SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Returning to the Big South Baseball Championship for the fifth time in as many chances (no Championship held in 2020) since joining the conference ahead of the 2019 season, USC Upstate baseball enters the latest iteration of the Championship as the No. 3 seed, opening play Thursday at 5 p.m. ET against No. 2 seed High Point.
The Spartans enter the Championship seeking its first Big South Conference Championship title after advancing to the Championship Game last season—the program's first-ever conference Championship Game.
2024 Big South Baseball Championship
May 23-25, 2024 | 5:00 p.m. ET / TBD
#3 USC Upstate (34-22; 16-8 Big South) vs. #2 High Point (31-25; 17-7 Big South)
Truist Point | High Point, N.C.
How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (34-22; 16-8 Big South); High Point (31-25; 17-7 Big South)
Series: USC Upstate leads 13-7
2024 Meetings: May 3, 2024 (HPU 19; UPST 11); May 4, 2024 (UPST 6; HPU 3); May 5, 2024 (HPU 13; UPST 7)
Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Opponent
Game One: LHP
Jagger Jefferis (5-1; 4.66 ERA) | LHP Matt Little (6-2; 3.86 ERA)
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: After leading all Big South Freshmen in hits (55) and games played (51) and leading all qualified freshmen hitters in batting average (.325) and on-base percentage (.410), freshman third baseman
Vance Sheahan garnered Big South Freshman of the Year honors. He enters the 2024 Big South Baseball Championship holding a 29-game reached base streak, the longest by a Spartan since
Noah Sullivan—Upstate's last Big South Freshman of the Year—crafted a 34-game reached base streak in 2022. Adding to his 55 hits, Sheahan adds 27 runs, 27 RBI, and 25 free bases while stealing four bases.
High Point: One of four First Team All-Big South selections for the Panthers, graduate student infielder Cael Chatham is the lone qualified High Point hitter posting a batting average greater than .300 as he's hitting .322 on the season while adding a .455 on-base percentage and .635 slugging percentage to close out his slash line. He's collected 67 hits, 15 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, and 53 RBI on the season, leading the Panthers in the latter two categories.
Up Next for the Spartans
In the double-elimination format of the Big South Baseball Championship, Upstate returns to action Friday afternoon at either 11 a.m. ET of 3:00 p.m. The Spartans will play either No. 1 seed Presbyterian or No. 4 seed Charleston Southern Friday.
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
