Wednesday's MatchUP
May 4, 2022 | 6:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (27-17; 13-5 Big South) at Western Carolina (20-23; 5-7 SoCon)
Hennon Stadium | Cullowhee, N.C.
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Western Carolina
RHP Trey Miller (1-3; 5.44 ERA) | RHP Nick Hyde (0-0; 8.62 ERA)
 
Series History
After meeting in the season's first midweek back on Feb. 23, USC Upstate and Western Carolina are meeting for just the third time in the Spartans' Division I era (2007-pres.) Wednesday night. The two teams have split the series with the Catamounts taking the first meeting of the series 5-2 on March 6, 2020, before the Spartans won 9-3 on Feb. 23.
 
Last Time Out
Upstate: vs. Gardner-Webb (L, 10-3; W, 9-8; W, 4-1)
Western Carolina: vs. VMI (W, 7-6; L, 14-8; W, 8-5 [10])
 
Players to Watch
USC Upstate:
Pitcher: Taking the ball for the Spartans, sophomore right-hander Trey Miller will make his ninth start—third in the midweek—this season, entering the game with a 1-3 record and 5.44 earned run average over 44.2 innings of work. In two midweek starts, he's pitched 11.0 innings, collecting six total strikeouts while posting a 3.27 ERA and holding opponents to a .256 batting average. In his last midweek start against Cincinnati on March 14, Miller struck out a career-high five batters over 5.2 innings of work.
 
Position Player: After homering in three straight games—the first Spartan to accomplish the feat in the team's D1 era (2007-pres.), senior outfielder Noah Myers garnered Big South Player of the Week honors. He finished last weekend's series with Gardner-Webb slugging 1.083, hitting three homers, and driving in six runs. Of his three home runs, none was bigger than his homer in game three, a three-run shot that put Upstate ahead in a 4-1 victory.
 
Western Carolina:
Pitcher: Earning the start in Wednesday's midweek contest, righty Nick Hyde will make his third start for the Catamounts with each coming within the last week. He earned the start in last week's midweek game versus Presbyterian, tossing 2.0 innings and recording each out with a strikeout before picking up a start Sunday at VMI, going 3.1 innings with three more strikeouts. On the season, Hyde owns a 0-0 record and an 8.62 ERA over 15.2 innings of work, mostly in relief.
 
Position Player: The lone Catamount to start each game this season for Western Carolina, shortstop Pascanel Ferreras enters the midweek leading his team in extra-base hits with 27 of his 60 hits on the year going for extra bases, including a team-best 12 homers. He leads Western Carolina in multi-hit games with 19 while also leading the Catamounts in multi-RBI games with 12, driving home a team-best 43 this season.
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Following the team's midweek contest, Upstate continues its five-game road swing with a crucial Big South series at Longwood. The Spartans and Lancers meet for three games, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. before the series wraps Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
JOIN UP
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes! Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!
 
Sparty's Ball and Auction:
Reserve your tickets for Sparty's Ball and Auction featuring The Andrews Brothers Dueling Pianos, Saturday, May 21, 2022, at upstatespartans.com/spartysball.

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