The Western Carolina outdoor track team and baseball team’s events the weekend of March 19-20 were brought to a halt due to a members of both rosters testing positive for COVID-19.
The outdoor track team was forced to withdraw from their first scheduled meet of the season – the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by Georgia Tech set to take place March 19-20. The meet will go on without the Catamounts as they focus their attention on getting healthy and preparing for their next meet at Montreat University on March 26.
WCU baseball team was forced to reschedule their March 17 home game against Kennesaw State University and had their 3 game series against Mercer cancelled, which was scheduled for March 19-20. The team has to quarantine for 7 days per the requirements within WCU’s program.
“The Kennesaw game, we are making up on I think May 18 or 19, one of those two days,” Coach Robert Moranda explained over the phone. Moranda also said that the only way for the series against Mercer to be made up would be if the upcoming opponents of both WCU and Mercer baseball have positive COVID-19 cases among their programs thus opening a space for both teams.
“I don’t see that happening, both of us would lose the same weekend in league… but it could happen and if it does we will probably go and play them,” Moranda added.
The baseball team is riding a 6 game winning streak. The streak is headlined by the catamounts high powered offense. The catamounts are averaging 11 runs per game during this streak, including a massive 21 run performance in their March 13 matchup against St. Johns. Regardless of the cancellation are still looking ahead to their next opponents.
“We found out on Monday after figuring out that a member of the program tested positive. Games should be back on this next upcoming week,” senior team member and former team captain, Will Prater, said.
Should the baseball roster test negative across the board, they will face the Citadel in a 3 game series March 26-27 as they look to build on their recent success.
