SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After seeing Mother Nature affect the team's midweek contest, USC Upstate baseball returns to action to close out a four-game homestand at Cleveland S. Harley Park, hosting UNC Asheville in a three-game Easter weekend series as the Ingles I-26 Rivalry Series hits the diamond for the first time.
 
Ingles I-26 Rivalry Series
March 28-30, 2024 | 5:00 p.m. / 5:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (15-11; 4-2 Big South) vs. UNC Asheville (11-12; 1-2 Big South)
Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (15-11; 4-2 Big South); UNC Asheville (11-12; 1-2 Big South)
Series: USC Upstate leads 17-9-1
Last Five Meetings: April 16, 2023 (AVL 10; UPST 7); April 15, 2023 (AVL 9; UPST 4); April 14, 2023 (UPST 10; AVL 4); May 15, 2022 (UPST 5; AVL 5); May 14, 2022 (AVL 11; UPST 3)
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | UNC Asheville
Game One: RHP Noah Sullivan (5-1; 3.79 ERA) | LHP Nick Bruno (0-2; 5.06 ERA)
Game Two: RHP Mathieu Curtis (1-2; 5.90 ERA) | LHP Cole Schiff (2-0; 5.34 ERA)
Game Three: LHP Henry Proger (3-2; 5.28 ERA) | RHP Colby Guy (4-1; 4.45 ERA)
 
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Reaching base three times with a pair of hits and an HBP Tuesday, redshirt senior centerfielder Daniel Gernon upped his team-leading on-base percentage to .492, complementing his .347 batting average and .526 slugging percentage. Slotting in atop the Spartan order, he leads the Big South and ranks 10^th in the country in runs scored, scoring 37 times. He also enters the weekend leading the conference in times hit by pitch and triples, ranking 18^th and 14 in the NCAA, respectively, in the categories.
 
UNC Asheville: One of the players in the Big South Conference with 10 or more doubles, senior first baseman Michael Groves ranks third in the conference and 33^rd in the country in total doubles with 10. He represents the Bulldogs' second-leading hitter as he's fashioned a three-slash line of .310/.410/.464 while recording 26 hits and 18 RBI. He also enters the weekend series sporting a five-game hitting streak.
 
Up Next for the Spartans
Upon the conclusion of the team's four-game homestand, the Spartans host one more time as the team hosts Clemson at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. next Tuesday. The contest marks the second of three meetings this season with Clemson and Upstate's second and final game at Fluor Field this season.
 
Tickets on Sale for Sparty's Ball – Saturday, May 18
Support USC Upstate Athletics at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund. The UAF impacts current and future generations of Spartans, developing champions on the field, building scholars in the classroom, and preparing leaders for life. Presented by the Sports Medicine Institute, a division of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Sparty's Ball features live and silent auction items, delicious food from Cribbs Catering, beverages, and live entertainment from Under the Sun, and held at a new location, Indigo Hall in downtown Spartanburg. Come dressed in your Spartan best—cocktail attire is required. For details and tickets, log onto www.upstatespartans.com/spartysball.

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