HIGH POINT, N.C. - The Panthers will look to continue their hot streak in Big South play this weekend, as High Point University baseball hosts UNC Asheville this Saturday through Monday. While HPU was originally scheduled to open its series with the Bulldogs on Friday, inclement weather forced Head Coach Craig Cozart and company to postpone the weekend opener in favor of a Monday finale.

The Purple & White capped off last weekend's stint at Presbyterian with a Saturday doubleheader sweep, giving the club wins in six of its last seven contests against conference opponents. After opening the month with three straight losses, the Panthers have rebounded in the succeeding weeks of April, going 6-2 since the seventh of the month. Five of the HPU pitching staff's nine quality starts have come in April alone, along with 38 of the team's 84 extra-base hits in 2019. 

UNCA is on a streak of three straight Big South series losses after dropping two of three against both Winthrop and Charleston Southern, and getting swept by Presbyterian on the road at the start of the month. While the Bulldogs' 8-10 record in Big South play puts them just a pair of games behind the Panthers in the conference standings, Asheville holds just a 4-15 record when playing on the road, and are 1-5 when playing the visitor in conference contests. 

SERIES HISTORY (D1 Era): 
High Point leads UNC Asheville: 39-22
* Panthers on a three-game winning streak against PC
** HPU has beaten UNCA in 17 of their past 19 meetings

WHAT TO KNOW
Who: UNC Asheville
When: 2 PM, Saturday
Probables: High Point: RHP Harrison Smith (1-4, 2.74) | UNC Asheville: LHP Jordan Carr (3-6, 5.57)
Where: Williard Stadium | High Point, N.C.
Watch | Live Stats

Who: UNC Asheville
When: 1 PM, Sunday
Probables: High Point: RHP Joe Johnson (4-3, 5.44) | UNC Asheville: LHP Greg Gasparro (1-6, 8.45)
Where: Williard Stadium | High Point, N.C.
Watch | Live Stats

Who: UNC Asheville
When: 3 PM, Monday
Probables: High Point: RHP Andrew Gottfried (0-4, 5.09) | UNC Asheville: TBD
Where: Williard Stadium | High Point, N.C.
Watch | Live Stats

AT THE PLATE
• Sophomore Travis Holt earned National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper this Monday, after going 7-10 with two homers and two doubles in Saturday's sweep over Presbyterian; he had three dingers over the course of the entire week
• Holt, Daniel Millwee and Conner Dunbar have combined for 10 doubles and seven home runs in their past seven games, slugging an average of .788 during that span
• Millwee is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, and 24 game on base streak, he's touched first in 34 of the 35 games he's played this season
• Starting at third base in the Panthers' last six contests, Nick Niarchos has lifted his batting average more than 80 points during that span, and is hitting .278 since April 14th
 
ON THE HILL
• Sunday starter Joe Johnson is on a streak of four straight winning decisions, posting quality starts in three of his last four appearances
• Grey Lyttle's 5.50 H/9 ranks 25th in all of Division I baseball, while his 1.01 WHIP stands 67th
• Monday starter Andrew Gottfried has delivered a pair of quality starts in his past three appearances, he's accrued an ERA of 1.96 since March 24th
• Right-handed reliever Jacob Winger has earned winning decisions in each of his last two appearances, he leads the Panthers with a 2.05 ERA and 0.64 WHIP

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Junior Brandon Lankford has been one of the biggest home run threats in the country for 2019, with his 13 homers ranking 16th in Division I baseball
• The Bulldog defense turns more double plays than any team in the Big South with 38, only 16 teams in the country have more
• Averaging just over eight hits per contest, UNCA is 12-2 when collecting nine or more knocks, and just 2-24 otherwise

COMING UP NEXT
The Panthers will have zero turnaround time this week, traveling to Elon this Tuesday and hosting Wake Forest at home on Wednesday. HPU dropped its first contest with the Phoenix by a score of 10-8, while falling to the Demon Deacons 14-9 in Winston-Salem earlier this month. 

#GoHPU