Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina softball begins a season-long nine-game homestand on Wednesday with a midweek nonconference showdown against ACC counterpart Clemson on-campus on Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex.
Wednesday's matchup with the Tigers is slated for a 5 p.m. first pitch and will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available via CatamountSports.com.
Admission to all WCU home games this season is free, presented by First Bank. A large crowd is expected for Wednesday's action, and with school in session, parking can be tight at the Complex. Be sure to check out the Know Before You Go information ahead of the tussle with the Tigers.
Wednesday marks the second Power Four opponent for the Catamounts this season as they closed the Purple & Gold Classic with a matchup against Big 10 counterpart Purdue. It's their first matchup against an ACC opponent since 2022, when they earned a 1-0 win over N.C. State. It's also the first time that the Purple & Gold have squared off with a ranked ACC foe since 2007, when facing #24 Georgia Tech.
SOFTBALL MATCHUP: #25/RV Clemson (19-9) vs Western Carolina (16-8)
- Date: Wednesday, March 18
- Time: 5 p.m.
- Site: Betty Peele Field at the Catamount Softball Complex, Cullowhee, N.C.
- Video: ESPN+
- Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
About Western Carolina:
WCU enters the week at 16-8 overall with wins in six of its last eight contests, including a 3-1 week against Presbyterian and Queens. The Catamounts continue to defend their home field with a 9-1 record.
Wednesday marks the third straight season that WCU has battled a top-25 program, and the second time in three years the Catamounts have welcomed a ranked opponent to Cullowhee. WCU battled #10 Alabama and seventh-ranked Tennessee at home in 2024, with a return trip to Knoxville in 2025. This marks the 13th season in school history that WCU has faced at least one ranked school.
Amanda Fulton (7-3), the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week, delivered a strong week in the circle, tossing 9.1 innings without allowing an earned run in two outings with a win against PC and a save against Queens. Maya McPherson (.463 average) led the squad as she added to her strong start with four hits over the four-game week. McPherson totaled a double and a pair of homers with seven RBIs and a .917 slugging percentage.
McPherson continues to lead the squad with a .463 average and is second in hits (38). She has 32 RBIs, sitting second in the SoCon as the Catamounts have a league-best 152 runs knocked in. McPherson and Sydney Dirks both sit in a tie for third with seven homers apiece as WCU has 25 long balls, second in the league.
Fulton is tied for first in the league with seven complete games. She ranks third in ERA (2.26) and second in innings pitched (71.1). Fulton leads the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.17), is third in strikeouts per seven innings (7.5), and ranks third in strikeouts (76). AG Batson sits in a tie for third with Fulton and her seven wins, while ranking eighth in ERA at 3.06.
Additional offensive leaders include:
- Lily Bell – 27 runs scored (1st in SoCon), 14 stolen bases (t-3rd in SoCon)
- Taylor Waitley – .370 average
- Sydney Dirks - .367 average, 29 hits (4th in SoCon), seven homers (t-3rd in SoCon)
- Courtney Marks - .365 average, 20 runs scored
- Tate Stewman – .328 average, four homers (third on the team)
- SoCon team ranks: .313 average (2nd), 165 runs (2nd), 207 hits (3rd), 25 homers (2nd), 152 RBIs (1st), 36 steals (2nd), .480 slugging pct. (2nd).
In the latest RPI release, WCU ranked 87th, second in the SoCon behind Wofford (72).
Scouting Clemson:
Clemson (19-9) arrives in Cullowhee winning six of its last eight games, taking two of three in ACC play against Georgia Tech and Louisville to open conference play. Clemson has four Top 25 victories (Oregon, Liberty, Georgia, and Mississippi State). The Tigers hold just a 1-2 mark in true road games with a 5-3 record in neutral site contests. Clemson has already earned a pair of wins over SoCon foes with 9-1 run-rule wins against in-state foes Wofford and Furman.
The Tigers are led by:
- Marian Collins – team-high .391 average, team-high tying 34 hits, 7 doubles, 5 home runs, 24 RBIs
- Mac Pavese – .386 average, team-high tying 34 hits, 22 runs, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, team-high 25 RBIs
- Corri Hicks – team-best six homers, 22 RBIs
In the circle:
- Lexie Hames leads the staff with a 1.24 ERA over 17 innings.
- Sierra Maness – team-high 10 wins, six complete games, 84.2 innings, 61 strikeouts.
- Abby Bunning – six wins, 37 strikeouts in 45 innings
- The Tigers are seventh in the NCAA with nine shutouts and 20th with a 2.64 ERA
Catamounts and Tigers – All-time Series History:
WCU and Clemson have met twice, with the series tied at one. The Catamounts served as the program's first opponent for Clemson, with current assistant coach Kylie Cook serving as the leadoff hitter in the contest. Western Carolina earned a 2-0 win to open the 2020 season before the Tigers grabbed an 8-0 win in the nightcap.
On Deck for Western Carolina:
After Wednesday's action against Clemson, WCU raises the curtain on Southern Conference play, beginning on Saturday, March 21, with a three-game series against chromatic rival Furman. The two teams play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. before a series finale on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday's twin bill is slated for ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com for all three games.
Fans can follow WCU softball on Facebook, Twitter (@CatamountSB), Instagram, and CatamountSports.com.
