Western Carolina University

Greenville, S.C. – On the heels of one of the best games in the 2026 Southern Conference Baseball Championship, played in Thursday night's come-from-behind victory over No. 7 seed UNCG, Western Carolina baseball said "hold my beer bat" on Friday in the tournament's semifinal round.
 
Needing a pair of wins to advance to Saturday's championship game, the second-seeded Catamounts pushed across a game-tying run in the seventh inning of a low-scoring affair that ultimately went to extra innings tied at one. After enduring a three-hour weather delay and the ebbs and flows of an emotional postseason roller coaster, third-seeded Samford hit a pair of home runs in the top of the unlucky 13th, setting up an all-Bulldog, winner-take-all final on Saturday by downing the Catamounts 5-1 in a tough, season-ending loss for WCU.
 
Samford advances to face No. 5-seeded The Citadel at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (May 23) in a single-elimination game, with the SoCon's automatic berth into the NCAA postseason on the line. Advancing from Wednesday's single-elimination game with a win over archrival VMI, the Cadets bounced top-seeded Mercer from the tournament in Friday's first game to punch their ticket to the final.
 
Samford (31-24) used a pair of first-inning doubles to plate the game's first run, taking a 1-0 lead after half an inning. Despite scoring opportunities both ways over the next five innings, neither team managed to hang a number on the manual scoreboard inside the base of the "Green Monster" in left.
 
Shuffling the lineup after the stretch, pinch-hitter Marshall McGowan ignited the WCU dugout by drawing an HBP to give the Catamounts traffic to start the frame. Pinch runner Brody Raleigh was sacrificed into scoring position by pinch hitter Yates Sikes before senior Cam Murray delivered a run-scoring single to left to tie the game at one.
 
Over the final two innings of regulation, WCU had a two-out base runner in the eighth on a walk by Noah Quarless, with Caden Haywood leading off the ninth with a single. Sikes again did the job of sacrificing the runner into scoring position, with Murray walking to put two on base, but they were unable to score.
 
Meanwhile, on the flip side, after stranding runners at second and third in the top of the seventh inning, WCU retired seven straight, including Bryant Kimbrell striking out the side in the top of the ninth inning to give the offense a chance in the home half.
 
In extra innings, the Catamounts put two on in the 11th with both moving into scoring position at second and third, but couldn't find the winning marker. Another runner reached in the 12th, but a failed sacrifice bunt resulted in a stranded runner at first.
 
Samford plated four runs in the decisive 13th, using a walk and a one-out HBP to put two aboard. Jackson Harris, a late-game sub at first base, then snuck his first home run of the season inside the "Pesky's Pole" down the right-field line at the Fenway Park replica to plate three, and Luke Boykin tacked on an insurance marker with a solo homer to left for the four-run lead.
 
In the home portion, Trey Spees drew a one-out walk, and Cam Murray singled and stole second to put a pair of runners on in scoring position. However, the timely hitting that eluded the Catamounts for much of the tournament reappeared in the final frame as Samford recorded the final out with a strikeout to end the marathon.
 
Both teams stranded 14 runners over the 13-inning contest. The Catamounts left 31 combined runners on base over the three games in Greenville, S.C., including a combined  27 in the two meetings with Samford. WCU finished 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
 
Western Carolina's 10 hits – all singles – were spread among six players, paced by a career-high four hits by senior Cam Murray (4-for-5), who reached base five times and drove in the squad's lone run. Fifth-year senior Trent Turner posted the only other multi-hit game for the Catamounts, singling twice in a 2-for-6 effort. The remaining four hits were collected by fifth-year senior Mason Holton, Jackson Godfrey, Caden Haywood, and Wyatt Stanley.
 
Eight Bulldogs combined for Samford's 12 hits, with Luke Boykin (3-for-6) leading the way with three, including a home run, and added an HBP. Trey Higgins (2-for-7) and Parker McDonald (2-for-5) both had two hits apiece, with McDonald adding a walk.
 
Catamount reliever Mason Snyder (7-2) was saddled with the loss, tagged for four runs on three hits over 3.1 innings of work that spanned before and after the three-hour weather delay. The Ocilla, Ga., product struck out four against a walk and plunked one batter.
 
Freshman southpaw Evan Myers struck out six over a five-inning start, limiting Samford to one run on just seven hits with a couple of walks. Bryant Kimbrell was equally as impressive, also fanning six against a walk in 4.1 innings of two-hit, shutout relief. Senior Owen Austin tossed a third of an inning before giving way to Snyder. WCU's pitchers combined to strike out 16 batters against six walks.
 
Zak Spurrier (4-3) scored the victory for Samford, tossing the final two innings of one-hit, scoreless relief with three strikeouts and two walks. John Malone made his second appearance against WCU in the tournament, holding the Catamounts scoreless with just two hits and three strikeouts, while starter Mason Blasche worked 6.2 innings, scattering seven hits and allowing one run with six strikeouts.
 
Friday's loss concludes WCU's season with 36 victories, the most for the Catamounts since earning 37 back in 2014. Coupled with last year's 30 wins, WCU posted consecutive 30-win seasons for the first time since 2014 (37) and 2013 (39).
 
It also concluded the season of eight seniors – LHP Owen Austin, OF Cole Jones, 3B Mason Holton, C Cam Murray, LHP Scott Templeton, 2B Trent Turner, LHP Ryan White, and LHP Davis Wright.
 
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 SoCon Baseball Championship Schedule | Bracket (PDF)
Presented by Holston Gases
 
Wednesday | May 20 (ESPN+)
Gm 1: 9:00 a.m. – No. 5 The Citadel 21, No. 8 VMI 11 (8 inn.)
Gm 2: 12:30 p.m. – No. 7 UNCG 6, No. 6 ETSU 5   
Gm 3: 4:00 p.m. – No. 5 The Citadel 13, No. 4 Wofford 7         
Gm 4: 7:30 p.m. – No. 3 Samford 13, No. 7 UNCG 1 (7 inn.) 
 
Thursday | May 21 (ESPN+)
Gm 5: 9:00 a.m. – No. 5 The Citadel 9, No. 1 Mercer 2
Gm 6: 12:30 p.m. – No. 3 Samford 9, No. 2 Western Carolina 5
Gm 7: 4:00 p.m. – No. 1 Mercer 9, No. 4 Wofford 8
Gm 8: 7:30 p.m. – No. 2 Western Carolina 4, No. 7 UNCG 3
 
Friday | May 22 (ESPN+)
Gm 9: 9:00 a.m. – No. 5 The Citadel 14, No.1 Mercer 4 (7 inn.)
Gm 10: 12:30 p.m. – No. 3 Samford 5, No. 2 Western Carolina 1 (13 innings)
 
Saturday | May 23 (ESPNU)
Gm 13: 7:30 p.m. – Championship Game (single-elimination)