March 12, 2010

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina opens Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at The Citadel at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston, S.C. The Catamounts (10-2) enter this weekend winning five out of their last six contests.

Friday evening's contest will start at 6:00 p.m., while Saturday's match-up is at 2:00 p.m. and the conclusion of the three-game set will be played on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Live stats coverage of this weekend's series will be available online at CatamountSports.com.

The Citadel (8-3) have managed wins over St. Josephs, Hawaii and Marshall this season. The squad is hitting collectively .297 as a team and is led by a pair of sophomores in Nick Orvin and William Ladd.

Orvin has posted a team-high .417 batting average and has six extra-base hits on the season. Ladd has notched a .411 average in 11 contests with 15 hits and six RBI.

Western Carolina swept Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in a two-game midweek series. The Catamounts shutout the Cougars on Tuesday, 6-0, and used a combination of six pitchers in Wednesday's 12-8 victory.

Three Catamount batters are hitting over. 380 in the WCU lineup. Freshman Tyler White leads the squad with 19 hits and 10 RBI, while posting a team-high .388 average. Senior Tyler Kirkpatrick has reached on base safely in 11 of the 12 games played this season. Kirkpatrick has a team-high four home runs with a .383 average. Outfielder Cameron Dullnig is hitting .381 in 12 games and is tied for the team lead in doubles with five.

Friday's contest will feature a premier conference pitching match-up as WCU's Jason Sullivan (3-0, 3.54 ERA) will square off against The Citadel's Asher Wojciechoswki (3-0, 4.24 ERA). The Bulldogs split a series with Hawaii last weekend after dropping the last two games in the contest. The Citadel defeated USC Upstate, 10-3, on Wednesday.

Western Carolina holds the upper-hand in the series as of last as WCU won two out of there last year at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. In 2008, the Catamounts swept the Bulldogs at Riley Park. The Citadel will be looking for their first series win against Western Carolina since 2006.

Live coverage and recap of this weekend's conference-opening series can be accessed online at CatamountSports.com.

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