Tuesday, March 27
Morgantown, W.Va.
6:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Pitt
Mountaineers Host Backyard Brawl Tuesday
March 26, 2018 04:59 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Backyard Brawl returns to Monongalia County Ballpark on Tuesday, March 27, as the West Virginia University baseball team hosts rival Pitt. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark. The first 200 fans will receive a free fleece blanket, and all fans can play Baseball Bingo.
To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
The Mountaineers (9-12) and Panthers (12-9) meet for the 195th time on Tuesday. WVU is 106-88 all-time against Pitt, and has won three in a row and eight of the last 11 in the series. A year ago, West Virginia posted an 8-4 win in Pittsburgh before a 2-0 victory in the home finale. The Backyard Brawl is West Virginia's oldest and most-played rivalry.
Both teams are coming off a conference series over the weekend and a postponed midweek contest last week.
A pair of sophomore right-handers will take the mound on Tuesday. Isaiah Kearns (0-1, 4.66) will go for West Virginia, while Derek West (1-2, 3.77) throws for Pitt. Kearns started both of last year's games against the Panthers, allowing no runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts and five walks in 9.1 innings. He earned the win in the March 28 matchup in Pittsburgh.
FOLLOWING ALONG
The game will feature a free video stream, radio broadcast and live stats. Dan Zangrilli and Ernie Galusky will call the action.
Scouting Pitt
Pitt owns a 12-9 record with a 2-7 mark in ACC play. The Panthers are 1-2 at home, 2-5 in road contests and 9-2 at a neutral site. Pitt is coming off a series loss to No. 19 Duke in its home opener. The Blue Devils won the opener, 12-6, before the Panthers won the second game, 8-7. Duke won the series with a 6-5 victory on Sunday.
Liam Sabino paces the team with a .368 batting average, 28 hits, six home runs and a .711 slugging percentage. He is second with 18 RBIs, behind David Yanni's 20. Yanni also is tied for second on the team with 21 hits and has a .304 average.
Chase Smith and RJ Freure have both made 10 appearances on the mound, all in relief. Smith owns a 2.00 ERA in 18.0 innings, while Freure has a 3.75 ERA in 24.0 innings. Freure has struck out a team-best 40 batters. Yaya Chentouf leads the team with four saves and has a 2.51 ERA.
In his 21st season at Pitt, Joe Jordano is the winningest coach in program history with a record of 571-505-2. In his 20 years in Pittsburgh, Jordano has coached 13 All-Americans and 53 All-Conference selections.
SERIES HISTORY VS. PANTHERS
West Virginia is 106-88 all-time against Pitt. In the Mountaineers' oldest and most-played rivalry, WVU is 62-38 at home, 41-48 on the road and 3-2 at a neutral site. West Virginia has won three in a row in the series and eight of the last 11. WVU and Pitt have met every season since 2008 and twice a year since 2013.
The two teams first met in WVU's fourth season, 1895. The Mountaineers won that first game, 13-6, in Pittsburgh.
In 1981 and '82, and again from 1996-2012, West Virginia and Pitt were conference rivals. First in the Eastern 8, and then in the Big East. As conference foes, the series is knotted at 27-27.
West Virginia recorded a season series sweep last year, the first by either team since the Mountaineers won both games in 2014. In an 8-4 win on March 28 at Pitt, WVU scored two runs on a suicide squeeze and added five unearned runs. In front of 2,815 fans on May 16, the Mountaineers added a 2-0 home win thanks to an RBI triple and RBI single in the sixth inning and stellar pitching from Isaiah Kearns and Jackson Sigman.
LAST TIME OUT: CONFERENCE OPENER
Last week, West Virginia opened Big 12 action with a three-game series at Oklahoma. WVU lost the opener, 19-6 on March 23, as nine different Mountaineers accounted for the team's nine hits and Marques Inman had two RBIs as part of a four-run sixth for West Virginia. Playing a doubleheader to close the series the following day, WVU suffered a 10-2 loss in the day's first game, as the Mountaineers scored two in the fourth but gave up seven runs, five unearned, in the bottom half. In the final game of the series, West Virginia was edge by Oklahoma, 2-1, as Darius Hill recorded a pair of hits.
ON DECK: BIG 12 PLAY CONTINUES AT NO. 9 TEXAS TECH
West Virginia continues Big 12 action with a weekend series at No. 9 Texas Tech from March 29-31. The series commences on Thursday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT, and continues on Friday night, also at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT. The finale is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. Thursday night's game will air on Fox Sports Southwest, Friday's will be broadcast nationally on FS1, and Saturday's contest is slated for a Fox Sports Southwest Plus telecast.
Single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark. The first 200 fans will receive a free fleece blanket, and all fans can play Baseball Bingo.
To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
The Mountaineers (9-12) and Panthers (12-9) meet for the 195th time on Tuesday. WVU is 106-88 all-time against Pitt, and has won three in a row and eight of the last 11 in the series. A year ago, West Virginia posted an 8-4 win in Pittsburgh before a 2-0 victory in the home finale. The Backyard Brawl is West Virginia's oldest and most-played rivalry.
Both teams are coming off a conference series over the weekend and a postponed midweek contest last week.
A pair of sophomore right-handers will take the mound on Tuesday. Isaiah Kearns (0-1, 4.66) will go for West Virginia, while Derek West (1-2, 3.77) throws for Pitt. Kearns started both of last year's games against the Panthers, allowing no runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts and five walks in 9.1 innings. He earned the win in the March 28 matchup in Pittsburgh.
FOLLOWING ALONG
The game will feature a free video stream, radio broadcast and live stats. Dan Zangrilli and Ernie Galusky will call the action.
- A free video stream is available on WVUsports.com and the WVU Gameday App. New this season, fans also can access the video streams via Roku by downloading the West Virginia Mountaineers channel.
- Fans can listen to the game on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state, while fans across the country can tune in to the broadcast online at WVUsports.com and on the WVU Gameday App and the TuneIn App on their mobile device.
- Direct links to the video stream, radio broadcast and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.
- Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from the Backyard Brawl can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @WVUBaseball.
Scouting Pitt
Pitt owns a 12-9 record with a 2-7 mark in ACC play. The Panthers are 1-2 at home, 2-5 in road contests and 9-2 at a neutral site. Pitt is coming off a series loss to No. 19 Duke in its home opener. The Blue Devils won the opener, 12-6, before the Panthers won the second game, 8-7. Duke won the series with a 6-5 victory on Sunday.
Liam Sabino paces the team with a .368 batting average, 28 hits, six home runs and a .711 slugging percentage. He is second with 18 RBIs, behind David Yanni's 20. Yanni also is tied for second on the team with 21 hits and has a .304 average.
Chase Smith and RJ Freure have both made 10 appearances on the mound, all in relief. Smith owns a 2.00 ERA in 18.0 innings, while Freure has a 3.75 ERA in 24.0 innings. Freure has struck out a team-best 40 batters. Yaya Chentouf leads the team with four saves and has a 2.51 ERA.
In his 21st season at Pitt, Joe Jordano is the winningest coach in program history with a record of 571-505-2. In his 20 years in Pittsburgh, Jordano has coached 13 All-Americans and 53 All-Conference selections.
SERIES HISTORY VS. PANTHERS
West Virginia is 106-88 all-time against Pitt. In the Mountaineers' oldest and most-played rivalry, WVU is 62-38 at home, 41-48 on the road and 3-2 at a neutral site. West Virginia has won three in a row in the series and eight of the last 11. WVU and Pitt have met every season since 2008 and twice a year since 2013.
The two teams first met in WVU's fourth season, 1895. The Mountaineers won that first game, 13-6, in Pittsburgh.
In 1981 and '82, and again from 1996-2012, West Virginia and Pitt were conference rivals. First in the Eastern 8, and then in the Big East. As conference foes, the series is knotted at 27-27.
West Virginia recorded a season series sweep last year, the first by either team since the Mountaineers won both games in 2014. In an 8-4 win on March 28 at Pitt, WVU scored two runs on a suicide squeeze and added five unearned runs. In front of 2,815 fans on May 16, the Mountaineers added a 2-0 home win thanks to an RBI triple and RBI single in the sixth inning and stellar pitching from Isaiah Kearns and Jackson Sigman.
LAST TIME OUT: CONFERENCE OPENER
Last week, West Virginia opened Big 12 action with a three-game series at Oklahoma. WVU lost the opener, 19-6 on March 23, as nine different Mountaineers accounted for the team's nine hits and Marques Inman had two RBIs as part of a four-run sixth for West Virginia. Playing a doubleheader to close the series the following day, WVU suffered a 10-2 loss in the day's first game, as the Mountaineers scored two in the fourth but gave up seven runs, five unearned, in the bottom half. In the final game of the series, West Virginia was edge by Oklahoma, 2-1, as Darius Hill recorded a pair of hits.
- West Virginia suffered a weekend series sweep for the first time since March 18-20, 2016, in a three-game series at No. 7 TCU.
- WVU played its first true doubleheader of the season on Saturday.
- Nick Denicola recorded his first career hit and RBI with an eighth-inning double on Friday.
- Ivan Gonzalez had two hits in Saturday's first game, his team-high-tying sixth multi-hit game of the season and 39th of his career.
- Sam Kessler pitched a scoreless 2.0 innings in relief in Saturday's finale, and has not allowed a run on just four hits in 8.2 innings to start the 2018 season.
- Braden Zarbnisky failed to reach base in his two at-bats on Friday, snapping his career-long and team-leading reached-base streak at 14 consecutive games, a stretch that began at the end of the 2017 season.
ON DECK: BIG 12 PLAY CONTINUES AT NO. 9 TEXAS TECH
West Virginia continues Big 12 action with a weekend series at No. 9 Texas Tech from March 29-31. The series commences on Thursday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT, and continues on Friday night, also at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT. The finale is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. Thursday night's game will air on Fox Sports Southwest, Friday's will be broadcast nationally on FS1, and Saturday's contest is slated for a Fox Sports Southwest Plus telecast.
Single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
Players Mentioned
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