Baseball: WVU Baseball Set to Open BIG EAST Play
March 23, 2006 04:59 PM | General
March 23, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team will look to get off to a hot start this weekend in BIG EAST play as it hosts rival Pitt at Hawley Field in a three game weekend series beginning on Friday, March 24, in Morgantown at 5 p.m.
With the majority of its non-conference schedule under its belt, WVU has posted its best record since 1964 when Steve Harrick’s club started the season the season 18-0, before finishing 24-5 and making the NCAA tournament.
The Mountaineers (16-3) enter Friday’s game riding a 10-game winning streak and a 13-game home winning streak. Head coach Greg Van Zant’s club has not lost at Hawley Field since April 27, of last year when West Virginia fell to Ohio, 6-5.
West Virginia’s offense has gotten off to a blistering start as it currently boasts a .323 combined batting average, 45 extra base hits and average eight runs per game (153 runs on the season).
Sophomore second baseman Tyler Kuhn has led the WVU bats throughout the current home stand. On the season the Louisville, Ky., native is batting .425 with 21 RBI and 13 extra base hits. Heading into this week Kuhn led the conference in doubles (10) and triples (3).
While the offense has gotten the headlines thus far, the pitching staff has quietly put together a very impressive opening third of the season. The hurlers have posted a 2.91 ERA and held opponents to an anemic .291 batting average. The staff has given up only 53 earned runs through 19 games.
Junior Dan Leatherman has been a main reason for the staff’s success as the Frederick Community College (Md.) transfer has a 1.66 ERA through 21.2 innings pitched, while striking out 20 of 72 batters faced.
The Panthers (11-8, 2-1 BIG EAST) are coming off of an 18-8 shellacking of Duquesne on Wednesday, March 22, and are currently tied with South Florida for first in the conference standings.
Preseason BIG EAST offensive player of the year Jim Negrych has been a large part of the team’s success as the second baseman is hitting .373 with 17 RBI so far this season.
On the mound, preseason BIG EAST pitcher of the year Bill Muldowney is 2-1 on the season with a 2.43 ERA in five appearances.
The Mountaineers will undoubtedly have revenge on their minds this weekend after Pitt pulled off a three-game sweep last year at Trees Field in Pittsburgh. WVU is 88-76 all-time versus the Panthers.
