Big South Conference Play Begins as Baseball Welcomes High Point to Cleveland S. Harley Park For a Three-Game Set and Championship Rematch

Friday, March 13

Spartanburg, S.C.

3:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

High Point

Jake Armsey Fielding 4th Inn. vs. Wofford Gm 1 2026 - NM

Photo by: Natalia Moll

3/12/2026 2:54:00 PM | Baseball

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Beginning the conference slate against the final Big South team it faced last season, USC Upstate baseball embarks on its newest campaign, opening league play this weekend against High Point in a Big South Baseball Championship rematch at Cleveland S. Harley Park. The Spartans and Panthers met four times last season, with Upstate taking three of four meetings, pushing its series lead to 16-10.

Weekend Matchups
March 13-15, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (8-10; 0-0 Big South) vs. High Point (10-7; 0-0 Big South)
Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.

TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
Radio: Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3 FM/1400 AM | Also available via the Fox Sports Spartanburg or TuneIn App

How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (8-10; 0-0 Big South); High Point (10-7; 0-0 Big South)
Series: USC Upstate leads 16-10
Last Five Meetings: May 23, 2025 (UPST 13; HPU 9); April 6, 2025 (HPU 9; UPST 8); April 5, 2025 (UPST 7; HPU 2); April 4, 2025 (UPST 10; HPU 6); May 25, 2024 (HPU 6; UPST 0)

Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | High Point
Game One: LHP Chris Torres (0-2; 9.00 ERA) | RHP Wade Walton (2-1; 2.22 ERA)
Game Two: RHP Brent Stukes (2-1; 6.75 ERA) | RHP Ty Brachbill (4-0; 3.12 ERA)
Game Three: RHP Max Bianchini (1-2; 8.68 ERA) | RHP Aidan Paul (1-1; 6.23 ERA)

Players to Watch
USC Upstate
Pitcher: Working 3.0 innings of scoreless relief out of the bullpen, redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Jacob Kirby captured his second win of the season Tuesday against Wofford. Scattering one hit and four baserunners, notched his fifth scoreless outing of the season, coming across six appearances. He enters the weekend sporting a 1.10 ERA over 16.1 innings, striking out 11 hitters while holding opponents to a .164 batting average.

Position Player: Driving home three runs with a base-clearing triple in the fifth inning of Tuesday's win over Wofford, redshirt sophomore shortstop Maloy Heaghney reclaimed the team RBI lead, giving him 15 on the season. The game marked his team-lead-tying third multi-RBI game of the season, all three featuring three or more RBI, as he's the only Spartan this season with three-plus RBI on three occasions. He sports a .296/.412/.423 three-slash line with 21 hits, four doubles, one triple, and one home run.

High Point
Pitcher: Taking the ball in game two for the Panthers, junior right-handed pitcher Ty Brachbill carries his league-best 4-0 record into his fifth start of the season. The Northern Illinois transfer boasts a 3.12 ERA and team-high 22 strikeouts on the year, working 26.0 innings. He enters Saturday's game with two outings this season with eight-plus strikeouts, most recently on Feb. 28 against Binghamton.

Position Player: One home run shy of the league lead, senior outfielder Jake McCarter leads the Panthers with five home runs while tying for the team lead with 16 RBI. He enters the weekend with three straight multi-hit games, notching multiple RBI in each of his past two outings. He carries a .304/.351/.580 three-slash line into the series.

Up Next for the Spartans
Returning to the road, Upstate begins a five-game road swing next Wednesday at Charlotte. The Spartans and 49ers meet for a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.

Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans

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