CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Towson University baseball team will return to the diamond for the first time in nearly 345 days, heading south for a four-game series at Western Carolina from Feb. 19-21.  First pitch is Friday at 2:30 p.m. followed up a Saturday doubleheader at 2 p.m. and a Sunday getaway game at 1 p.m.
 
The Friday game will be broadcast on ESPN+, available via a subscription.  All four games will have live stats available through the Western Carolina athletics website, catamountsports.com.
 
Since COVID-19 ended the 2021 season, it will have been 344 days, 20 hours and 44 minutes since Towson baseball last played, defeating George Washington 5-2 on March 10, 2020.
 
This is the first-ever meeting between Towson and Western Carolina.  Towson last played a member of the SoCon in 2018, taking on The Citadel from April 13-14.  Western Carolina played CAA-member Elon in a series from March 15-17, 2019.
 
Towson's first 15 games will be on the road in five different states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Virginia.
 
Projected Starting Rotation - Towson (2020 Stats):
Game 1 - Josh Seils, RHP (0-3, 5.03 ERA, 17/10 K-BB)
Game 2 - Nick Janowicz, RHP (DNP)
Game 3 - Danny Madden, LHP (DNP)
Game 4 - Nick Ramanjulu, RHP (1-3, 3.22 ERA, 18/12 K-BB)
Projected Starting Rotation - Western Carolina (2020 Stats):
Game 1 - Zebby Matthews, RHP (3-1, 3.42 ERA, 29/2 K-BB)
Game 2 - Gavin Mortenson, RHP (DNP)
Game 3 - Corey Bright, RHP (0-2, 3.15 ERA, 20/7 K-BB)
Game 4 - Ryan Mitschele, RHP (2-1, 3.15 ERA, 14-10 K-BB)
 
FIELDS NAMED PRESEASON HM ALL-CAA
Javon Fields was selected as 2021 Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA in the preseason coaches poll.  Fields was previously 2020 Preseason All-CAA and 2019 CAA All-Rookie Team.
 
Fields has started nearly every game in his Towson career as the team's centerfielder, hitting .277 in his career with 11 doubles, 30 RBI and 22 steals.
 
LAST TIME: TOWSON WINS AT GW 5-2
Towson won its third straight game with a 5-2 win at George Washington on March 10, 2020, the first victory over the Colonials since 2017.
Key stat:
--Towson outscored GW 4-0 in innings 2-6
Top Towson batter:
--Brandon Austin: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI singles
Top Towson pitcher:
--Teddy Blumenauer: W, 6.1 IP, 2 R, 5 K
 
SEILS, CAMPER NAMED TOP-10 CAA DRAFT CLASS PROSPECTS
Two Tigers, Josh Seils and Burke Camper, were ranked in the top-10 among CAA players in their respective Major League Baseball classes by Perfect Game USA.  Among CAA players, Seils is ninth in the 2021 draft class while Camper is ninth in the 2022 draft class.
 
Seils was eligible for the MLB Draft last year but returned to Towson.  The junior pitcher is Towson's Friday starter, striking out 73 in 17 starts since 2019, including 6.1 innings with two runs against #7 Miami last year.
 
Camper was one of the CAA's top freshmen last year, hitting .314 with three doubles and 11 RBI in 15 games, split between catcher and designated hitter.
 
YOU ARE NEW....
Though all 2020 players were granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, Towson still added 11 newcomers this year, including six true freshmen, three JUCOs and two Division I transfers.  In addition, five players who were on the roster last year but did not appear in a game return.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
14 who suit up for the Black & Gold hail from the Old Line State of Maryland.  This includes several players from the Baltimore metropolitan area: Nick Brown, Alex Parker, Trent Gast-Woodard, Bryce Frederick and Ryan Schechner.
 
BRING BACK THE STAFF...
Towson returns 12 pitchers who accounted for 127.2 of the 128 innings thrown during the 2020 season.  They combined for a 4.29 team ERA under pitching coach Miles Miller, 1.3 points better than in 2019.  Two Tigers, Austin Weber and Nick Ramanjulu, ranked top-10 in the CAA in ERA at 2.94 and 3.22 respectively.
 
...BUT THE LINEUP MAY BE DIFFERENT
Towson routinely shuffled its lineup during the 15 games of 2020 and returns nine of the 13 players who had at least five starts in the order last season.  Outfielder Matt Arceo finished fourth in the CAA with a .395 batting average while outfielder Javon Fields tied for fourth in the league with seven steals, hitting .293.  The biggest departure was starting first baseman Brad Powers, who was third in the CAA with 16 RBI.
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson has two players in the minor leagues.  Richie Palacios, a third round pick by Cleveland in 2018, is the #31 rated-prospect in the system, missing 2019 due to shoulder surgery.  Brady Policelli, a 13th round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2016, was a spring training invite in 2019 and 2020 after earning FSL All-Star honors in 2019. Gavin Weyman pitched in the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League in 2020 for the second straight year.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT (STATS FROM 2020):
Western Carolina, which finished 8-8 in last year's COVID-shortened season, was predicted to finish fifth in the SoCon in preseason coaches poll.  The team placed three on the Preseason First Team All-SoCon Team: catcher Luke Robinson (.333, 2 2B), outfielder Justice Bigbie (.290, 1 HR, 8 RBI) and relief pitcher Zach Franklin (0.79 ERA, 3 SV, 14 K).