Gardner-Webb (21-24, 8-10 Big South)
at USC Upstate (19-26, 8-10 Big South)
SERIES SCHEDULE
Friday, May 1, 6 p.m. (Game 1) – RHP Oliver Ellison (5-5)
Saturday, May 2, 4 p.m. (Game 2) – TBA
Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m. (Game 3) – Reid Bertram (3-3)
Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Gardner-Webb baseball returns to Big South play while traveling to USC Upstate for a pivotal conference series with the Spartans on May 1-3.
Gardner-Webb, winners of three out of four, took care of Wofford 6-0 in its last outing on Tuesday, April 28. The Runnin' Bulldogs had three pitchers combine for the second shutout of the season. Prior to Wofford, the Dawgs took the series against league-leading Winthrop after winning games one and three.
Kelvin Agosto continues to lead the Big South at the plate, raking at a .379 average, including a team-best 64 hits and 43 RBIs. Agosto has also cranked eight long balls on the season. Drew Ripepi is secone on the club with a .327 average that includes eight homeruns and six doubles. Starting in all 43 games, Ryan Kennell has a .297 average at the plate while contributing a team third-best 51 hits.
Matt Ilgenfritz has supplied the power for Gardner-Webb, belting a team-leading nine homeruns, which is sixth in the league. Merik Carter has also added nine homers out of his leadoff position while drawing a league-best 40 walks.
Oliver Ellison leads the Dawgs with five wins on the season. Ellison, Gardner-Webb's game one starter, has a team-high 58 strikeouts to only 20 walks while throwing 71.0 innings. In his last outing, Ellison tossed a complete-game shutout against Winthrop, scattering five hits with five strikeouts.
USC Upstate is 19-26 on the year while sitting in a tie for sixth with Gardner-Webb in Big South play. The Spartans have lost nine games in a row, including four consecutive within league play.
Henry Zenor leads the Spartans with a .320 batting average while sitting atop the club with 63 hits. Tyler Lang adds a .306 average while Jake Armsey and Wylie Waters each hit .304. Waters has added a team-high eight homeruns. USC Upstate has a team ERA of 6.67.
Upstate leads the overall series with the Runnin' Bulldogs by a tally of 24-18, winning the previous 12 contests. Gardner-Webb's last win in the series came on May 27, 2021 in Fayetteville, N.C.
