boasts a team-best 27 RBI – tied for fourth in the SoCon – with Hayden Friese close on his heels with 21 driven in (t-10th). Brayden Corn has a team-best nine stolen bases and Cole Jones has drawn 16 walks to lead the squad.
 
Including six strikeouts in earning his victory for the Purple & Gold, Davis Wright currently leads the squad with 31 punchouts on the year – one of three to surpass 20 already with Cannon Pickell fanning 12 last week to double his tally to 24 and Dusty Revis striking out 22. Brandon Langley, who has taken the closer role for now, picked up his second save in Friday's come-from-behind win in game one, while reliever Owen Austin earned his team-high-tying second victory on the mound.
 
On the mound, WCU is tied for second in the SoCon with 176 combined strikeouts including a league-best 62 strikeouts looking.
 
In the field, WCU leads the SoCon – and ranks 26th nationally – with 17 double-plays, one more than second-place ETSU.
 
Catamount Active Hitting Streaks:
Seniors Trent Turner (15 games), Mason Holton (13 games), and Jack Spyke (10 games) each saw their lengthy hitting streaks snapped against Eastern Illinois. Jaylen Jones batted .500 (5-for-10) over the weekend, with Jones and Friese matching with five base hits and Friese boasting six RBI.
 
8 games – Jaylen Jones
5 games – Elijah Smith
4 games- Hayden Fiese
3 games – Cole Jones
 
Longest Active Reached Base Safely Streaks:
WCU has seen several lengthy streaks come to a halt within the past week-plus. Coupled with his nine-game RBS streak to end 2024, Hayden Friese had his 24-game run snapped at Georgia State. Over the weekend, Trent Turner (17 games), Trey Spees (17 games), Mason Holton (13 games), Brayden Corn (12 games), and Jack Spyke (11 games) each saw their double-digit streaks of reaching base snapped.
 
15 games – Cole Jones
14 games – Elijah Smith
8 games – Jaylen Jones
4 games – Hayden Friese
 
About the Opposition – Presbyterian Blue Hose:
Presbyterian enters the week batting .274 collectively as a team with four regulars above the .300 threshold. Preseason All-Big South selection infielder Trey Fenderson leads the way with a .357 average including a team-best 25 hits with six for extra bases – five doubles and a homer. He is flanked by fellow preseason all-conference selection DH Jake Randolph (.350), Eli Lazio (.345), and Matthew Rollison.
 
Of the 187 base hits to date for the Blue Hose, 56 have gone for extra bases with 37 doubles, five triples, and 14 home runs, led by Ryan Ouzts (.239) with four. Presbyterian is averaging five runs on 8.9 hits per game while surrendering an average of 7.7 runs on 9.9 hits per contest.
 
On the mound, PC has a 6.90 collective ERA with the opposition batting .298 against the Blue Hose pitchers. The unit has 138 strikeouts against 118 walks. Kyle Mueller (1-2, 7.83) leads the team with 20 strikeouts.
 
PC put four players on the preseason All-Big South Conference team including Fenderson, Randolph, catcher Jackson Hugus, and pitcher Sean Hollister, who is also on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
 
Presbyterian was picked fourth in the Big South preseason poll. WCU has already faced the No. 2 team in the polling – USC Upstate, splitting the two meetings – and the No. 3 team Gardner-Webb. Nex week, the Catamounts battle mountain-rival UNC Asheville which was tabbed seventh out of the nine-team league.
 
Projected Pitching Match-Up:
WCU – Sr. RHP Mason Holton (0-2, 12.71) vs. PC – Fr. RHP Mike Marroquin Jr. (0-1, 5.79)

• WCU's normal starting third baseman, Holton was among WCU's opening weekend starting pitchers, making two starts with 5.2 innings of work … Has three strikeouts against six walks and has surrendered only seven hits – three for extra bases;
• Marroquin is expected to make his sixth appearance of the year and third start … Over 9.1 innings, has struck out 10 against seven walks with 11 hits, three for extra-bases – two doubles and a homer.

 
Western Carolina vs. Presbyterian – The Series:
The Catamounts and Blue Hose have met on the baseball diamond 12 times previously with the series dating back to 1992, though most of the meetings have occurred since 2014. The two teams meet for the fourth consecutive season. WCU leads the series 8-4 including a 5-2 record all-time in games played in Cullowhee with last year's meeting in western North Carolina rained out. WCU has won back-to-back meetings – and three of the last five overall.
 
Western Carolina vs. the Big South Conference:
The Catamounts have faced all nine current members of the Big South Conference, boasting a 154-69-2 (.684) record in those meetings. WCU is above .500 against eight of the nine current members with one series – vs. Longwood (1-1) – all-even at a win apiece.
 
Charleston Southern (9-5-1); Gardner-Webb (19-14-1); High Point (29-9); Longwood (1-1);
Presbyterian (8-4); Radford (7-1); UNC Asheville (57-25); USC Upstate (10-7); Winthrop (14-3)
 
On Deck for the Catamounts:
Western Carolina continues its season-long eight-game homestand this weekend as the Catamounts open Southern Conference play, hosting the VMI Keydets for a three-game series at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m., with Saturday's "Little League Day" celebration at the stadium ahead of the 2 p.m. first pitch. Sunday's finale has an earlier start time of Noon. Next Tuesday, WCU concludes the eight-game homestand by hosting mountain-rival UNC Asheville with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
 
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