Winston-Salem, N.C. – Western Carolina steps out of conference this weekend, playing three of its final four regular-season road games as the Catamounts visit ACC foe Wake Forest at the David L. Couch Ballpark. Friday and Saturday's games are scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, with first pitch on Sunday slated for 1 p.m.
Each game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Xtra (
paid subscription required), available through the WatchESPN app. Live stats links are available online at CatamountSports.com.
Western Carolina (32-17) enters Friday's opener riding a three-game win streak, with victories in four of its last five games overall. The Catamounts have won five straight weekend series dating back to the beginning of April, scoring series victories on the road over Winthrop, at home against Mercer, at VMI, against ETSU in Cullowhee, and last weekend at Wofford.
Wake Forest (32-17) won four in a row, sweeping Louisville at home last weekend by a combined four runs, including two one-run victories and the third by two runs. The Demon Deacons are an impressive 22-5 at home this season.
Both teams enter the weekend among the Top 50 nationally in RPI from the NCAA. The Catamounts tipped the scale at No. 48 in the most recent national rating, while Wake Forest represents the second-highest rated team on WCU's schedule at No. 20 overall.
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Friday, May 8 – 6 p.m.
WCU: So. RHP
Carter Burnette (12 app., 12 GS – 2-6, 6.43 ERA, 63.0 IP, 54K, 23BB)
Wake: So. RHP Chris Levonas (12 app., 12 GS – 8-3, 3.28 ERA, 60.1 IP, 96K, 27BB)
Saturday, May 9 – 6 p.m.
WCU: Jr. RHP
James Fordham (15 app., 7 GS – 4-3, 5.05 ERA, 51.2 IP, 40K, 26BB)
Wake: So. RHP Troy Dressler (17 app., 5 GS – 6-1, 4.87 ERA, 44.1 IP, 63K, 20BB)
Sunday, May 10 – 1 p.m.
WCU: Fr. LHP
Evan Myers (13 app., 11 GS – 5-1, 4.24 ERA, 46.2 IP, 38K, 26 BB)
Wake: TBA
Around the Southern Conference:
Six of the eight league teams meet this weekend, as again two squads step out of conference – both visiting ACC opponents before next weekend's regular-season finale. WCU visits Wake Forest and UNCG (6-12) travels to Blacksburg, Va., to face Virginia Tech this weekend, with the two scheduled to meet in Cullowhee next weekend.
Meanwhile, the trio of remaining league matchups each hold implications for the 2026 regular-season championship as four teams enter the weekend tied at 9-6 in the league, second behind WCU (12-6). One of the hottest teams in the league, Mercer (9-6), hosts VMI (3-12) in Macon, Ga., while Samford (9-6) visits The Citadel (6-9) in a battle of SoCon Bulldogs. The biggest head-to-head match-up with bearings on the standings is in Spartanburg, S.C., as Wofford (9-6) hosts ETSU (9-6).
By virtue of winning the respective series against each of the four teams that trail them in the SoCon standings, the Catamounts hold the tiebreaker over each team currently tracking them heading down the stretch in the league race.
Catamount Diamond Notes:
- Western Carolina enters the weekend having won eight of its last 10 games overall, with victories in 12 of its last 15 games overall;
- WCU has won 22 of the 24 games it has led after six innings and 18 of the 20 games when leading after seven innings … the Catamounts are undefeated when carrying a lead through eight innings this season;
- WCU (32-17) 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;
- Western Carolina enters the weekend second in the Southern Conference with 73 home runs and fourth with 95 doubles … WCU is third in the SoCon with 370 runs scored, coming on 467 combined hits – tied for second in the league;
- The Catamounts enter the weekend tied for 38th nationally with a SoCon-leading 39 double-plays turned this season;
- Injuries & Scratches – WCU saw the return of RHP Bryant Kimbrel and OF Wyatt Stanley in the midweek win over UNC Asheville … Kimbrell had been out since late March after exiting a win over Samford with a throwing arm issue … Stanley had been out of the lineup since April 11, when he exited with a hand injury amidst an at-bat against Mercer … WCU hopes to return Jaylen Jones to the lineup after missing the past four games with a lower body injury after being struck with a ground ball during practice in the idle midweek before the Wofford series … Jones has been filling-in for OF Elijah Smith, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to injury;
- Wyatt Stanley returned and extended his active reached base safely streak to a team-long 22 games, matching the squad's seasonal long of 22 set by Trent Turner, which was snapped in the opener at Wofford last Friday;
Making a Case, Building A Resume:
Western Carolina enters the weekend in the driver's seat in the Southern Conference race, idle from league play but holding a 12-6 record with the tiebreakers over each of the four teams tied behind them at 9-6. A first-place finish would secure WCU's 24th Southern Conference championship all-time – a 14th regular-season title to accompany 10 tournament titles. WCU's current head coach,
Alan Beck, wore jersey No. 24 during his three-time All-Southern Conference selection career as a Catamount.
The Catamounts also seek to potentially help the Southern Conference return to a multi-bid league in the NCAA postseason. The SoCon ranks seventh among the conferences in RPI with five of the eight teams – Mercer (43), Western Carolina (48), The Citadel (61), ETSU (84), and Samford (92) – each among the Top 100, with Wofford (108) just outside.
Western Carolina has played a difficult schedule, earning five victories over teams currently inside the NCAA Top 50 RPI: 1-0 vs. No. 16 Georgia; 1-0 vs. No. 42 East Carolina; and 3-0 vs. No. 43 Mercer. Combined, WCU is 13-8 against Top 100 teams, adding 1-0 vs. No. 59 Troy; 1-2 vs. No. 61 The Citadel; 2-1 vs. No. 84 ETSU; 0-2 vs. No. 91 USC Upstate; 2-1 vs. No. 92 Samford; 0-2 vs. No. 96 Charlotte; 2-0 vs. No. 99 Appalachian State.
Western Carolina vs. Wake Forest – Series History:
The Catamounts and Demon Deacons meet on the baseball diamond for the 17th time beginning on Friday. WCU trails in the all-time series, 5-11. Wake has won the last six series meetings dating back to a neutral field meeting in 2015, earning a three-game series sweep over the Catamounts in Winston-Salem back in 2024. WCU has dropped nine of the previous 13 series meetings played in Winston-Salem (4-9).
WCU's last win over Wake Forest came in a neutral field meeting at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C. – a 3-2 victory in 12 innings. The Catamounts have not won in Winston since 1984, dropping seven-straight in the Piedmont Triad against the Deacs.
Southern Conference vs. the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Western Carolina has played 12 of the current 18 members of the ACC all-time, having never met Boston College, California, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, SMU, or Syracuse on the diamond. The Catamounts are a collective 62-170-1 against the current membership, with Clemson (81, 16-65) representing the most-played.
Founded in 1921, The Southern Conference gave rise to two of the NCAA's current Power Five conferences – the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1932 and the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953. The SoCon is the nation's fifth-oldest athletics conference. Only the Big Ten (1896), the Missouri Valley (1907), the Pacific 10 (1915), and the Southwestern Athletic (1920) are older in terms of origination.
Eight current ACC schools can trace their conference lineage to the Southern Conference.
Clemson (1921-53), Duke (1928-53), Georgia Tech (1921-32), North Carolina (1921-53), NC State (1921-53), Virginia (1921-37), Virginia Tech (1921-65), and Wake Forest (1936-53) were each members of the SoCon.
On Deck for Western Carolina:
The Catamounts conclude their four-game road swing with a visit to Clinton, S.C., to face the Presbyterian Blue Hose on Tuesday, May 12, with a 6 p.m. start. WCU then hosts UNCG for three beginning on Thursday, capping the weekend with Senior Day and a special graduation ceremony at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
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