UNC Greensboro at Western Carolina

CULLOWHEE, N.C. (Interstat) — Western Carolina hosts UNC Greensboro on Saturday evening at Hennon Stadium in a Southern Conference matchup with significant postseason implications.

The Catamounts (34-21) enter the game with an 11-game advantage in the win column over the Spartans (22-30). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies, with temperatures expected near 74 degrees.

The series is tied 1-1 after two games. Western Carolina won 4-1 on Friday, bouncing back from a 2-1 loss to the Spartans on Thursday.

Right-hander Noah Chapman is a key player for UNC Greensboro. Chapman threw seven shutout innings with six strikeouts and allowed no hits in a 2-1 win against these same Catamounts on Thursday. His season has been erratic, however — he gave up six earned runs in three innings of relief at Virginia Tech on May 9, but also turned in a seven-inning, seven-strikeout performance against VMI on May 1 and an eight-inning, nine-strikeout outing at The Citadel on April 24 despite taking the loss.

Western Carolina counters with right-hander Carter Burnette. Burnette threw a complete game Thursday, allowing two earned runs on five hits with 12 strikeouts but took the loss. He struggled in his previous two starts, yielding six earned runs in 3⅓ innings at Wake Forest on May 8 and three earned runs in six innings at Wofford on May 1.

The Spartans have split their last six games, including an 18-13 win at Virginia Tech on May 9 and a three-game sweep of VMI from May 1-3. Western Carolina has lost three of its last four, though the Catamounts defeated Presbyterian 14-3 on May 12 and took two of three at Wofford from May 1-3.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 final score in favor of UNC Greensboro.