The High Point University baseball team returns to action this weekend with a series against USC Upstate. The Spartans are currently leading the Big South with a 5-1 conference record while the Panthers sit in the four-spot with a 4-2 record. USC Upstate will be offering free admission to this weekend's games.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Friday, April 1^st | 6:00 PM
High Point at USC Upstate | Harley Baseball Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
Watch | Live Stats | Series Notes
 
Saturday, April 2^nd | 4:00 PM
High Point at USC Upstate | Harley Baseball Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
Watch | Live Stats | Series Notes
 
Sunday, April 3^rd | 2:00 PM
High Point at USC Upstate | Harley Baseball Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
Watch | Live Stats | Series Notes
 
Panthers vs. Spartans

• HPU is 4-7 all-time against Upstate as the Panthers' last win occurred on March 19th, 2021 in Spartanburg.
• As the two teams met for two series last season, High Point lost five out of the last six games against the Spartans.

Across the Bench

• Upstate is 16-9 on the season and leads the Big South with a 5-1 conference record.
• The Spartans swept Presbyterian in their opening conference series before taking two out of three at Radford.
• After dropping their Friday night game to the Highlanders, 3-1, the Spartans came back to clinch the series with 9-1 and 10-7 wins.
• Skipper Mike McGuire is in his second season at Upstate and led his squad to a 37-16 record in 2021 and 28-12 in conference play, finishing second in the regular season.

 
Vaughan Named Big South Freshman of the Week
Freshman right-handed pitcher Everett Vaughan was named the Big South Freshman of the Week after his three-save performance between March 22-26. Vaughan helped the Panthers to three combined wins over UNC Greensboro and Winthrop. In 3.2 innings pitched, he struck out two batters against one walk.

Mood: https://t.co/Og4IEQsoqW pic.twitter.com/xCd6yeWUoo

— High Point Baseball (@HPUBaseball) March 28, 2022

 
Sweeping Saves
Everett Vaughan has earned the save in the last four wins for HPU. The freshman is tied for the Big South high in saves (4) and has double the saves of any other freshman in the league.
 
Klingler Extends Hot Start
After making his first start of the season at Kentucky, Charlie Klingler has been hot at the plate in his 33 at bats, recording 12 hits with one double and one home run, his first career long ball coming against Winthrop on March 27th. He is also leading the Panthers in batting average (.364) and on-base percentage (.462).

pic.twitter.com/P0Nj92rc9S

— High Point Baseball (@HPUBaseball) March 27, 2022

 
Seven-Hit Week Highlights
Two Panthers posted seven-hit week performances in four games played against UNCG and Winthrop (March 22-27). Peyton Carr posted two hits against the Spartans before following up with his first three-hit performance of the season against Winthrop on Saturday, March 26th.

Carr drives in @AJStuart20 to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead!#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/IcB8cZOjUn

— High Point Baseball (@HPUBaseball) March 27, 2022

 
Adam Stuart also had two-multi hit games as he recorded two hits on Saturday (March 26th) and followed up with his second four-hit game of the season on Sunday (March 27th).
 
Home Run Tracker: Winthrop Series
Five different Panthers hit home runs over the weekend in HPU's series against Winthrop. Josh Deslauriers led off the weekend with his first career two-run homer before Adam Stuart added a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth on Friday night.
 
Peyton Carr hit a two-run shot to left field on Saturday that would give HPU the eventual winning run in the 3-2 contest. Charlie Klingler hit the first home run of his career on Sunday afternoon before Jackson Melton sent out a two-run shot to left field. 

pic.twitter.com/cupdCOJYB6

— High Point Baseball (@HPUBaseball) March 25, 2022

 
Claiming the Midweek
After starting the season 0-4 in midweek games, High Point captured their first midweek win against UNC Greensboro with a 9-8 nail-biter. HPU's midweek schedule features 2021 CWS participant NC State (twice) and other ACC clubs Pitt, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest (twice).
 
Panthers Post First Conference Series Win
High Point used a 2-1 weekend against Gardner-Webb as their first weekend series win over a Big South foe since April 30th-May 1st in the 2021 season when they took two wins over Winthrop.
 
Four-Hit Gem
Sophomore Adam Stuart tallied four hits against the Runnin' Bulldogs on Saturday, March 19th. Stuart's four-hit performance is the first by a Panther this season and included a double and a stolen base in the effort.
 
Trifecta with a Triple
Freshman Josh Deslauriers recorded his first three-hit outing against Gardner-Webb on Saturday, March 19th. He also tallied HPU's first triple of the season to go along with a team-high three RBI and two runs.
 
Weekend Work
Cole Singsank (1) and Peyton Carr (2) each hit home runs over the weekend in Boiling Springs. Singsank's long ball was his third of the season in Saturday's 12-2 victory while Carr hit one homer on Friday afternoon and one on Saturday.
 
Playing the Fields
Junior Javon Fields has the current longest active reached base streak for HPU. In the last 11 games Fields has played, he has reached base each time. He has recorded six hits during the streak as well.
 
Long Gone Ball
Cole Singsank hit his second homer of the season at Kentucky on Sunday, March 13th. Singsank's bomb to left field changed momentum for HPU and tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the 4th inning.
 
Stepping Up to the Plate
Sophomore Charlie Klingler earned his first start of the season in Friday's doubleheader at Kentucky. As the designated hitter, Klingler was 3-for-6 on the day, including a ground rule double, with two runs scored and one RBI.
 
Klingler was also 1-for-3 in Sunday's matinee with a walk against the Wildcats, finishing the weekend with at least one hit in each game he played.
 
Perfect Line at Proud Park
Cole Singsank went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate against Kentucky in the first game of Friday's doubleheader. He opened up the game with HPU's first hit in Kentucky Proud Park with a double down the left field line before singling through the left side in the fourth and again up the middle in the top of the sixth inning.
 
Duffy Delivers Against Wildcats
Sean Duffy recorded his longest outing in a game so far this season as he went 4.1 innings in Sunday's series finale against the Kentucky Wildcats. Duffy finished the day holding the Wildcats to just three hits and punched three strikeouts.
 
Dean Shows Out in First Start
Redshirt junior Parker Dean got his first collegiate start on the mound against Pittsburgh on Wednesday night in Williard Stadium. Dean finished with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched while giving up three runs on seven hits.
 
Seeing Doubles
Sophomore Blake Sutton has notched a team-high six two-baggers through 20 games. His last double was a shot to right field in Saturday's game at Gardner-Webb in his first at bat of the day that sparked a four-run second inning rally for the Panthers.
 
Adam Stuart and Cole Singsank have also managed five doubles apiece this season, as Stuart hit three doubles in the Winthrop series (March 25-27).
 
Raising the Standard, Lowering ERA
Panther pitching struggled with high ERAs a season ago and was a key focus for the new staff and pitching coach Miles Miller heading into 2022. The lowest ERA in 2021 was Trent Harris' 3.46.
 
Two Panthers are holding steady with ERAs under 3.90, Sam Garcia (1.78) and Carter Sheppard (3.81). Garcia's ERA is also second among all Big South pitchers and second only to Campbell's Thomas Harrington.
 
suttOn Base
Blake Sutton had a hot start to his sophomore season, reaching base in each of the first 14 games of the season. He also finished the stretch recording at least one hit in each of the last nine games. His streak ended in the game one of a doubleheader at Kentucky on Friday.
 
Sutton reached base in the last two games against Kentucky with a base hit and after he was hit by a pitch.
 
Sweeps and Shutouts
HPU's sweep of the Cougars was their first series sweep since March 6-8, 2021, when the Panthers swept UNC Asheville (8-2, 12-6, 11-10) in High Point. The Panthers also recorded back-to-back shutouts, their first shutout since February 22, 2020, vs. Towson. It was also HPU's first back-to-back shutout victories since the 2018 season when the Panthers swept Presbyterian 6-0 and 1-0 on May 17th and 19th.
 
Panthers Power Past Cougars
HPU recorded their first weekend series sweep of 2022, as they iced 7-1 College of Charleston. The Panthers posted 5-0, 6-0, and 5-4 wins over the three-day affair.
 
HPU Posts First Win in Hammond Era
With Saturday's walkoff win against Toledo, High Point earned their first win under head coach Joey Hammond.
 
Stuart Sends It Out
Adam Stuart hit his first home run of the season on Tuesday against Virginia Tech. Stuart's solo homerun cut the Hokie lead down to four runs in the eighth inning.
 
Sutton Knocks First Homer
Blake Sutton hit his first home run of the season against Toledo on Friday night in the top of the first inning. Sutton's solo shot was the second homer of his career.
 
Zayicek Goes Yard
Sam Zayicek homered at N.C. State on Tuesday. Zayicek's two-run shot to right field was his first of the season and the third in his career after hitting two homers in 2020.
 
Home Run Hitters
Cole Singsank and Cameron Lee hit their first home runs of the season in back-to-back innings against Jacksonville on Saturday, February 19th. Sinksank's 3-run homer to left field in the third inning of Saturday's game against the Dolphins was the second of his career.
 
Lee's solo shot in the next inning would give HPU their first lead of the game, 7-6.
 
Sunday Show
Sophomore David Keith earned the start on the mound for HPU on Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville. Keith finished with 6.0 innings pitched, and four strikeouts.
 
HPU Picked Eighth in Preseason Poll
High Point was tabbed eighth in the Big South preseason coaches' poll on January 27th. Campbell was the league favorite with eight first-place votes and 116 total points in the poll.
 
Trio of Panthers Highlight D1 Baseball Big South Prospects
D1 Baseball released their Big South preview including top 2022 and 2023 draft prospects. Carter Sheppard was listed as the third-highest prospect in 2022 to come out of the conference. Sheppard finished 2021 with 45 strikeouts in 48.0 innings pitched.
 
Blake Sutton also cracked the top-20, slotted 16th. Sutton started 36 games behind the plate for the Panthers last season, hitting .282/.363/.366 and recording 237 putouts.
 
Javon Fields rounded out High Point's top prospects at No. 30. Fields transferred to HPU from Towson, where he was the starting center fielder. He finished 2021 with a .257/.363/.384 line and had a .984 fielding percentage. 
 
Carr Top-3 Big South Prospect in 2023
In the list of 2023 draft prospects, sophomore Peyton Carr was tabbed the third-best pick from the conference. Carr finished 2021 with the second-best team batting average, hitting .304/.494/.376 for the season.
 
Big South Tournament at Truist Point
The Big South conference announced in December that the 2022 conference tournament would be held at Truist Point in High Point.
 
HPU has not played in the conference tournament since the 2019 season, when the Panthers fell to No. 3 Winthrop in a 6-2 ballgame.