BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb travels to Charleston Southern this weekend, as the Runnin' Bulldogs take on the Buccaneers in a three-game Big South Conference series for the second time in 2021.
 
Gardner-Webb (19-16, 18-8 Big South) enters this weekend's series after taking four straight games against Winthrop.  GWU swept the weekend series by scores of 13-1, 8-7, and 9-7 at John Henry Moss Stadium before traveling to Rock Hill, S.C. on Tuesday, opening a seven-game road trip, to defeat the Eagles by a 9-7 score.
 
Cam Pearcey leads the Runnin' Bulldogs with a .327 batting average and 13 stolen bases, and is tied with Patrick Ferguson with a team-high seven home runs.  Ferguson leads the team with 31 RBI and a .414 on-base percentage.
 
Mason Miller, this week's Big South Starting Pitcher of the Week, continues to lead the GWU pitching staff with a 2.97 ERA in 57.2 innings on the mound, fanning 67 batters with a 4-1 record in nine starts.  The right-hander ranks second in the league in opposing batting average (.207) and strikeouts (67) and is fifth in ERA (2.97).
 
Charleston Southern (13-18, 13-14 Big South) enters the weekend after dropping two of three contests last weekend at UNC Asheville.  The Buccaneers took Friday's opener by a 13-1 score before dropping both ends of Saturday's doubleheader by scores of 17-2 and 4-2.
 
Houston Parker paces the Bucs at the plate, batting .315 with 34 base hits, including eight doubles.  Kyle Sandstrom leads the team with 20 RBI and 12 stolen bases, and Andrew Bullock has a team-high three home runs on the season.
 
R.J. Petit is CSU's top arm with a 2.33 ERA in 58.0 innings of work, forging a 4-4 record in nine starts.  He ranks third in the Big South in ERA (2.33), opposing batting average (.227), and fourth in strikeouts (53). 
 
Both teams squared off in Boiling Springs, N.C. on March 20-21.  Charleston Southern took the opening contest by a 5-1 score before the Runnin' Bulldogs bounced back to take game two by a 6-5 score.  The Bucs took the rubber match by a 7-4 score.
 
The weekend series begins Friday evening at 6:00 pm, with Saturday's doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm. All three games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (WatchESPN.com / ESPN App).
 
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
 
Friday: RHP Mason Miller (4-1) vs. RHP R.J. Petit (4-4)
Saturday Game One: RHP Bobby Alcock (2-1) vs. LHP Sam Massey (1-2)
Saturday Game Two: RHP Kyle Ruehlman (1-1) vs. RHP Daniel Padysak (3-3)