The Panthers return home this weekend for a four-game, non-conference series against Lafayette College.
 
SERIES INFO
Friday, March 3 – vs. Lafayette (Williard Stadium) 4 p.m.
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Saturday, March 4 – vs. Lafayette (Williard Stadium) 1 p.m.
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Saturday, March 4 – vs. Lafayette (Williard Stadium) 4:30 p.m. *approximate start time
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Sunday, March 5 – vs. Lafayette (Williard Stadium) 1 p.m.
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Matchup History
 
The Panthers are 5-1 lifetime against the Leopards. The last time these two teams played was on opening weekend of the 2020 season. The Panthers outscored the Leopards in the series 25-14. That series saw the collegiate debuts of Carter Sheppard, Cole Singsank, Adam Stuart, and Blake Sutton. Singsank is 2-4 lifetime against Lafayette while Sheppard picked up his first career save in his collegiate debut.
 
Across the Diamond
 

• Lafayette is 1-7 to start the season.
• The Leopards were picked to finish sixth in the Patriot league preseason polls. They finished 15-35 last season which was fifth in the conference.
• Outfielder Pete Cuiffreda was selected to the Patriot League preseason all-conference team.
• Infielder Blaze Fadio leads Lafayette in hitting at .308.

 
Panther Particulars
 
Dingers
As a team, the Panthers have hit 11 home runs through the first seven games of the season. It is the most home runs through the first seven games of any season in program history.
 
Sutton Matches Home Run Total From 2022
With his five home runs heading into the weekend, Blake Sutton has already matched his home run total from last season. Sutton hit all five of his home runs through the first four games of the season and leads the Big South in home runs. His total is also tied for fifth in the nation.
 

SUTTON WITH THE WALK-OFF GRAND SLAMMM!! ??????#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/NRx5t70i5l

— High Point Baseball (@HPUBaseball) February 18, 2023

Hot Bats for Sutton
Sutton opened the 2023 season in quite the fashion... grand slam fashion to be exact. In Friday's contest, the Bulldogs and Panthers were tied going into the bottom of the ninth, but with bases loaded, Sutton smacked a walk-off grand slam for HPU's first win of the season. Sutton was not done though. In less than 24 hours he smacked two more home runs in the 7-6 win on Saturday afternoon, ending the series with a .364 batting average. The redshirt junior would smack two more home runs against Appalachian State for his second multi home run game of the season.
 

SUTTON WITH THE WALK-OFF GRAND SLAMMM!! ??????#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/NRx5t70i5l

— High Point Baseball (@HPUBaseball) February 18, 2023

On Base Machines
Going into Friday, Blake Sutton and Adam Stuart have both reached base in all seven contests. Stuart has also hit safely in all seven contests of the 2023 season. 

2^nd Ever Program Sweep for Opening Weekend
High Point opened the 2023 season with a series sweep over Bryant, marking the second time ever in program history. High Point started 3-0 for the first time since 2020.
 

SUTTON WITH THE WALK-OFF GRAND SLAMMM!! ??????#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/NRx5t70i5l

— High Point Baseball (@HPUBaseball) February 18, 2023

HPU Picked Third in Preseason Poll
High Point was tabbed third in the Big South preseason coaches' poll on January 26th. Campbell was the league favorite with six first-place votes and 93 total points in the poll.
 
Quartet of Panthers Highlight D1 Baseball Big South Prospects
D1 Baseball released its top 40 2023 draft prospects from the Big South. Out of the 40-man list, Sam Garcia was ranked seventh, while pitchers Gus Hughes and Carter Sheppard were ranked 11th and 16th respectively. Outfielder Brett Ahalt also made the listing and placed 26th. 

D1 Baseball's Starting Pitchers
Garcia also made D1 Baseball's top 200 starting pitchers, coming in at 127.
 
New and Old Kids on the Block
High Point returns 11 pitchers and nine position players from last season, while adding 11 transfers and 10 freshmen to fill out the roster.
 
Last Season
High Point finished 2022 with a record of 22-33, 14-10 in Big South play finishing fourth in the Big South standings. HPU won 10 of its final 14 regular season games. The Panthers won 12 home games last season, doubling their home win total from the season before. High Point was eliminated by UNC Asheville in the 2022 Big South Tournament. 
 
HPU Preview
It's baseball season in High Point as the Panthers are set to open with a weekend series versus Bryant on Friday, February 17^th. Sam Garcia has earned the Friday night starting slot with a big arm that can regularly throw in the 90s. Fans can expect to see Brett Wozniak, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Golden West on the mound on Saturday. Gus Hughes, a transfer junior from Gaston Community College, will round out the weekend rotation and be the Sunday afternoon starter. 

On the mound, the Panthers return 11 pitchers, including all three of their weekend starters from the 2022 season. The first team All-Big South member Garcia is coming off a season in which he was second in the Big South in ERA and WHIP. His .98 WHIP was good for 19th in the nation. Second team All-Big South member Sean Duffy finished sixth in the Big South last season in ERA with a 3.45. As a staff, the Panthers pitched four shutouts in 2022, which led the Big South. High Point added five transfers to bolster its pitching staff, including Hughes (Gaston College) and Wozniak (Golden West College).

In the lineup, the Panthers return nine positions players, seven of which were starters during the 2022 season. Charlie Klingler and Peyton Carr finished ninth and 10th respectively in the Big South in hitting. Klingler hit .328 in 38 games while Carr played in all 56 contests and hit .327. Javon Fields led all Panthers in batting average during Big South play, hitting .383 in league play, primarily out of the leadoff spot. Cole Singsank led HPU in home runs with eight while also leading the team in doubles with 12, tying for a team-high in RBI with 33. High Point adds transfers Brett Ahalt and Cael Chatham. Ahalt played at George Mason last year, leading the Patriots in hitting at .329. Chatham is a graduate transfer from Divsion III LaGrange, hitting a career best .378 with five home runs and 60 RBI in 2022.