This weekend's games will be broadcasted on the SoCon Digital Network, with live stats available at UNCGSpartans.com.  If unable to access those links, fans can stay updated on the games on social media by following @UNCGScores and @UNCGBaseball on Twitter, as well as liking UNCG Baseball on Facebook.

The Spartans suffered a 12-7 defeat to the UNC Asheville Bulldogs on Wednesday night.  The Spartans gave up three runs in the first three innings and were unable to mount a comeback after falling behind early.  Ben Spitznagel hit his first home run as a Spartan, and Tripp Shelton hit his second of the season, after missing the previous 27 games due to injury. 

Western Carolina and UNCG have met 60 times in program history, with the Spartans holding a slight 31-29 advantage.  The Catamounts have had success lately, going 7-3 in the last ten matchups.  This is the first trip to Cullowhee for UNCG Baseball since 2012, and the first under Link Jarrett.  The Spartans are looking to repeat the outcome of the last trip to Cullowhee, when UNCG took two of three games from the Catamounts. 

UNCG's offensive numbers are among the best of any team in the nation.  The Spartans rank in the first and second spots in many offensive categories, including average, scoring, runs, hits, doubles per game, doubles, triples per game, triples, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and sacrifice flies. 

Ben Spitznagel (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wabash Valley CC) leads the Spartan offense with a .401 average.  The junior has racked up 83 hits, second in the NCAA.  In the last UNCG's last game with UNC Asheville, Spitznagel hit his first home run as a Spartan.  L.J. Kalawaia (Wailuku, Hawai'i/Ohlone College) has hit for a .400 average through 47 starts.  Kalawaia leads the Spartans having scored 57 runs this year, while stealing 22 bases. 

Collin Woody (Tampa, Fla./College of Central Florida) and Dillon Stewart (Dunn, N.C./Brunswick CC) provide the pop in the Spartan lineup, each having hit 10 home runs this year.   Woody is second in the NCAA with 63 RBI this year, while leading Division I with 11 sacrifice flies. 

On the hill, UNCG will use the same rotation as the Wofford series.  Hunter Smith (Whiteville, N.C./Whiteville) will start Friday, Matt Frisbee (Candler, N.C./Enka) will go Saturday, with Keaton Haack (Greensboro, N.C./Pitt CC) will finish off the series on Sunday. 

Smith will start his 13th Friday night of the season, having started the opener in every series.  He has earned a 6-2 record in 74.0 innings.  Smith has gone at least 5.1 innings in his last six outings, earning a 2-1 record in that time.  When Smith is on the mound, UNCG has outscored opponents 122-61, and has gone 10-2.   Frisbee is set to start his second Saturday of the season against the Catamounts.  The freshman has started in 12 games this year, working as the Sunday starter until last weekend with Wofford.  Frisbee has earned quality starts four times this year, including in his last outing against Wofford.  Last weekend, he logged 6.2 innings, surrendering just three hits and one run while striking out four Terriers.   Haack will work in his third weekend game this year on Sunday.  The senior served as the midweek starter for the first two months of the season before transitioning to a weekend starter.  Haack has earned given up less than three earned runs in at least 5.0 innings in three of his last four games.  In his last outing, Haack worked 5.0 innings of shutout baseball against the Wofford Terriers, en route to earning the 6-1 victory and taking the series in Spartanburg.

Andrew Wantz (Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs) and Chad Sykes (Creedmoor, N.C./Voyager Academy) have solidified the back end of games for UNCG.  Wantz has made 28 appearances, while logging 65.0 innings.  Wantz has struck out 78 batters on the season, while holding opponents to a .197 average against, earning a 6-0 record.  Sykes has worked in 24 games, earning a 3-2 record with a 2.54 ERA.  Sykes has earned four saves to go with 48 strikeouts and held opponents to a .181 average. 

The Catamounts enter the series with a 23-24 record, and are currently 13-8 in the Southern Conference.  Western Carolina started the conference season hot, going 10-2 in the first four SoCon series.  They have scuffled a little as of late, going 3-7 in their last ten games, including dropping two of three to three SoCon opponents, The Citadel, Mercer and Furman.  Western Carolina is currently third in the SoCon with a .307 team batting average.  The Catamounts have 78 stolen bases.

Individually, the Matt Smith has been a catalyst of the Catamount offense, hitting .376 through 47 games started this season. The junior left-handed bat has hit five doubles and is second on the team with 10 home runs.  Garrett Brown has trouble for opposing teams this year.  Brown has played in and started 44 games this year, and has hit for a .353 average in a team-high 201 at bats.  The senior outfielder has hit 10 doubles, three triples and a trio of home runs. He has been the biggest threat on the bases, having swiped 30 this year.  The 30 stolen bases are good for first in the SoCon, and rank eighth in the nation.  Kramer Farrell has twice earned SoCon Player of the Week honors this season. Farrell has hit for a .333 average in 45 games.  The senior outfielder has driven in 45 runs and scored 40 on the year.  Bryson Bowman is another Catamount who has earned SoCon Player of the Week honors.  Bowman leads the Catamounts with 48 RBI, 14 home runs and 12 doubles. The redshirt-junior has also hit for three triples, all of which are tops on the squad. 

Western Carolina will send two left-handed pitchers to the hill in the first two games of the series.  Junior Bryan Sammons will start Friday night's contest.  Sammons ahs worked in a team-high 79.0 innings.  Sophomore southpaw Brendan Nail will start Saturday's matchup, and junior Korey Anderson will finish the series on Sunday.  Anderson, a junior right handed pitcher, will be making his sixth start of the season, having made six appearances out of the bullpen.  Colton Davis has earned a team-high 21 appearances out of the Catamount bullpen.  The senior reliever has earned a 5-2 record, working in 49.1 innings.  Davis also leads the WCU pitching staff with 71 strikeouts this season.  B.J. Nobles has served as the closer for the Catamounts, having earned four saves in 17 appearances this season.  Nobles has worked in 27.0 innings, allowed 10 earned runs, good for a 3.33 ERA.  He has also struck out 31 batters and has only allowed six extra-base hits. Corey Sikes has worked in 20 games, all out of the bullpen.  Sikes has logged 23.2 innings, earning a save and an 0-1 record in the process.  Dylan Bium has earned a 3-1 record, having made 16 appearances out of the bullpen, and having started one game.  Bium has 24.0 innings pithed this season and has struck out 28 batters.

-UNCG-