SPARTANBURG, S.C. –Returning to Cleveland S. Harley Park to complete the team's season-long eight-game homestand holding a five-game winning streak following a pair of walk-off victories in the midweek, USC Upstate baseball begins Big South Conference play as it welcomes Gardner-Webb for a three-game series.
Weekend Series presented by Boiling Springs Auto
March 15-17, 2024 | 4:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (11-7; 0-0 Big South) vs. Gardner-Webb (6-10; 0-0 Big South)
Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (11-7; 0-0 Big South); Gardner-Webb (6-10; 0-0 Big South)
Series: Series tied 18-18
Last Five Meetings: May 7, 2023 (UPST 11; GWU 6); May 6, 2023 (UPST 4; GWU 0); May 5, 2023 (UPST 5; GWU 1); May 26, 2022 (UPST 4; GWU 2); April 30, 2022 (UPST 4; GWU 1)
Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Gardner-Webb
Game One: RHP
Noah Sullivan (3-1; 4.09 ERA) | RHP Blake Brogdon (1-3; 7.88 ERA)
Game Two: RHP
Mathieu Curtis (1-1; 4.05 ERA) | LHP Reid Bertram (1-0; 2.63 ERA)
Game Three: LHP
Henry Proger (2-1; 5.06 ERA) | LHP Michael Ciminiello (0-1; 6.75 ERA)
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Delivering the Spartans' second consecutive walk-off home run Wednesday versus Tennessee Tech, redshirt senior shortstop
Troy Hamilton slugged his Big South-leading eighth homer of the year, homering in both games against the Golden Eagles. He enters the opening weekend of conference play posting a three-slash line of .357/.458/.829 while collecting seven doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 18 RBI, and 22 runs scored. He also carries a five-game hitting and nine-game reached base streak into the weekend.
Gardner-Webb: The lone Runnin' Bulldog regular hitting greater than .300 on the season, graduate student first baseman Alec Burns heads into the weekend off his second career two-homer game, doing so against Valparaiso in the midweek. He's fashioned a .345/.472/.655 three-slash line, adding three doubles, five homers, 12 RBI, and 12 runs scored on the season.
Up Next for the Spartans
Coming off a season-long eight-game homestand at Cleveland S. Harley Park, Upstate heads to Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. to host No. 20 South Carolina next Tuesday. The game marks the second straight season the Spartans have hosted the Gamecocks at the home of the Greenville Drive with the midweek first pitch slated for 6 p.m. ET.
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