University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Tuesday, February 23
Cullowhee, NC
4 PM
UNC Asheville
at
Western Carolina
Photo by: Mark Godin
Baseball Opens 2021 Season Tuesday at Western Carolina
02.22.2021 | Baseball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville baseball team will lift the lid on its 2021 season on Tuesday at Western Carolina. The first pitch between the Bulldogs and Catamounts is set for 4 p.m., and the game can be watched on ESPN+.
Quick Look Back on 2020 – The abbreviated 2020 season saw the Bulldogs finish with a 5-11 record. Some highlights from the shortened campaign included Asheville's three-game sweep of Coppin State in early March and senior Blake Brown being named the Big South's Starting Pitcher of the Week. Following the season, Brown signed a professional contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 2021 Bulldogs – The Bulldogs were picked to finish ninth in the Big South Preseason Poll released last month. Asheville does return several position players with considerable collegiate playing experience, along with three of their four primary starting pitchers from last season. In addition to the players coming back, Asheville has 13 new players on its roster for 2021.
Record Watch – One Bulldog opens the 2021 season, closing in on a program record. Brandon Lankford, whose original senior season got cut short last spring, is back for a fifth season aiming to break the school record for home runs. Lankford, who currently has 35 home runs, needs just eight more long balls to surpass Brian Shehan's 42 to become the program's all-time home run leader.
About Western Carolina – Western Carolina opened its 2021 season last weekend with four games against Towson. WCU was impressive, winning all four against the Tigers by a combined score of 47-10. A player to watch for the Catamounts is Justice Bigbie, as he hit .538 with three home runs and drove in 10 runs in the four games over the weekend against Towson.
Series Rewind vs. Western Carolina – There is plenty of history to look back on between WCU and Asheville as the two programs have matched up over 70 times. On a historical note, Asheville's notched its first-ever win as a program against WCU on March 8, 1985. Western Carolina holds the edge in the all-time series, 53-23, but Asheville has won six of the last seven meetings dating back to 2015.
How to Follow – As mentioned earlier, Tuesday's game can be seen on ESPN+. Live stats will be available as well.
Quick Look Back on 2020 – The abbreviated 2020 season saw the Bulldogs finish with a 5-11 record. Some highlights from the shortened campaign included Asheville's three-game sweep of Coppin State in early March and senior Blake Brown being named the Big South's Starting Pitcher of the Week. Following the season, Brown signed a professional contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 2021 Bulldogs – The Bulldogs were picked to finish ninth in the Big South Preseason Poll released last month. Asheville does return several position players with considerable collegiate playing experience, along with three of their four primary starting pitchers from last season. In addition to the players coming back, Asheville has 13 new players on its roster for 2021.
Record Watch – One Bulldog opens the 2021 season, closing in on a program record. Brandon Lankford, whose original senior season got cut short last spring, is back for a fifth season aiming to break the school record for home runs. Lankford, who currently has 35 home runs, needs just eight more long balls to surpass Brian Shehan's 42 to become the program's all-time home run leader.
About Western Carolina – Western Carolina opened its 2021 season last weekend with four games against Towson. WCU was impressive, winning all four against the Tigers by a combined score of 47-10. A player to watch for the Catamounts is Justice Bigbie, as he hit .538 with three home runs and drove in 10 runs in the four games over the weekend against Towson.
Series Rewind vs. Western Carolina – There is plenty of history to look back on between WCU and Asheville as the two programs have matched up over 70 times. On a historical note, Asheville's notched its first-ever win as a program against WCU on March 8, 1985. Western Carolina holds the edge in the all-time series, 53-23, but Asheville has won six of the last seven meetings dating back to 2015.
How to Follow – As mentioned earlier, Tuesday's game can be seen on ESPN+. Live stats will be available as well.
Players Mentioned
Right-Handed Pitcher
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballTuesday, May 28
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, May 28
Monday, May 13