Cullowhee, N.C. – Coming off its fifth Southern Conference series victory of the season after taking 2-of-3 at Wofford over the weekend, Western Carolina baseball makes a brief pitstop at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium on Tuesday evening before hitting the road for a three-game series and a huge opportunity against ACC-foe Wake Forest this weekend.
 
The Catamounts host mountain rival UNC Asheville in the back end of a nonconference home-and-home with the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday's game will be broadcast regionally on WYCW-TV, TheCW 62, across western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina, with a simulcast broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live stats are available online through a link at CatamountSports.com.
 
Western Carolina (31-17, 12-6 SoCon) climbed to No. 13 in the 11Point7 (@11Point7) Mid-Major Power Rankings, up from No. 17 a week ago. The Catamounts are joined in the poll by fellow SoCon foe Mercer in 19th after taking 2-of-3 at Samford to climb back into the conference conversation. WCU additionally rose five spots to No. 8 in the Diamond Sports Mid-Major Rankings, presented by D1Baseball and 6-4-3 Charts. The SoCon is well-represented, joined by Mercer at No. 18, ETSU at No. 19, and Samford at No. 23.
 
In the latest NCAA Baseball RPI, the Catamounts advanced six spots from last week to 48th overall, only trailing Mercer at No. 43. Those two are a part of five SoCon teams in the top 100 of the Rating Percentage Index, joined by The Citadel (No. 59), ETSU (No. 78), and Samford (No. 98). Wofford is just outside the Top 100 at No. 108.
 
The Catamounts also moved atop the SoCon standings at 12-6 overall, ahead of the four-way tie for second between ETSU, Mercer, Samford, and Wofford, alphabetically with matching 9-6 records. WCU has just one league series remaining, hosting UNC Greensboro (May 14-16), while two of the teams involved in the tie meet this weekend – ETSU visiting Wofford – with each of those four matching up on the final weekend, with Wofford visiting Samford and Mercer traveling to ETSU May 14-16.
 
Tuesday's Projected Pitching Match-Up:
UNCA – Sr. RHP Lucas Boesen (13 app., 10 GS – 1-2, 7.79 ERA, 49.2 IP, 47K, 47BB)
WCU – Soph. RHP Bryant Kimbrell (7 app., 1 GS – 4-0, 2.04 ERA, 17.2 IP, 16K, 3BB)
 
Additional Catamount Baseball – Diamond Notes:

• Western Carolina enters the week having won seven of its last nine games overall, with victories in 11 of its last 14 games overall;
• WCU (31-17) has secured consecutive 30-win seasons for the first time since 2013 (39 wins) and 2014 (37 wins), coupled with last season's 30 victories;
• Seven Catamount regulars are batting over the .300 threshold this season … the team has raised its seasonal batting average to .288 overall;
• WCU enters the week second in the SoCon with 73 home runs, fourth with 93 doubles, and seventh with seven triples … the Catamounts are the third-best scoring team in the SoCon (366), while boasting the second-most base hits with 461 total;
• Catamount starter Bryant Kimbrell has been sidelined with injury since March 22, exiting the appearance against Samford after delivering a pitch … He has worked his way back, tossing rehab bullpens the past two weeks and will make his competitive return against UNC Asheville;
• Western Carolina also hopes to soon see the return of outfielder Wyatt Stanley (hand), out since the Mercer series back on April 11, and outfielder Jaylen Jones (lower body), who missed the weekend series at Wofford after being struck in the lower leg in last week's practices;
• WCU has won 21 of the 23 games it has led after six innings and 17 of the 19 games when leading after seven innings … the Catamounts are undefeated when carrying a lead through eight innings this season;

 
Double-Trouble Between the Cats and Dogs:
UNC Asheville ranks tied for 34th nationally with 39 combined double-plays turned this season, while WCU is one back with a SoCon-leading 38 double-plays, a mark that ranks tied for 41st in the NCAA.
 
About UNC Asheville:
The Bulldogs (18-30) come to Cullowhee after snapping a four-game slide with a convincing 9-0 victory over common foe Winthrop on Sunday at Greenwood Field. UNCA is just 5-16 away from home on the year, with five-straight losses – three coming short of the scheduled distance.
 
Asheville is batting .271 collectively as a team, seventh in the Big South Conference, with 120 combined extra-base hits, including 83 doubles, seven triples, and 30 home runs. The Bulldogs have drawn 233 combined walks, third in the Big South. UNCA pitchers have an 8.10 team ERA with a .309 team batting average against.
 
Blaize Johnson leads the Bulldogs with a .345 seasonal batting average, sixth in the Big South, one of two regulars hitting over .300 on the year, with Owen Michelson batting .318. Johnson is tied for fourth with 15 doubles and is fifth in the Big South with a team-best 11 home runs.
 
First Time We Met – UNC Asheville 8, Western Carolina 4:
Asheville used a pair of big innings to upend Western Carolina in nonconference action at Greenwood Field, scoring four runs in the fourth before tacking on three insurance markers in the eighth. The Bulldog pitchers silenced the Catamounts, limiting WCU to just three base hits, all before the end of the third inning. WCU failed to record a hit over the final 6.1 innings. Mason Holton (2-for-4) doubled and singled, while Jaylen Jones (1-for-3) drove in a run with a base knock. The Catamounts stranded eight base runners in the road loss.
 
Western Carolina and UNC Asheville – Series History:
Tuesday marks the 86th all-time series meeting between the Catamounts and Bulldogs on the baseball diamond, with WCU leading the series 59-26. Asheville snapped WCU's six-game series win streak back on March 24 with an 8-4 decision at Greenwood Field, though WCU has won seven of the last 11 series meetings. The Catamounts have won 33 of the 45 series meetings (33-12) played in Cullowhee all-time.
 
On Deck for Western Carolina:
The Catamounts open their final four-game road swing of the regular season this weekend, traveling to Wake Forest for a three-game series against the Demon Deacons at the David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem. Games on Friday and Saturday are scheduled for 6 p.m., with a 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday. Each game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Xtra (paid subscription required) and available through the WatchESPN app.
 
Wake Forest (32-17) tips the scale at No. 21 in the national RPI this week, winners of four-straight after sweeping Louisville over the weekend. The Deacs, who are receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches poll, are 22-5 at home this season
 
WCU concludes its road schedule next Tuesday, May 12, with a trip to Clinton, S.C., to face the Presbyterian Blue Hose at 6 p.m.
 
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