Cullowhee, N.C. – Four catchers, including a fifth-year senior and last year's primary starter, appear on the Western Carolina baseball roster for fourth-year head coach Alan Beck as CatamountSports.com today opens its position previews of the 2026 season.
 
The Catamounts open the season this weekend (Feb. 13-15) against first-time opponent George Washington at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The position previews start with the four backstops and will be followed by the pitching staff and position players, divided by infielders and outfielders, ahead of Friday's first scheduled meeting with the Revolutionaries.
 
Headlining the backend of the battery for the Catamounts is returning starter Noah Quarless. The redshirt sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C., played his prep ball at Regan High where he was mentored by another former Catamount catcher, Spencer Holcomb (2015-18), who played in 163 games with 118 career starts, including a staggering 54 behind the plate in 2018. Last season, Quarless made 31 starts, splitting time with two others in Jack Spyke (22) and returning redshirt senior Cam Murray (5).
 
After redshirting in 2024 as a true freshman, Quarless was last season's opening-day starter, where he collected his first collegiate base hit. He finished the season strong, raising his seasonal batting average 34 points over the final four games of the year to finish just below the .300 threshold at .298 (31-of-104). He recorded 12 extra-base hits, with six doubles and six home runs. Defensively, he threw out nine would-be base stealers.
 
Last year's Leggett No. 7 Legacy recipient, Cam Murray, played in 15 games last season with seven starts, five coming at catcher and twice as the designated hitter. He doubled as part of his five base hits through limited at-bats last season. Murray, who has twice been elected team captain for the Catamounts, has played in 76 career games with 31 career starts.
 
Beck and WCU brought in a pair of big-framed freshmen catchers for the 2026 season, including Carlos Diaz (Youngsville, N.C.) and Turner Gross (St. Petersburg, Fla.). Diaz is listed at 6-1, 215-lbs., while Gross tips the scales at 220-lbs. over a 6-4 frame.
 
Diaz, who prepped at Wake Forest High, just northeast of Raleigh, was listed as the No. 1 catching prospect in North Carolina by PrepBaseballNC. He was originally committed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to MaxPreps, Diaz was a .390 hitter over his final three seasons at the varsity level, batting .443 as a junior and .400 as a senior. He collected 17 doubles, three triples, and a homer among his 99 career base hits, scoring 51 runs while driving home 69. He bolstered a .487 on-base percentage with 49 walks and three HBPs, adding seven career stolen bases.
 
Gross was part of four-straight district championships and a regional title his junior season at Northside Christian in St. Petersburg, Fla. The NCHS Male Athlete of the Year as a senior, he captained his squad to a 2025 High School Spring Open championship. According to MaxPreps, Gross was a .275 lifetime hitter with 47 hits, including 16 doubles and a pair of home runs and 29 RBI.
 
Quarless is expected to be the starter for WCU entering the year, with the trio of backups anticipated to see action throughout the seasonal weekend series and midweek.
 
Both season and single-game baseball tickets 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. Season 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.

Fans can also purchase the "Baseball and Bo's Flex Tickets," presented by Bojangles of Sylva. This special flexible package includes 15 general admission ticket vouchers redeemable for any home baseball game and coupons for four FREE Cajun filet biscuits from Bojangles, all for just $50.
 
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).
 
Catamount Catchers
8 – Cam Murray, R-Sr. (Fredericksburg, Va.)
15 – Noah Quarless, R-So. (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
29 – Carlos Diaz, Fr. (Youngsville, N.C.)
30 – Turner Gross, Fr. (St. Petersburg, Fla.)