Weekend Series MatchUP
Game 1: Friday, March 5 | 4:00 p.m. EST
Game 2: Saturday, March 6 | 1:00 p.m. EST
Game 3: Saturday, March 6 | 4:30 p.m. EST
USC Upstate (6-0, 0-0 BSC) vs Radford (4-3, 0-0 BSC)
Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park | Spartanburg, S.C.

TV: ESPN+ (Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App)
PxP: Lenny Mathis
Color: Scott Netkovick

Projected Starting Pitchers
Game 1: RHP Jordan Marks [2-0, 0.71 ERA, 17K] vs. RHP Greg Duncan [1-0, 2.38 ERA, 13K]
Game 2: RHP Alex Garbrick [2-0, 0.93 ERA, 14K] vs. LHP Vinnie Venturi [1-0, 3.00 ERA, 11K]
Game 3: RHP Ben Ferrer [2-0, 5.40 ERA, 13K] vs. RHP Ryan Bywaters [0-1, 2.25 ERA, 10K]

Series History
Friday will mark just the sixth all-time meeting between the Spartans and Highlanders. Radford took the first two meetings between the two programs back in 2016 and holds an overall 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. Upstate took the season series 2-1 against Radford on the road in 2019 after winning game one 4-3, dropping game two 3-1, and bouncing back to win game three 7-6.

Last Time Out
The Spartans are coming off their second straight weekend sweep after taking all three games against College of Charleston on the road last weekend. The Highlanders swept the weekend against Villanova but they are coming off a 5-1 midweek loss to Liberty.

Ones to Watch
Upstate:

• Friday night ace Jordan Marks is 2-0 on the season and leads the Big South with 17 strikeouts and holds a team-best 0.71 ERA. He also leads the league in opposing batting average (.116), innings pitched (12.2), and batters struck out looking (8).
• Saturday starter Alex Garbrick is also 2-0 on the year and ranks third in the Big South in ERA and strikeouts. He boasts a 0.93 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched. He's held opponents to a .171 batting average in his two appearances, which ranks eighth in the conference.
• Jack Gallagher has started all six games for Upstate and is currently on a nine game hit streak. He ranks fourth in the Big South with a .444 batting average. He also leads the Spartans with 12 hits and eight RBI, which both rank third in the conference. Gallagher went 2-for-5 at the plate with four RBI in the series finale against Charleston.
• Jeff Taylor has appeared in four games for the Spartans so far this season and is batting .538 with two doubles, two RBI, and four runs scored.

Radford:

• Sean Cheely leads the Highlanders at the plate with a .364 batting average. He was recently named Big South Player of the Week on Monday after going 7-for-13 with two doubles, a triple, a homer, and four runs scored in three games last week. He was a single shy of the cycle against Villanova on Sunday.
• Dac Archer is batting .320 on the year and pushed across Radford's lone run against Liberty on Tuesday with an RBI single in the third inning.
• All three starting Radford pitchers hold a 3.00 ERA or better. Greg Duncan leads the staff in strikeouts with 13.

Notes

• Head coach Mike McGuire is on pace to hit 400 career wins this season. He is just 11 wins shy of that milestone and currently holds an all-time record of 389-281 in his career.
• The Spartans are currently riding a nine-game win streak dating back to March 8, 2020 against Northwestern. Upstate has recorded eight or more hits in each game during that span, 11 or more hits in five of those games, and at least one extra-base hit in each of those nine games.
• Upstate currently leads the conference and ranks in the top-25 nationally in several offensive statistical categories. As a team, the Spartans hold a league-best .321 batting average that ranks 14^th in the nation. They also lead the conference in on base percentage (.422, 17^th nationally) and scoring (8.3 runs per game, 24^th nationally).
• On the mound, the Spartan pitching staff leads the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.15, third nationally), strikeouts per nine innings (13.3, seventh nationally), and walks allowed per nine innings (2.17, seventh nationally).

UP Next for the Spartans
The Spartans will see their first midweek action on Tuesday, March 9 when they travel to Clemson for a matchup against the Tigers. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

Fan Experience Update
Starting this weekend against Radford, Upstate will be selling beer at all Friday and Saturday home baseball games. Options include Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light Seltzer, RJ Rockers Hazy IPA, and RJ Rockers Son of a Peach. Please drink responsibly.

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.

JOIN UP
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes!  Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!

Keep UP with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateBSB @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateBSB @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans