CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern opens up its final home stand of the 2021 spring season this weekend as the Buccaneers welcome Big South leader Gardner-Webb to Nielsen Field at the CSU Ballpark for a three-game series running from April 30-May 1. First pitch on Friday night is set for 6 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Both games will be carried live on ESPN+.

Weekend Schedule
Game One – Friday, April 30, 2021
Charleston Southern vs. Gardner-Webb
6 p.m. * Charleston, S.C. * Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark * Live Stats * ESPN+
Projected Starters: CSU RHP R.J. Petit (4-4, 2.65 ERA) vs. GWU RHP Mason Miller (4-1, 2.97 ERA)

Game Two – Saturday, May 1, 2021
Charleston Southern at UNC Asheville
6 p.m. * Charleston, S.C. * Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark * Live Stats * ESPN+
Projected Starters: CSU LHP Sam Massey (1-2, 4.22 ERA) vs. GWU RHP Bobby Alcock (2-1, 4.65 ERA)

Game Three – Saturday, May 1, 2021
Charleston Southern at UNC Asheville
40 minutes after first game * Charleston, S.C. * Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark * Live Stats * ESPN+
Projected Starters: CSU RHP Daniel Padysak (3-3, 3.71 ERA) vs. GWU RHP Kyle Ruehlman (1-1, 6.09 ERA)

CSU Baseball Game Notes vs. Gardner-Webb

Recapping Last Weekend
Charleston Southern took the opener this past weekend against UNC Asheville but was unable to keep the momentum rolling over the series as the Bulldogs rallied back to take both games of Friday's doubleheader to claim the series. The Bucs' bats came alive in the 13-1 series-opening win before Asheville rallied back with 17-2 and 4-2 wins in the doubleheader.

Kyle Sandstrom went 3-for-5 from the plate with three runs scored and four RBI to highlight a CSU offense that scored five runs over the first two innings and added a four-run eighth in securing the series-opening win. Sandstrom connected on a single, a two-run double, and a RBI triple over his first three at-bats to pace an 11-hit outing for the Bucs on the evening. R.J. Petit continued his strong spring with another quality start as the sophomore right-hander went 7.0 innings allowing an unearned run and six hits while striking out four.

In the first game of Firday's doubleheader, UNC Asheville took advantage of two CSU errors to score eight unearned runs in the first inning as the Bulldogs took control of the game early. CSU put both runs across the plate on RBI singles by Sam Trend-Beacom (2nd inning) and Kyle Sandstrom (5th inning), while Sandstrom and Reid Hardwick both had multi-hit games for the Bucs. Alex Andronica added a stolen base in the loss.

Charleston Southern was unable to hold off a late UNC Asheville rally in the series finale at Greenwood Field as the Buccaneers fell to the Bulldogs, 4-2. Pitching was the name of the game and carried through the contest before Asheville struck for two late runs in the bottom of the eighth. Christian Maggio attempted to spark a CSU comeback in the top of the ninth with a one-out single, but a game-ending double play ended the Bucs chances in the contest. Brooks Bryan posted a two-hit game and added a double, while Houston Parker connected on a two-bagger to highlight CSU's hitting efforts in the game.

Hey, I Know You
Charleston Southern took two of three against Gardner-Webb earlier this season with the Bucs winning the first and third contests against the Runnin' Bulldogs to take the series in Boiling Springs.

R.J. Petit went eight strong innings and posted a season-high 10 strikeouts in the Bucs' opening win, while Christian Maggio, Tyrell Brewer, Houston Parker, and Reid Hardwick all had multi-hit games on the day to highlight the CSU offense over the first two games of the series.

Sunday's series finale saw another strong CSU pitching effort as Daniel Padysak went six strong innings in the Bucs' 7-4 win over the Runnin' Bulldogs. Andrew Bullock posted a three-hit game, including his first home run of the season, while Reid Hardwick connected on a pair of sacrifice flies in support of Padysak's second career 10-strikeout game.

Bullock, Petit, and Padysak were all recognized among the Big South's nominees for the conference's weekly awards for their performances over the weekend series.

All-Time Against Gardner-Webb
Gardner-Webb holds a narrow 24-22 all-time record versus Charleston Southern, however the Bucs could put the record back at or above .500 after this weekend. This weekend features the second of two weekend series between the Bucs and the Runnin' Bulldogs this season. GWU hosted the Bucs back on March 20-21 with CSU taking two of the three at Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium.

CSU has won each of the last three series over Gardner-Webb and six of the last eight contests overall. The Bucs are 9-9 all-time against the Runnin' Bulldogs at home and 15-17 all-time against GWU in Big South play.

The all-time series dates back to January 1971 with CSU taking the inaugural contest against the Runnin' Bulldogs, 3-1. Traditionally, CSU's offense has put up strong numbers against Gardner-Webb with the Bucs averaging 5.86 runs per game.

About Gardner-Webb
Gardner-Webb sits a half-game above USC Upstate for the top spot in the Big South standings heading into the weekend series as the Runnin' Bulldogs continue to make strides under head coach Jim Chester. GWU is 19-16 overall on the season with an 18-8 record in Big South play.

The Runnin' Bulldogs are 11-7 overall at home, but have struggled on the road in the 2021 season with an 8-9 mark away from Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium. GWU started a seven-game road trip on Tuesday night with their win at Winthrop and is coming off a nine-game home stand that featured four wins over the Eagles, as well as wins against Campbell and UNC Asheville.

GWU opened conference play with back-to-back series losses to Campbell and CSU, but hit their stride on March 23 with a win against UNC Asheville. They followed up with conference sweeps over High Point and Longwood and added a sweep over Winthrop this past weekend to remain atop the conference standings.

Cam Pearcy is the team's hitting leader coming into the series with a .327 batting average with seven home runs and 13 stolen bases. Patrick Ferguson is also above the .300 line with a .312 average while leading the team with 31 RBI. Mitch McLendon paces the team with 15 extra-base hits, while Joe Simone is among the conference leaders with three triples on the year.

Mason Miller continues to dominate the pitching categories for the Runnin' Bulldogs this season with a 4-1 record and 2.97 ERA. The right-hander has posted a 67:21 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 57.2 innings pitched. Overall, GWU has six pitchers with at least four starts on the season, while eight pitchers have reached double-digit appearances on the season. The Runnin' Bulldogs have posted a 5.32 staff ERA.

Bucs Among Big South Leaders
Charleston Southern has multiple players listed among the Big South leaders as CSU hits the two-thirds mark of the 2021 spring season.

• Triples – Johnny Oliveira (3, T-3rd), Dylan Stewart (3, T-3rd), Houston Parker (2, T-10th)
• Hit By Pitch – Reid Hardwick (8, T-9th), Houston Parker (8, T-9th)
• Stolen Bases – Kyle Sandstrom (12, T-2nd)
• ERA – R.J. Petit (2.33, 3rd), Daniel Padysak (3.71, 9th)
• Opposing Batting Avg – R.J. Petit (.227, 5th)
• Innings Pitched – R.J. Petit (58.0, 2nd), Daniel Padysak (51.0, 6th)
• Strikeouts – R.J. Petit (53, 4th)
• Wins – R.J. Petit (4, T-4th)
• Games Finished – Kyle Sandstrom (7, T_4th)
• Games in Relief – Bradyn Kail (13, T-4th)

Coming Up on the Schedule
Charleston Southern dives into Big South play as CSU is scheduled to remain in conference competition throughout the remainder of the 2021 spring season.

Next Five Series

• May 7-8 vs. Winthrop
• May 11 vs. Presbyterian
• May 14-15 at Radford
• May 20-21 at Longwood
• May 27-29 at Big South Championships

Attendance Policies at Nielsen Field at the CSU Ballpark
Charleston Southern Athletics has made the decision to limit the number of spectators at all home events this spring. At this time, only a limited number of guests on the home team's pass list will be allowed in attendance. Visiting team guests will not be permitted unless on the home team pass list.

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