CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern will turn its focus back to the Big South side of things as it travels to Rock Hill to take on Winthrop after rain halted both midweek contests earlier in the week. The action starts April 8 with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch followed by a 2:00 p.m. start Saturday, April 9 and a 1:00 p.m. first pitch Sunday, April 10.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, April 8
Charleston Southern (13-17, 5-4 Big South) at Winthrop (10-18, 4-2 Big South)
5:00 p.m. * Rock Hill, S.C. * The Winthrop Ballpark * Live Stats
Projected Starters: CSU LHP Kaleb Hill (3-2, 4.10 ERA) vs. Winthrop LHP Garrett Gainey (3-1, 4.50 ERA)
 
Saturday, April 9
Charleston Southern at Winthrop
2:00 p.m. * Rock Hill, S.C. * The Winthrop Ballpark * Live Stats
Projected Starters: CSU RHP Jerry Couch (2-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. Winthrop RHP Carter Sutton (1-2, 4.80 ERA)
 
Sunday, April 10
Charleston Southern at Winthrop
1:00 p.m. * Rock Hill, S.C. * The Winthrop Ballpark * Live Stats
Projected Starters: CSU RHP Evan Truitt (1-3, 4.08 ERA) vs. Winthrop RHP Tyler Jones (1-4, 4.88 ERA)
 
LOOKIN' BACK
Charleston Southern's campaign in the early going has been highlight by a set of runs, dropping its first four before running off eight-straight to turn the tide. After the conclusion of the win-streak, the Bucs have dropped their last seven contests.
 
The slate started with an Opening Weekend affair at 5^th-ranked Ole Miss, where the Rebels took all three tilts in Oxford. CSU then played host to The Citadel in a mid-week contest, where the Bulldogs used two grand slams to best the Bucs.
 
The Buccaneers turned the tide after dropping the first four, completing a four-game sweep of Delaware State, evening the season series with The Citadel and besting Villanova in another mid-week affair before hosting Southern Conference member Samford at Nielsen Field. CSU took the first two contests of a three-game set to clinch the series before dropping the finale.
 
Kansas then came to the Lowcountry for a two-game set and used a strong offensive output to claim both wins before Canisius was next on the ledger for Charleston Southern. The Golden Griffins come to Nielsen Field and left with all three tilts in a series where CSU struggled on the mound throughout the weekend. Saint Mary's was the latest of Charleston Southern's opponents, coming Nielsen Field and leaving with a 9-5 victory.
 
Charleston Southern was able to open the Big South slate with some noise, taking two of three from Radford at home to open the Big South slate. Radford took the opener before the CSU offense exploded for 13 runs in game two to even the series. The rubber match went extras as the Buccaneers scored four runs in the eighth before a Dylan Stewart infield single scored Ajay Sczepkowski in the tenth to walk it off.
 
Mercer stood as the next task for the Bucs in a midweek affair, as the Bears used a strong effort in the closing innings to outlast CSU 10-2 before a Big South trip to UNC Asheville spelled three loses. Charleston Southern held the lead in the eighth inning or later in two of the three contests with the Bulldogs, but each time UNC Asheville was able to answer the call with clutch at-bats in the eighth frame.
 
After an affair with Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech, Charleston Southern was able to bounce back in a big way. A three-game sweep of North Carolina A&T at Nielsen Field has the CSU lineup clicking on all cylinders as we have reached the heart of the Big South season. It was a masterpiece of a weekend all around for the Bucs, as the rotation looked as strong as they have all year to add to an offensive-minded lineup and an effective bullpen.
 
MILLS' MARVELOUS WEEKEND
Peyton Mills had a big weekend en route to a Big South weekend sweep at home over North Carolina A&T. The middle infielder got all three starts at second on the weekend, making the most of it at the dish. after a three-hit opener with a three-run blast in the opener, Mills had the eventual go-ahead double in game two in the sixth inning. The finale saw Mills have a solo shot in the eighth that served as an insurance run to clinch the series sweep.
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Winthrop comes into the weekender with a 10-18 overall record, 4-2 in the Big South after a sweep of Radford a weekend ago. The other conference win comes against High Point, as the Eagles were able to take one of three in that series. A win over Charlotte at home was the last result for the Eagles, as the first of two with the 49ers was postponed due to the rain.
 
Series wins include Radford and Eastern Michigan, but Winthrop has lost a number of games due to weather early on including one with Charlotte, one with Penn, one with Wofford and one with Xavier.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The two sides have met a total of 65 times, with Winthrop laying claim to 47 of those and each of the last eight meetings. Charleston Southern's last win over the Eagles came back in the 2018 campaign, as the Bucs took two of three back in May of that year at Nielsen Field.
 
UP NEXT
Charleston Southern will skip the midweek affairs for the week following the Winthrop series as it will stay on the road to Spartanburg to take on USC Upstate in another Big South weekender. The action starts Thursday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m. and will continue Friday, April 15 at 6:00 p.m. before wrapping up on Saturday the 16^thwith a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.