SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Coming off a three-game sweep of Rider and continuing its eight-game homestand, USC Upstate baseball returns to Cleveland S. Harley Park for its final two-game midweek series as Tennessee Tech heads to Spartanburg to face the Spartans for the first time in Upstate's Division I era (2007-pres.).
Midweek Series
March 12-13, 2024 | 4:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (9-7; 0-0 Big South) vs. Tennessee Tech (10-5; 0-0 OVC)
Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (9-7; 0-0 Big South); Tennessee Tech (10-5; 0-0 OVC)
Series: First Meeting
Last Five Meetings: First Meeting
Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Tennessee Tech
Game One: RHP
Darin Kuskie (0-0; 10.80 ERA) | To Be Announced
Game Two: To Be Announced | To Be Announced
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Tying for the team lead with nine hits last week, redshirt junior outfielder
Koby Kropf upped his team-leading hitting and reached base streak to 12 games—the longest active streak by a Spartan and the longest of both streaks completely contained during the 2024 season. He closed the weekend with a pair of doubles and three RBI in Upstate's 16-10 win over Rider, recording his first career multi-double game and his fifth multi-RBI game of the season. Overall, he carries a .351 batting average into the midweek as he's slugged five homers and driven home 18 runs.
Tennessee Tech: Slugging six homers and totaling 21 runs batted in, junior infielder Preston Steele leads the Ohio Valley Conference in total RBI while sporting a .283 batting average and .674 slugging percentage this season. He's recorded six multi-RBI games in his first season in a Golden Eagle uniform with five of those six games seeing him drive in three or more runs.
Up Next for the Spartans
Concluding the team's eight-game homestand at Cleveland S. Harley Park, Upstate opens the 2024 Big South Conference slate, welcoming Gardner-Webb for a three-game weekend set. The Spartans and Runnin' Bulldogs are set for first pitch times of 3 p.m. ET Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
