Penultimate Non-Conference Weekend Ahead of Baseball with Trip to Yellowhammer State to Face Samford

Friday, April 24

Birmingham, Ala.

7:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

Samford

Henry Zenor 1st AB vs. College of Charleston 2026 - EH

Photo by: Emma Hudson

4/23/2026 11:28:00 AM | Baseball

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With its penultimate weekend of regular-season non-conference competition ahead, USC Upstate baseball concludes its final extended road swing of the season with its second trip to the Yellowhammer State for a three-game weekend series at Samford. The series marks the first meetings between the two clubs as the Bulldogs are the fourth and final new opponent on the Spartans' 2026 schedule.

Weekend Series
April 24-26, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. / 3:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (19-23; 8-10 Big South) vs. Samford (20-19; 8-4 SoCon)
Joe Lee Griffin Field | Birmingham, Ala.

TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App

How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (19-23; 8-10 Big South); Samford (20-19; 8-4 SoCon)
Series: First Meetings
Last Five Meetings: First Meetings

Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Samford
Game One: LHP Chris Torres (4-3; 5.72 ERA) | RHP Joseph Lee (2-0; 4.10 ERA)
Game Two: LHP Max Kaplan (3-4; 5.81 ERA) | RHP Mason Blasche (2-5; 5.98 ERA)
Game Three: RHP Brent Stukes (4-2; 5.63 ERA) | RHP Noah Berry (4-1; 2.18 ERA)

Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Recording a hit Tuesday at Clemson, redshirt freshman centerfielder Trey Bentley extended his team-best reached base streak to 22 games. Over his last 23 games, he's notched separate 10 and nine-game hitting streaks as he's posted a .301/.408/.578 slash line during the streak, collecting 25 of his 33 hits this season. He enters the weekend hitting .287 with eight doubles and five home runs—all coming during his reached base streak.

Samford: Leading the Bulldogs into the weekend, sophomore outfielder Jake Souders ranks 15^th in the NCAA (third in the SoCon) in batting average, hitting .405 on the campaign. He collected 60 hits this season behind 19 multi-hit efforts, ranking 35^th in the NCAA in total hits. Of his 60 hits, 16 have gone for extra bases, including nine home runs.

Up Next for the Spartans
With no midweek game due to the annual "exam week" break, USC Upstate returns to action and Big South Conference play on Friday, May 1 as it begins a three-game series against Gardner-Webb. The Spartans and Runnin' Bulldogs begin their series with a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.

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

TICKETS ON-SALE FOR SPARTY'S BALL – MAY 15^th
Support USC Upstate student-athletes at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraising event of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF), to be held Friday, May 15, 2025, at The Piedmont Club. For tickets, sponsorship, and auction information, click here!