BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb baseball team will make the short trip to Spartanburg, S.C. this weekend, taking on USC Upstate in a key three-game Big South Conference series at Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park.
 
Gardner-Webb (11-11, 10-4 Big South) enters the weekend having won four of its last five contests, sweeping Longwood last weekend, 10-3, 10-2, and 7-3, before taking a 9-7 win at Radford on Tuesday.  GWU's win streak was snapped Wednesday night with a 12-2 loss to visiting Western Carolina.
 
Ben LaSpaluto currently paces the Runnin' Bulldogs at the plate, leading the team with a .318 batting average, .530 slugging percentage, and .908 OPS, and is second on the team with three home runs and 21 hits on the year.
 
On the mound, Mason Miller continues to impress, entering the weekend with a 3.03 ERA in 39.2 innings of work and leads the 'Dogs with 41 strikeouts, which ranks third among all Big South pitchers.  He has also held batters to a .194 average, ranking second in the league.
 
USC Upstate (19-6, 11-6 Big South) enters the weekend after an impressive 9-3 win at No. 12 Georgia Tech on Tuesday evening.  The Spartans also took two of three games at Radford last weekend
 
Jack Hennessy leads the Spartans at the dish, batting .338 with seven doubles and eight RBI.  Devin Buckner follows with a .337 batting average, including five doubles, two home runs and 23 RBI.
 
Jordan Marks leads the Upstate pitching staff with a low 1.72 ERA and 55 strikeouts, leading the Big South in strikeouts and with five wins.  His ERA ranks second best in the league and is fifth in opposing batting average at .206.
 
The series opens Friday at 4:00 pm, and will wrap up with a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 pm Saturday afternoon.  Both of Saturday's games will be broadcast on ESPN3 (Watch ESPN.com / ESPN App).
 
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday – RHP Mason Miller (3-1) vs. RHP Jordan Marks (5-1)
Saturday Game One – RHP Bobby Alcock (2-1) vs. TBA
Saturday Game Two – RHP Kyle Ruehlman (1-0) vs. TBA