Post by The Cats on May 10, 2019 13:51:37 GMT -5
Western Carolina returns to Southern Conference play on the baseball diamond this weekend, visiting first-place Samford for a three-game set at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The series is slated to open Friday evening 6 pm CT / 7 pm ET with first pitch on Saturday at 2 pm CT / 3 pm ET and Sunday at 1 pm CT / 2 pm ET.
All three games of the series are slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live streaming audio available online at CatamountSports.com. Fans can also follow the game with live stats linked online at CatamountSports.com, with updates on social media available on Twitter using the handle @catamounts.
Samford enters the weekend league-best records of 34-15 and 14-4 in SoCon play – but come into Friday’s game on the heels of dropping its first conference series last weekend, losing 2-of-3 at Mercer last weekend. The Bulldogs reached the 30-win plateau faster than any previous Samford team, doing so back on April 23 in a home win over Alabama A&M.
As a team, the Bulldogs rank in the top half of most offensive categories including fourth in batting average (.281), second in hits (462), scoring (304 runs), RBI (281), and on-base percentage (.380). Samford has been led by Brooks Carlson who leads the league in hits (70) and Sonny DiChiara who ranks second in the SoCon in home runs (15).
Samford also boasts one of the top pitching staffs in the league with a team ERA of 3.79, second in the league, while limiting opponents to a SoCon-low .248 batting average against that includes a SoCon-leading 419 combined strikeouts. Each of Samford’s three weekend starters rank on at least one SoCon top 10 chart while closer Steven Jones boasts a league-best 23 games finished including 11 saves.
Projected Pitching Match-Ups:
Fri., May 10 – WCU: LHP Taylor Purus (3-3, 6.12) vs. SAM: LHP Samuel Strickland (6-2, 4.71)
Sat., May 11 – WCU: RHP Chase Walter (5-4, 4.77) vs. SAM: Zach Hester (6-3, 1.94)
Sun., May 12 – WCU: TBA vs. SAM: RHP Jesse McCord (4-1, 3.18)
All three games of the series are slated to be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live streaming audio available online at CatamountSports.com. Fans can also follow the game with live stats linked online at CatamountSports.com, with updates on social media available on Twitter using the handle @catamounts.
Samford enters the weekend league-best records of 34-15 and 14-4 in SoCon play – but come into Friday’s game on the heels of dropping its first conference series last weekend, losing 2-of-3 at Mercer last weekend. The Bulldogs reached the 30-win plateau faster than any previous Samford team, doing so back on April 23 in a home win over Alabama A&M.
As a team, the Bulldogs rank in the top half of most offensive categories including fourth in batting average (.281), second in hits (462), scoring (304 runs), RBI (281), and on-base percentage (.380). Samford has been led by Brooks Carlson who leads the league in hits (70) and Sonny DiChiara who ranks second in the SoCon in home runs (15).
Samford also boasts one of the top pitching staffs in the league with a team ERA of 3.79, second in the league, while limiting opponents to a SoCon-low .248 batting average against that includes a SoCon-leading 419 combined strikeouts. Each of Samford’s three weekend starters rank on at least one SoCon top 10 chart while closer Steven Jones boasts a league-best 23 games finished including 11 saves.
Projected Pitching Match-Ups:
Fri., May 10 – WCU: LHP Taylor Purus (3-3, 6.12) vs. SAM: LHP Samuel Strickland (6-2, 4.71)
Sat., May 11 – WCU: RHP Chase Walter (5-4, 4.77) vs. SAM: Zach Hester (6-3, 1.94)
Sun., May 12 – WCU: TBA vs. SAM: RHP Jesse McCord (4-1, 3.18)
