HIGH POINT, N.C. – No. 14 Campbell shut out Gardner-Webb 5-0 behind a brilliant performance from Cade Kuehler on the hill. The win puts top-seeded Campbell in the winners-bracket semifinal, awaiting the winner of USC Upstate and Winthrop in Thursday's nightcap.
 
Thursday marked Campbell's first tournament-opening win since 2019 after dropping the opener the last two seasons. The Camels have gone on to win the tournament in four of the previous five times they have won the opener.
 
Campbell struck early against Big South Pitcher of the Year Bobby Alcock with a pair of two-out hits in the first. Halstead singled with two away before a stolen base and passed ball set up Logan Jordan's RBI single to go up 1-0.
 
Grant Knipp got himself a two-out two run double in the third. It looked to be a chopper down the third base line, but a friendly bounce off the bag kicked the ball into left field to score a pair.
 
Jarrod Belbin added to the lead with a solo shot just inside the right field foul pole the following inning. Belbin added another RBI to his line with a sac fly in the sixth to put the Camels up 5-0.
 
That was more than enough for Kuehler, who pitched an absolute gem for the Camels. The junior faced only two over the minimum, scattering two hits while retiring 11 in a row between them. Kuehler finished with a final line of 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K. Sixty-three of Cade's 91 pitches were in for strikes, and he did not allow a free pass.
 
Freshman of the Year Jackson Roberts picked up where Kuehler left off, pounding the strike zone to toss two shutout innings to get Campbell the win. Roberts surrendered Gardner-Webb's only leadoff baserunner of the day with a leadoff walk in the ninth.
 
The pitching performance was Campbell's second two-hit shutout of the season, doing the same against Rutgers in a 10-0 win on Feb. 18.
 
Tyler Halstead and Grant Knipp each had two-hit days at the plate, with Knipp and Belbin each driving in two.
 
Campbell will face the winner of USC Upstate and Winthrop tomorrow at 3 p.m. That game will be broadcast on ESPN+.