Baseball Returns to Harley Park and Big South Play, Hosting Gardner-Webb in Three-Game Weekend Set

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – As the regular season hits its final month, USC Upstate baseball, off its final extended road swing of the season, returns home to Cleveland S. Harley Park to host Gardner-Webb in a three-game series, the club's penultimate Big South Conference series of the campaign. Entering the weekend, the Spartans boast a 24-18 lead in the series, having won 12 straight meetings against the Runnin' Bulldogs dating back to the 2022 campaign.

Weekend Series
May 1-3, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (19-26; 8-10 Big South) vs. Gardner-Webb (21-24; 8-10 Big South)
Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.

TV: ESPN+ (Saturday and Sunday Only) | 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 (19-26; 8-10 Big South); Gardner-Webb (21-24; 8-10 Big South)
Series: USC Upstate leads 24-18
Last Five Meetings: April 27, 2025 (UPST 12; GWU 3); April 26, 2025 (UPST 4; GWU 2); April 25, 2025 (UPST 15; GWU 3); March 17, 2024 (UPST 20; GWU 2 [7 inn.]); March 16, 2024 (UPST 8; GWU 5)

Probable Starting Pitchers
USC Upstate | Gardner-Webb
Game One: LHP Chris Torres (4-4; 6.24 ERA) | RHP Oliver Ellison (5-5; 4.31 ERA)
Game Two: LHP Max Kaplan (3-5; 6.20 ERA) | To Be Determined
Game Three: RHP Brent Stukes (4-3; 6.45 ERA) | LHP Reid Bertram (3-3; 6.29 ERA)

Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Slugging his team-leading eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot in Sunday's season finale at Samford, senior first baseman Wylie Waters notched his team-high-tying ninth multi-RBI game. The three runs batted in pushed his season total to 30, becoming the fifth Spartan with 30 or more RBI on the campaign. He carries a .304/.366/.536 three-slash line into the weekend series, leading the club in slugging percentage and ranking third in batting average.

Gardner-Webb: Leading the Runnin' Bulldogs, redshirt senior outfielder Kelvin Agosto paces the Big South in batting average and hits, posting a .379 average with 64 hits this season. He ranks second on the club with 19 extra-base hits—11 doubles and eight home runs—while leading with 43 RBI, a total ranking second in the league. He registers a .379/.443/.586 three-slash line into the weekend.

Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing its four-game homestand, Upstate hosts Elon Tuesday evening at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. First pitch from the home of the Greenville Drive is set for 6 p.m. ET.

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

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Players Mentioned

Max Kaplan

Brent Stukes

Chris Torres

Wylie Waters

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