JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2026) – The ETSU baseball team will play host to one of its oldest rivals on Wednesday as Appalachian State comes to Johnson City. First pitch between the Buccaneers and Mountaineers is set for 3 p.m. from Thomas Stadium.
 
Probable Pitching Matchups
LHP Jake Beaty (APP) vs. LHP Thomas Costarelli (ETSU) – Wednesday @ 3 p.m. | Live Stats
Promotions for Wednesday can be found HERE.
 
Last Time Out – The Buccaneers swept a three-game series from Sacred Heart last weekend by scores of 10-0, 26-3, and 11-8. Those three wins boost ETSU's record to 6-1 on the 2026 campaign.
 
Buccaneer offense consistency – A key part in ETSU's fast start to the season has been its ability to score throughout the game. The Bucs are outscoring their opponents 20-7 through the first three innings of games this year, including a 10-1 advantage in the first inning. The Bucs' offense has also padded its numbers late outscoring opponents 32-7 from the sixth inning onward, including a 13-0 advantage in the eighth inning alone.

Boost from the Buccaneer bullpen – With Wednesday being mainly a bullpen game, the Bucs should be in good shape based on their results from relievers through the first seven games of the season. Collectively, ETSU's bullpen is 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched this spring with 43 strikeouts. Opposing hitters are hitting just .197 off the Buc bullpen this season as well.
 
Home Field Dominance – With the three-game sweep of Sacred Heart, the Bucs continue to enjoy playing in front of their home fans at Thomas Stadium. Since the beginning of the 2024 season, the Bucs are 55-13 at the Thom (.809 winning percentage). Furthermore, through six home games in 2026, the Bucs are outscoring opponents 67-23.
 
About Appalachian State – Just like ETSU, the Mountaineers are 6-1 this season and are a perfect 6-0 in home games. App State's pitching staff has been one of the best in the nation in strike outs averaging 12.4 per nine innings, which ranks 11^th in Division I baseball. Wednesday will be the 146th all-time meeting between ETSU and App State. The Mountaineers have won 82 of those to hold the edge in the series, but the Bucs won both matchups last year by a combined score of 25-9.

For more information on Buccaneer baseball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the baseball tab.