Weekend Series
April 21-23, 2023 | 5:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (23-15; 9-3 Big South) vs. Radford (8-30; 0-12 Big South)
Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Radford
Game One: RHP Reese Dutton (6-2; 2.67 ERA) | RHP Dylan Howard (1-6; 6.04 ERA)
Game Two: LHP Henry Proger (5-4; 4.53 ERA) | LHP Ben Keefe (0-0; 7.00 ERA)
Game Three: RHP Mathieu Curtis (4-2; 6.25 ERA) | To Be Announced
 
Series History
Not meeting for the first time until 2016, USC Upstate and Radford meet for the 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th times in the Spartans' Division I era (2007-pres.). Despite seeing the Highlanders win three of the first four meetings, Upstate has won eight of the last 10 in the series, including taking two of three from the Highlanders a year ago. Overall, the Spartans hold a 9-5 advantage in the series.
 
Last Time Out
April 18, 2023: Western Carolina 13; USC Upstate 1
April 18, 2023: Radford 16; Virginia Tech 8
 
Players to Watch
USC Upstate:
Pitcher: Tossing 6.0 innings and striking out seven batters, redshirt junior right-hander Reese Dutton picked up his team-leading sixth win and team-lead-tying fifth quality start of the year in a 10-4 win over UNC Asheville. He enters the weekend with a 6-2 record and 2.67 earned run average over 54.0 innings of work while recording 63 strikeouts to 15 walks. Dutton ranks third in the Big South in ERA, total strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings (10.50), and WHIP (1.07) heading into the Spartans' series with Radford.
 
Position Player: Reaching base twice Tuesday against Western Carolina, redshirt junior first baseman Grant Sherrod extended his reached base streak to 10 games, his second double-digit reached base streak of the season. Through 38 games, he holds a .306/.406/.590 slash line for the Spartans, leading the team in home runs with eighth and RBI with 41, also ranking fifth in the Big South in total RBI. Entering the Radford series, Sherrod holds the team lead with 11 multi-RBI games, five of which have come during conference play.
 
Radford:
Pitcher: Appearing 25 times on the season, right-hander Landon Higgerson has been a go-to arm out of the bullpen for the Highlanders, leading the NCAA in pitching appearances. Having not made a start this season, he ranks third among Highlander pitchers with 42.0 innings as he's pitched to a 7.29 ERA and a 1-3 record. Higgerson's last four appearances have seen him go longer than an inning with his last against Virginia Tech Tuesday seeing him toss 2.0 scoreless innings.
 
Position Player: Entering the weekend's series, catcher Julian Rojas represents Radford's leading hitter, pacing the team in all three slash-line categories, doubles, home runs, and RBI. He's hitting .293 over 37 games with 11 doubles, seven home runs, and 30 RBI. Rojas has driven home a run in each of his last three games and enters the weekend holding a five-game reached base streak.
 
Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing the team's eight-game homestand following a three-game weekend series with Radford, Upstate returns to Cleveland S. Harley Park next weekend for a weekend set against Big South foe Presbyterian. The Spartans and Blue Hose clash from April 28-30 with game times set for 5 p.m., 2 p.m.,  and 1 p.m. ET, respectively.
 
At The Ballpark This Weekend
The weather looks to cooperate this weekend as we host Radford in a 3-game series presented by CEV Upstate and Ingles!  Thanks to our partners at Budweiser of Spartanburg and Sodexo, fans 21+ can enjoy a selection of Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Truly, and Rockers Brewing at the concession stand.  #EnjoyResponsibly
 
For the kids, "Sparty's Sandlot" returns on Friday, as the kids can enjoy Wiffleball in the grass area behind the grandstand of Harley Park.    On Friday, the first 25 kids ages 12 and under score an Upstate logo stress ball as well.
 
Stop by our Ingles Fan Services area and register to win a free pizza from Papa John's, a $10 gift card from Wades, and a free t-shirt from CJ Compton Plumbing along with other Upstate swag.  Should the Spartans hit a homer in the 3rd inning, 14 fans will win a free pizza from Pi Squared Pizza in Drayton Mill (3-14…get it?) and all fans win a free deli sandwich from Ingles if the Spartans hit the bullseye on the left field wall. Hey, it's happened once in 3 years but this could be the weekend!
 
This season the Ingles K's for Kids program returns and Ingles will donate $1 for everyone Upstate pitching strikeout (currently 320) to a local charity on behalf of the Spartan baseball program. This year's recipient is Kids Clubs of the Upstate.
 
Youth Baseball Field of Dreams Program
Has just one remaining eligible date to claim, May 19, at UpstateSpartans.com/fieldofdreams. We welcome teams from Hillbrook, D2, D6, and Gaffney to Harley Park this weekend!
 
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics 
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans 
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans 
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans 
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes!  Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!