2023 Big South Baseball Championship
May 25, 2023 | 5:00 p.m. ET
No. 2 USC Upstate (36-20; 21-6 Big South) vs. No. 3 Winthrop (27-26; 15-12 Big South)
Truist Point | High Point, N.C.
 
Tickets: Click Here to Order
TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Opponent
Game One: RHP Reese Dutton (9-3; 3.46 ERA) | RHP Brody Hopkins (1-4; 5.33 ERA)
 
Series History
Meeting in the first round of the 2023 Big South Baseball Championship, USC Upstate and Winthrop meet for the 16^th time in the Spartans' Division I era (2007-pres.). The Spartans hold an 8-7 lead in the series after taking a three-game series at Harley Park from March 31 to April 2. The series victory marked Upstate's first against the Eagles since joining the Big South, having dropped four of the previous five meetings heading into the 2023 season.
 
Last Time Out
May 20, 2023: No. 9 Campbell 12; USC Upstate 9 [12 inn.]
May 20, 2023: Winthrop 7; Longwood 6
 
Players to Watch
USC Upstate:
Pitcher: Taking the ball in game one of the 2023 Big South Baseball Championship, redshirt junior right-hander Reese Dutton takes the ball in the first game of a series or weekend for the Spartans for the fifteenth time this year, the only pitcher in the Big South to do so this season. He's proved the most durable starting pitcher in the league this season, leading the conference with 83.1 innings this season, pitching to a league-high nine wins while ranking second in total strikeouts with 96. Earning the start against Winthrop, he matches up against the team he faced in his best career outing as he went a career-long 8.0 innings while striking out nine in a 7-2 Upstate win on March 31.
 
Position Player: Adding a home run, five RBI, and 10 total bases to his season totals last weekend as Upstate took its series with No. 9 Campbell, redshirt junior first baseman Grant Sherrod built upon his Division I era (2007-pres.) single-season records as he proved he is one of the top hitters in the Big South. He enters the postseason ranked second in the conference in total RBI (63), fourth in home runs (15), fourth in total bases (130), and 10^th in hits (68) as he's posted a three-slash line of .324/.415/.619 while adding 44 runs scored, 31 walks, and eight stolen bases.
 
Winthrop:
Pitcher: Earning the start for the Eagles in game one of the 2023 Big South Baseball Championship, right-hander Brody Hopkins makes his 12^th start of the season, as he's accrued 50.2 innings and 64 strikeouts on the season. He's pitched to a 5.33 earned run average and 1-4 record over his 12 starts this season while holding his opponents to a .196 batting average. He started game three of Winthrop's series with Upstate, tossing 4.0 innings as he surrendered three hits, five walks, and three earned runs as he struck out six batters.
 
Position Player: Winthrop's leading hitter this season, outfielder Rick Teel enters the postseason sporting a slash line of .323/.367/.373 as he's picked up 52 hits, 17 RBI, and 29 runs scored over 40 games. Of his 52 hits, seven have gone for extra bases while he's added 13 free bases (seven walks and six HBP) and four steals on the year. He did not appear in the Eagles' series against USC Upstate from March 31-April 2.
 
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics 
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans 
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YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans 
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