Top-10 Coastal Carolina Takes on Campbell in Midweek Matchup

No. 9 Coastal Carolina hosts Campbell on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for a midweek showdown at Springs Brooks Stadium, live on ESPN+. The Chanticleers look to build on their momentum after taking two of three games at the Baseball at the Beach Tournament, including a pair of wins over VCU and a setback against Illinois. Campbell enters the matchup looking to rebound after dropping two of three contests to Troy in week two of college baseball.

Through the first two weeks of the season, Coastal has yet to display the high-powered offense that was impactful to last year’s historic run. The squad is hitting just .233 overall, with only Dean Mihos, Rex Watson, and Trace Mazon batting over .300.

Veteran senior Blake Barthol has gone through a slow start at the plate, going 5-for-28 with seven strikeouts. However, he faced a similar stretch last season, opening 2025 just 6-for-27 before turning things around to finish with a .274 average while leading the team with 12 home runs. With proven power and reliability at the plate, Barthol will look to break out of his early-season slump and reestablish himself as a key contributor in Coastal’s lineup.

Getting runners on base has also been a challenge, as the team’s on-base percentage sits at .382. Even when runners do reach, the Chanticleers have struggled to capitalize with runners in scoring position.

On the bright side, Coastal is 92% on stolen bases this season, successful on 11-of-12 attempts. Stetson transfer Jordan Taylor carries the club, swiping a perfect 5-for-5 bases. The Florida native had 22 stolen bases in 2025 for the Hatters.

While the offense is still finding its rhythm, Coastal’s pitching staff has delivered. The Chanticleers carry a 3.34 ERA, anchored by senior Darin Horn and freshman Case Bosch, who have combined to allow just five hits and one earned run across 18.2 innings.

Horn turned in a dominant outing Sunday against VCU, tossing six no-hit innings and retiring the final 12 batters he faced to close out the game. Bosch impressed in his second collegiate appearance Friday night, earning the win after allowing just one hit over 4.2 scoreless innings. Together, the duo has provided stability for a Coastal bullpen navigating early-season adversity.

The Camels enter at 3-4 on the season after suffering a 13-3 defeat on Friday and splitting a doubleheader with Troy on Sunday, following a weather delay that paused play Saturday. In Friday’s series opener, the Camels’ bats went cold, as they tallied their fewest hits of the season with five, and struck out a season high 13 times. Junior right-hander Camden Wimbish surrendered the loss, tossing 4.0 innings, allowing six hits and six runs. Sophomore Gabriel Cruz also gave up five runs in the eighth.

In Game 1 of the doubleheader, Senior Trent Rumley ignited the offense by launching a home run on the very first pitch of the game. Carlos Lugo later came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Joey Morton, giving Campbell a 2-0 lead before the weather forced a delay and ultimately suspended the game. Play resumed Sunday at 11 a.m.

When play resumed, the Camels erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a trio of home runs from Jett Music, Lukas Schramm, and Morton. It marked the first time since May 10 of last season against Elon that Campbell hit three home runs in a single inning. Schramm added his second homer of the game in the seventh to enforce the mercy rule and even the series. On the mound, sophomore right-hander Cooper Clark earned the win, surrendering just one hit and one run across five innings of work.

In Game 2 of the doubleheader, Troy jumped out to an early lead with a three-run homer in the first, but the Camels quickly responded with four runs in the second to move in front, 4-3. The Trojans answered with a run in the second and three more in the third to reclaim the lead for good, as Campbell was held scoreless the rest of the way. Camels outfielder Joe Simpson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for his first multi-hit game of the season, while junior Andrew Schuldt notched his second straight multi-hit performance.

Senior Jonah Oster has made an early impact, recording a hit in six of the team’s first seven games, including two multi-hit performances, and has driven in five runs. He is currently tied with Morton for the team lead with eight hits on the young season.

Rumley leads the team with a .368 batting average and also tops the club in on-base percentage. The senior has crossed the plate 11 times and drawn seven walks, getting the job done at Campbell’s lead-off spot.

One intriguing player for the Camels is sophomore Jett Music, a two-way contributor who pitches and plays in the outfield. Music has recorded six hits at the plate this season and has also been reliable on the mound, earning two saves in two appearances.

The Chanticleers dominated Campbell 15-1 in their last meeting on April 1, 2025, in Conway. Sebastian Alexander went 3-for-3 with two home runs and seven runs batted in.

Coastal Carolina looks to spark its offense Tuesday, while Campbell hopes to capitalize and hand the Chanticleers their second consecutive midweek upset.