Baseball: WVU Begins BIG EAST Slate
March 19, 2009 01:41 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
March 19, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University baseball team begins conference play with a three-game series against Connecticut on March 20-22 at J.O. Christian Field in Storrs, Conn.
WVU starts its conference quest at 3 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday. It ends its trip to Connecticut with a noon contest on Sunday.
“We know that Connecticut is a very good ballcub,” Coach Greg Van Zant said. “UConn plays very well at home, and we’re looking forward to the challenge of playing a tough opponent and getting off to a good start in conference play.”
Poised to better last season’s seventh-place finish in the BIG EAST, the Mountaineers (12-5) look to ride their .395 team batting average heading into their important weekend matchup with the Huskies (7-7). WVU recently defeated Ohio Valley Conference opponent Morehead State, 13-9, in a wild back-and-forth affair that was finally settled when Dan DiBartolomeo hit a tie-breaking grand slam to right center in the eighth inning.
DiBartolomeo continues to lead the Mountaineers at the plate, boasting a .483 average (28-for-58) with two home runs, 21 RBIs and 17 runs scored. Sophomore Jedd Gyorko, coming off a 3-for-5 outing, follows with a .472 mark with one home run, 18 RBIs and 11 doubles.
Swinging a hot bat has been senior centerfielder Austin Markel. The Elizabethville, Pa., native hit a critical two-run home run against Morehead State on Tuesday, and went 11-for-22 during the prior week. Markel is batting .382 with a team-leading four home runs.
Returning All-BIG EAST player Vince Belnome has been a consistent force in WVU’s cleanup spot. The converted second baseman leads the team with 26 RBIs and is tied with Gyorko for the top spot with 11 doubles.
Looking to earn another quality start is sophomore Jarryd Summers. The Sharpsville, Pa., native has struck out 21 batters in last two starts combined, and shows a 3-0 record with a 2.55 ERA, including 31 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. Reliever Chris Enourato looks to play a key role in the series as well, entering Friday’s contest with a 4-0 record and two saves in six appearances this season. The Bridgeport, W.Va., native has fanned 27 hitters in 18.1 innings pitched, and has held the opposition to a .197 batting average.
The Huskies show wins against Big Ten opponent Northwestern, George Mason, as well as Mid-American conference teams Bowling Green and Toledo. In the Big East/Big Ten Challenge, UConn went 1-2 by defeating the Wildcats, 10-1, but fell to Michigan State and Ohio State.
UConn is led by junior Matt Burnett and sophomore Mike Olt. Burnett has a .400 average (22-for-55) with three home runs and 16 RBIs, while Olt follows with four home runs and 18 RBIs and a .389 clip. Freshman right-hander Matt Barnes leads the arms with a 2-0 record and a 4.85 ERA in four appearances.
The Mountaineers earned a key sweep over the Huskies in 2008, including a memorable 12-11 victory on April 26 that was highlighted by Markel’s walk-off two-run inside-the-park home run.
