HIGH POINT, N.C. - This weekend's opening action of Big South baseball highlights a rematch of last year's conference final, as High Point University hosts visiting Campbell in a three-game series from Saturday to Monday. The Panthers will ultimately play four games in four days, following up their series against the Camels with a Tuesday contest at host Virginia Tech.

High Point enters the weekend on a two-game winning streak, after securing a series finale victory over James Madison on Sunday and completing a season sweep of North Carolina A&T on Wednesday. The Panthers will be opening conference-play against the Camels for the first time since 2015, losing their last meeting against CU in the 2018 Big South Championship final, 7-5.

The Camels come into Saturday's game one on a five-game losing streak. They most recently took a 7-4 midweek loss to NC Central, while starting off the current stretch of defeats in a 4-3 decision against Old Dominion. By comparison, the Panthers are 3-1 against NCCU and ODU this year, defeating the Eagles 6-4 and taking two of three against the Monarchs on opening week. 

Virginia Tech will be playing their second conference series of 2019 this weekend, facing off with Pittsburgh Friday through Sunday. The Hokies most recently took a pair of midweek contests against Richmond University, outscoring the Spiders 18-7 overall. HPU provided an 11-6 victory against Tech over nine innings of a fall scrimmage this past offseason, adding another six runs against the Hokie pitching staff in two additional frames of exhibition play. 

SERIES HISTORY (D1 Era): 
Campbell leads High Point: 23-15
Virginia Tech leads High Point: 11-2-1

WHAT TO KNOW
Who: Campbell
When: 4 PM, Saturday
Probables: High Point: RHP Andrew Gottfried (0-3, 7.07) | Campbell: RHP Seth Johnson (0-1, 2.57)
Where: Williard Stadium | High Point, N.C.
Watch | Live Stats

Who: Campbell
When: 1 PM, Sunday
Probables: High Point: RHP Harrison Smith (0-1, 2.81) | Campbell: RHP Michael Horrell (1-1, 4.11)
Where: Williard Stadium | High Point, N.C.
Watch | Live Stats

Who: Campbell
When: 4 PM, Monday
Probables: High Point: RHP Joe Johnson (0-1, 6.39) | Campbell: LHP Ryan Chasse (2-1, 4.41)
Where: Williard Stadium | High Point, N.C.
Watch | Live Stats

Who: Virginia Tech
When: 4 PM, Tuesday
Probables: High Point: RHP Muhammed Eid (2-2, 4.91) | Virginia Tech: Luke Scherzer (1-2, 5.74)
Where: Union Park | Blacksburg, Va.
Watch | Live Stats 

AT THE PLATE
• The Panthers have tallied a triple in each of their last three contests, collecting three-baggers from Evan Bergman, Ryan Russell and Joe Johnson
• Bergman is currently on a seven-game hitting streak, while fellow freshman Trent Harris has reached first safely in his last five appearances
• Johnson has four RBI in the Panthers' current winning streak, the junior had a team best three runs driven in during the series finale at James Madison, while his sac fly against A&T on Wednesday proved to be the game-winner
• The Panthers recorded a season-high 16 hits in their win over JMU, stealing a campaign-best three bases on the day
 
ON THE HILL
• Giving up just 2.85 BB/9, the Panther pitching staff ranks 17th in all of Division I baseball. The side has given up four or more walks on just four occasions this year
• Right-hander Muhammed Eid tossed a career-high in both innings (8.0) and pitches (79) this past Wednesday, keeping North Carolina A&T to just a single run in a 3-2 Panthers win
• Righty Grey Lyttle threw a career-best 7.0 innings against JMU on Sunday, holding the Dukes to a single earned run with just six strikeouts
• Freshman Jack Nathan collected the first save of his collegiate career, striking out the final A&T batter of the night this Wednesday on three straight sliders

SCOUTING THE CAMELS
• Big South Preseason Player of the Year Matthew Barefoot has reached first safely in all but two games this season, slashing .306/.430/.516 on the year
• The Camels' aggressiveness on the base paths has produced 36 stolen bases on the year, the 15th-most in D1 baseball
• The Campbell pitching staff has four arms with a sub-1.00 WHIP, including game one starter Seth Johnson, who has posted shutout starts against William & Mary and No. 14 East Carolina this year

SCOUTING THE HOKIES
• The Virginia Tech pitching staff's 3.22 ERA on the year and 7.32 H/9 rank 38th and 37th respectively in Division I baseball
• The Hokies have already collected 92 walks on the year, facing an HPU pitching contingency that allows less than three bases on balls per contest
• Freshman third baseman Kevin Madden went 5-for-8 (.625) over two games against Richmond in the midweek, scoring three runs and driving in a pair

COMING UP NEXT
After their contest at Virginia Tech, the Panthers stay on the road in the coming weekend, continuing the Big South season at USC Upstate. HPU is 1-1 against the Spartans in the Division I era, last playing Upstate in a pair of midweek contests in 2008. 

#GoHPU