Baseball: WVU Braces for Baseball at the Beach
February 26, 2009 10:51 AM | General
February 27, 2009
Game Notes | Baseball at the Beach
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team prepares for its second road trip this weekend at the Baseball at the Beach Tournament in Myrtle Beach and Conway, S.C.
The Mountaineers (2-2) open with Southeastern Conference foe Tennessee on Friday, Feb. 27, at noon at BB&T Coastal Field. WVU follows with a matchup against No. 18 Coastal Carolina, the tournament host, on the same day.
WVU plays at Charles Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field on Saturday afternoon against Ivy League member Brown at 3 p.m. The Mountaineers finish their trip by facing Coastal Carolina once again on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Returning seven of eight position players from 2008, the Mountaineers showed their experience at the plate during the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge. WVU finished second among all 18 teams from both conferences in team batting average with a .359 mark.
WVU recorded decisive victories over Indiana and Northwestern, while suffering hard-fought defeats to Illinois and Minnesota. Sophomore Jedd Gyroko currently leads the Mountaineers in the early going with a .474 average (9-for-19), including one home run, four doubles and four RBIs.
Sophomore right-hander Jarryd Summers looks to feed off his opening day performance, where he threw five innings and allowed only one earned run on six hits while striking out nine. Relief pitcher Chris Enourato will also be key coming out of the bullpen, as he registered seven strikeouts in only four innings pitched to get the save against the Hoosiers.
Junior Vince Belnome led all players with seven runs scored in last weekend’s interconference event, and has crossed the plate eight times after WVU’s 10-5 victory over Northwestern on Monday.
The Volunteers (1-2) are led by Baseball America Preseason All-American Kentrail Davis, a sophomore centerfielder who tallied 13 home runs and 44 RBIs in 54 games last season. Tennessee defeated Oregon State in its home opener, 5-4, but is on a two-game losing streak after falling to Austin Peay, 5-3, on Tuesday.
The Chanticleers (4-1) are riding a 7-3 victory over top-ranked North Carolina. They return four hitters that batted over .300 in 2008, most notably All Ping! Preseason All-American David Anderson and one of the country’s top utility players in Scott Woodward. Coastal Carolina right-hander Nick McCully returns his 10-3 mark with a 3.63 ERA, and has recorded one save already in three appearances.
Brown makes its debut with two games against Florida International before facing the Mountaineers. The Bears (0-0) bring back senior outfielder Steve Daniels, who tallied 19 stolen bases to go along with a .344 average and 21 RBIs. Senior shortstop Matt Nuzzo recorded six home runs and 40 RBIs last season, and is expected to supply plenty of power for the Bears.
WVU participated in last season’s Baseball at the Beach Tournament, winning three out of four games. The Mountaineers defeated Western Carolina, George Mason and in-state rival Marshall, but fell to Coastal Carolina.
Fans can access live stats throughout the event by logging on to the official tournament website, www.goccusports.com. Live audio will be available for WVU’s games against Coastal Carolina on Friday and Sunday afternoon.
