Weekend Series MatchUP
Game 1: Friday, March 19 ¦ 4:00 p.m. EST
Game 2: Saturday, March 20 ¦ 1:00 p.m. EST
Game 3: Saturday, March 20 ¦ 4:30 p.m. EST
USC Upstate (12-2, 5-2 BSC) vs High Point University (6-7, 4-3 BSC)
Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park ¦ Spartanburg, S.C.

TV (Friday Only): ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
PxP: Mark Childress
Color: Scott Netkovick

Projected Starting Pitchers
Game 1: RHP Jordan Marks [3-0, 2.42 ERA, 32K] vs RHP Grey Lyttle [1-3, 2.25 ERA, 32K]
Game 2: RHP Alex Garbrick [3-0, 1.66 ERA, 25K] vs RHP Carter Sheppard [0-1, 1SV 1.10 ERA, 16K]
Game 3: TBA vs TBA

Series History
Friday will be the sixth meeting all-time between the Spartans and the Panthers dating back to April 4, 2008, when the Spartans defeated the Panthers 5-4 in Spartanburg. The Panthers then won the next three games of the series before the Spartans snapped the losing streak in a 7-5 home win on March 24, 2019 in game three of a weekend series in the most recent matchup between the two programs. High Point holds the advantage in the all-time series 3-2.

Last Time Out
A solid day on the mound paired with a late two-RBI double from Chase Matheny helped the Spartans get back in the win column Wednesday afternoon after defeating UNC Asheville 4-1 at Harley Park. Full Recap

The Panthers enter the weekend following a 9-2 home win over Longwood this past Tuesday in their first midweek game of the season. Cole Singsank had a pair of doubles and 3 RBIs, and Joe Johnson hit a two-run homer in the fifth. Full Recap

Ones to Watch
Upstate:

• Upstate ace Jordan Marks enters the weekend 3-0 on the season and tied for the conference lead with 32 strikeouts. Marks also finds himself first in the conference in batters struck out looking at 13, and strikeout-to-walk ratio with an incredible K/BB of 32.0, which also leads all of Division I.
• The second man in Upstate's pitching rotation, Alex Garbrick, comes into the series boasting a 1.66 ERA and a .184 opposing batting average, good enough for third and sixth in the conference, respectively. Garbrick also boasts an impressive 25 strikeouts on the season, which ranks fourth in the conference.
• Shortstop and leadoff man Jason Matthews will look to continue his strong start to the season as he enters the weekend on an eight-game hit streak dating back to the Spartans' March 5th matchup with Radford. Matthews currently ranks as the conference leader in hits with 25 and doubles with 8, and ranks seventh in the conference in batting average at .397, and third in the conference in runs scored with 15.
• The other member of Upstate's middle infield duo, Cameron Macintosh, currently ranks second on the team in batting average (.358) and slugging percentage (.453). Macintosh has started every game this season for the Spartans at second base, and carries an impressive .977 fielding percentage heading into the weekend. 

High Point:

• First baseman Cole Singsank enters the weekend series riding a five-game hit streak following a 2-4 outing against Longwood during the week. Singsank leads the Panthers in batting average, OPS, RBI, and slugging percentage at .371, 1.029, 10, and .600, respectively. Singsank's impressive numbers at the plate also see him ranked amongst the conference leaders, as he currently stands at seventh in the Big South Conference in RBI, and ninth in slugging percentage.
• High Point ace Grey Lyttle enters the weekend with 32 strikeouts, which sees him tied with Upstate starter Jordan Marks for the conference lead, and an impressive K/BB of 8.00. Lyttle also boasts an ERA of 2.25 which leads the Panthers' pitching staff and ranks fourth in the Big South Conference.

Notes

• Upstate head coach Mike McGuire enters the weekend five wins away from his 400th career win, and boasts a career record of 395-281. His current record at Upstate is 25-7.
• Upstate enters the weekend with some strong offensive numbers, leading the conference in team batting average (.301), runs (97), hits (140), hit-by-pitch (31), and on-base percentage (0.399).
• Upstate's dominance on the mound and in the field is also reflected in Big South Conference's statistical rankings, with the Spartans leading the conference in ERA (2.74), strikeouts (141), and fielding percentage (0.986).
• With an overall record of 12-2 and a current RPI ranking of 32, the Spartans lead all Division I baseball programs in the state of South Carolina in both categories.
• National Team Rankings: Ninth in strikeout to walk ratio (4.06), T-25th in batting average (.301), tied for sixth in hit-by-pitch (31), and 17^th in ERA (2.88)
• Upstate is receiving votes in the USC Today Sports Top 25 Coaches' Poll as well as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 30 Poll.

UP Next for the Spartans
Upstate hosts Presbyterian College in a Big South midweek matchup on Tuesday, March 16. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. from Harley Park.

Home Game Attendance Information
Due to social distancing protocols for all outdoor venues at USC Upstate, attendance in the grandstands will be limited this spring. Fans are required to wear face coverings, and tailgate chairs are encouraged for fans to utilize the grass berms at Harley Baseball Park. Spectators will be asked not to congregate in groups of six or more and maintain at least six feet from others on the grass areas. Admission for these events is complimentary thanks to our on-going partnership with Ingles Markets. For more information, click here.

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