Weekend Series MatchUP
Game 1: Friday, April 16 | 6:00 p.m. EST
Game 2: Saturday, April 17 (DH) | 1:00 p.m. EST
Game 3: Saturday, April 17 (DH) | 4:30 p.m. EST
USC Upstate (22-7, 13-7 BSC) at Charleston Southern (10-14, 10-10 BSC)
Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark | Charleston, S.C.
Projected Starting Pitchers
Game 1: RHP Jordan Marks [5-1, 1.90 ERA, 61K] vs. RHP R.J. Petit [3-3, 2.86 ERA, 45K]
Game 2: RHP Alex Garbrick [4-2, 2.06 ERA, 39K] vs. TBA
Game 3: RHP Nate Payne [0-0, 3.77 ERA, 10K] vs. TBA
Series History
Friday will be the 26th meeting between the two clubs in Upstate's Division I era, dating back to May 7, 2009, when the Spartans defeated the Buccaneers 10-3 in Spartanburg. Charleston Southern currently holds a 13-12 edge in the series, and Upstate enters this weekend looking to snap a four-game slide against the Bucs that dates back to May 10, 2019. This will be the first time the two sides have met since their Big South Conference Tournament matchup on May 21, 2019, when the Buccaneers advanced with a 6-2 win.
Last Time Out
Upstate enters the weekend series following a 9-7 win this past Tuesday at cross-town rival Wofford. The Spartans started fast, plating two runs in the top of the first off oa two-RBI single from first baseman Jack Gallagher. The Terriers, however, would plate a run in the bottom of the first and third innings on a pair of sac flies to centerfield. The Spartans answered right back in the top of the fourth, as Jason Matthews stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and ripped a bases-clearing double off of the wall in left field to give Upstate a 5-2 lead. Noah Rabon then extended his on-base streak to 20 games to bring Matthews around to score with an RBI single immediately after to stretch the lead to 6-2. Wofford once again responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth, and the two sides traded a pair of runs in the sixth to bring the score to 7-4. The Spartans would add a bit of insurance in the top of the seventh when Jeff Taylor laced a two-RBI double down the right field line, and those runs would prove to be crucial as the Terriers plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth to cut the deficit to 9-7. Closer Kevin Davis entered in the bottom of the eighth in relief of Jake Cubbler to get the Spartans out of the jam, and he would go on to blank the Terriers in the ninth and pickup his fifth save of the year.
Charleston Southern comes into the weekend series following a 9-0 road defeat to No. 11 South Carolina this past Tuesday. The Buccaneers were held to just four singles on the night, and surrendered a pair of home runs as the Gamecocks jumped out to an 8-0 lead after just four innings. The Buccaneers will enter the weekend series against Upstate having lost three straight, including two losses to Big South Conference foe Campbell last weekend.
Ones to Watch
Upstate:
- Jeff Taylor enters the weekend series following a crucial outing at the plate against Wofford in which his two-RBI double in the seventh proved to be the difference for the Spartans. Taylor will look to extend a five-game hit streak that dates back to the April 6 matchup with Georgia Tech. He leads the Spartans in batting average (.368), OPS (1.061), and slugging percentage (.618). Additionally, Taylor is tied with Jason Matthews for second on the team in on-base percentage at .443. Taylor currently ranks fourth in the conference in batting average and fifth in slugging percentage.
- Senior shortstop Jason Matthews is carrying a six-game hit streak into this weekend's series, and has recorded seven RBI in Upstate's last three games. Matthews leads the Spartans in hits and runs with 41 and 29, respectively, and is third on the team in batting average at .325. Matthews' 41 hits are also the best in the Big South Conference, and his 12 doubles leads all Spartan hitters and all of the Big South Conference.
- Devin Buckner is carrying a six-game hitting streak of his own into this weekend, and he has recorded at least one RBI in five straight games for the Spartans. Buckner ranks second on the Spartans' roster in batting average (.343), OPS (.958), hits (35), and RBI (27), and leads the Spartans in walks (20) and on-base percentage (.478). He also ranks fourth in the conference in hits and RBI, second in walks, and third in on-base percentage.
Charleston Southern:
- Tyrell Brewer has been a standout player for the Buccaneers thus far, and he enters the weekend series as CSU's leader in batting average at .338 and on-base percentage at .459. Brewer is also tied for the team lead in hits at 27, and ranks second on the team in runs at 16. He has proven to be a difficult out for opposing pitchers, as has reached base safely in 10 consecutive games dating back to the March 26 matchup with Presbyterian.
- Johnny Oliveira enters this weekend boasting a .311 batting average, and leads the team in slugging percentage and OPS at .508 and .899, respectively. Oliveira will look to get back on track at the plate after he saw his four-game hit streak snapped in the Buccaneers' midweek matchup with South Carolina.
Notes
- Upstate continues to rank favorably in the Big South offensive statistical rankings, as the club currently rank first in the Big South in hits (286), and second in batting average (.290), runs (189), doubles (52), RBI (172), slugging percentage (.402), bit-by-pitch (56), and on-base percentage (.386).
- The Spartan pitching staff has continued to dominate, and ranks first in the Big South Conference in team ERA (2.71), runs allowed (93), earned runs allowed (77), opposing batting average (.228), and strikeouts (265).
- National Rankings: Fourth in team ERA (2.71), T-sixth in hit-by-pitch (56), 22nd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.12), 33rd in RPI, 35th in USA Today Coaches' Poll.
- On Wednesday, Jordan Marks became the first-ever Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list honoree in USC Upstate's program history since the inception of the award in 2013. Additionally, he is just the fourth-ever member of the Big South Conference to make the list, and first since 2014. Since 1978, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award.
- Jason Matthews was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List this week. The award honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation.
UP Next for the Spartans
USC Upstate will travel to Presbyterian College for a midweek conference clash on Tuesday, April 20, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. EST.
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