The Presbyterian College softball team is set to face Gardner-Webb in a crucial Big South Conference series beginning April 10, with a single game on Friday followed by a doubleheader on Saturday. The games will be played in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
This matchup carries significant postseason implications as Gardner-Webb currently sits just above Presbyterian in the conference standings. Only the top five out of seven teams qualify for the league tournament in May. Historically, Presbyterian has struggled at Gardner-Webb’s home field, never having won two out of three games there and currently facing an eight-game losing streak against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
Gardner-Webb enters the weekend under fifth-year head coach Bailey Wigness after a season marked by both strong winning streaks and recent losses. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have three players—Maggie Knight, Annicka McLaughlin, and Reese Collier—among the top five batting averages in the conference. Collier leads with 59 hits and 11 home runs this season.
Presbyterian comes off a split non-conference doubleheader against Furman earlier this week. Infielder Hali Duke has been recognized as Big South Freshman of the Week for her performance and has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games. Senior pitcher Peyton Duncan is also approaching a milestone, needing only three more strikeouts to become just the third player in school history to surpass 300 career strikeouts.
The outcome of this series could play an important role in shaping both teams’ postseason opportunities as they compete for limited spots in next month’s conference tournament.
