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 Senior Blake Murphy leads the Catamounts with eight home runs and 22 walks, which are tied for fourth in the SoCon. |
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March 28, 2008
Cullowhee, N.C. - Winners of two-straight with both experiencing fireworks in the ninth inning, the Western Carolina Catamount baseball team hosts UNC Greensboro for a three-game, Southern Conference series beginning on Friday night at 7:00 pm at Childress Field/Hennon Stadium.
Game two is set for Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm, with the first pitch of the series finale scheduled for 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.
Last season, the Catamounts won 2-of-3 at UNC Greensboro, dropping game three of the set which snapped Western's then nine-game winning streak. Ironically enough, UNCG enters Friday's game winners of nine-straight.
UNCG's current nine-game streak includes three-game sweeps of non-conference foe, Princeton, and last weekend's SoCon sweep of Appalachian State in Boone. Thirteen of the Spartans' 17 victories on the season have come at home, while they are 4-3 on the road.
The Catamounts (8-14) trail in the overall series with UNC Greensboro, 15-22, but hold a 7-4 advantage on games played in Cullowhee. WCU took two from the Spartans in the last meeting in Cullowhee back in the 2006 season.
Western Carolina is coming off of back-to-back wins where the game-winning runs were pushed across in the ninth inning.
On Tuesday, senior Jason Haynes belted his first home run of the season - a two-run, walk-off blast over the "Purple Monster" in left that propelled the Catamounts past East Tennessee State, 12-11. One night later, freshman Ryan Mathews led off with a pinch-hit double down the left field line, scoring on a wild pitch as a part of a two-run ninth as WCU held on to down mountain-rival, UNC Asheville, 12-10, at McCormick Field.
Western is led offensively by sophomore Brent Greer with a team-high .427 batting average, which currently ranks third in the SoCon. Senior Blake Murphy has drawn a team-best 22 walks, tied for fourth in the conference, while his eight home runs have him tied for fifth. Sophomore Nick Liles ranks fifth in the SoCon in doubles, with junior teammate J.C. Lyons right on his heels in sixth with nine, two-baggers.
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Friday Projected Pitching Match-up:
WCU - Drew Saberhagen (LHP, 0-3, 8.36 ERA) vs. Greg Martin (RHP, 2-0, 2.03 ERA)
Saturday Projected Pitching Match-up:
WCU - TBD vs. Matt Gibbs (RHP, 2-0, 5.47 ERA)
Sunday Projected Pitching Match-up:
WCU - TBD vs. Greg Smith (RHP, 2-0, 3.91 ERA)
