Weekend Notes

Posted by John Antonik on Thursday, March 26, 2009
(9:23 pm)
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Sometimes good coaching is as simple as making out a lineup card and getting out of the way. Coach Greg Van Zant is probably considering doing that with his baseball team this year.


	Tobias Streich cleared the bases with this grand slam to help West Virginia to a 10-7 win over Kentucky Tuesday night in Charleston. Jeffrey Reynolds photo

All nine of Van Zant’s regulars are hitting better than .300, and the team’s .381 batting average (now .384 after a 15-hit performance against Kentucky on Tuesday) is presently tied with New Mexico State for third-best in the country, according to the latest NCAA statistics though March 22.

The Mountaineers also ranked among the nation’s top 20 in runs scored, hits, doubles per game, slugging percentage and sacrifice hits.

This could be the best hitting team in school history. West Virginia has had 10 or more hits in a game 18 times in 23 games so far this season.

The school record for team batting average is .358 performed in 1998. The Mountaineers are 26 points higher than that right now.

West Virginia is on the road this weekend for a three-game series at Villanova before opening conference play at home against Georgetown April 3-5.

Because of an unbalanced Big East schedule, this year West Virginia will play 15 conference road games and 12 home games.

I recall senior Justin Parks mentioning before the start of the season his belief that hitting .400 as a team was a realistic goal. That statement drew a few raised eyebrows at the time, but judging from how well the team is hitting through the first month of the season, .400 might very well be attainable.

West Virginia devoured SEC midweek pitching this year. In a pair of victories against Tennessee and Kentucky, the Mountaineers pounded out 28 hits and scored 21 runs.

As well as the baseball team has played so far this year, the 16-5 Mountaineers have found it difficult to advance in the RPI. According to Warren Nolan.com, West Virginia’s RPI is 140 heading into this weekend’s three-game series at Villanova. WVU had a 42-spot jump after its 10-7 victory over Kentucky (11th in the RPI before the game) but has since fallen three spots.

The highest rated Big East team is Seton Hall at 54th, followed by Louisville at 75th, Rutgers at 95th and Notre Dame at 98th. If these numbers hold up the Big East could be a one-bid league this year.

The word from Charleston is the West Virginia-Kentucky game was such a success that the Appalachian Power is anxious to get the Mountaineers back down to Charleston next year for another game. Nearly 3,000 showed up for Tuesday’s game, a 10-7 come-from-behind Mountaineer win.

For those of you wanting a Flying WV favicon in your web browser, that request has now been granted. Sorry for the delay.


	Michael Walker

The men’s swimming team has a chance to score points at this year’s NCAA Championships with Michael Walker competing in three events: 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 breast stroke. Walker’s best opportunity to reach the finals will be in the 400 IM where he is presently ranked 15th in the country.

CBS Sports lists Pat White as the fourth-best quarterback in the NFL draft behind Georgia’s Matthew Stafford, USC’s Mark Sanchez and Kansas State’s Josh Freeman.

Despite making it known that he is a quarterback, White recently worked out for the New England Patriots at wide receiver and he drew 25 teams to West Virginia’s pro day two weeks ago. White indicated he would work out at wide receiver at West Virginia’s pro day but no teams asked him to.

It appears teams are going to work him out at wide receiver in private workouts making White one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire draft, according to CBS NFL senior writer Steve Wyche.

White recently indicated his personal preference is the Pittsburgh Steelers during an online chat.

If you haven’t done so already, you can renew your football season tickets online. It’s fast and easy and your request is processed immediately. Roughly 25 percent of all renewals were done this way last year.

http://www.msnsportsnet.com/09footballtickets/index.html

West Virginia’s first full-contact practice of the spring will take place on Saturday and more than 500 maniacs will be on hand to watch it. Of course the maniacs are the Mountaineer Maniacs, which are being invited to Saturday’s practice. Pizza will be served to the Maniacs afterward.

Everyone has heard of the formula e = mc2, well now there is B+TxH2=V. That is Bill Stewart’s formula for success. B stands for blocking, T stands for tackling, the two Hs are for hitting and hustle and of course V stands for victory.

Stewart said Wednesday afternoon that the entire team learned a very valuable lesson at Greenville, N.C., last year when East Carolina whipped the Mountaineers 24-3.

“Our young men found out that you have to do more than put on the Old Gold and Blue on and that game is when we said, ‘Owen Schmitt isn’t here, Keilein Dykes isn’t here and Steve Slaton isn’t here.’ I think they though that Pat (White) was going to bail them out like he always did,” Stewart said. “I believe our eyes opened that day and that’s why I try to tell the team that they better respect all and feat none.”

Stewart said the team’s first goal is and always will be to win the Big East championship.

“You can’t do anything without the Big East – you have to win it before you meet any other goals,” he said.


	Josh Jenkins

Offensive line coach Dave Johnson said before the start of spring practice that he’s hopeful of finding at least eight guys ready to go by the end of spring drills. Perhaps the biggest concern is finding someone ready to back up starting center Eric Jobe. Right now shot-gun snaps have been a big concern with the second and third groups.

One offensive lineman with a huge upside is sophomore Josh Jenkins, who admitted on Tuesday that he fought the jitters playing as a true freshman last year. Stewart believes if Jenkins puts in the time he has a chance to be a major performer for the Mountaineers next season.

“Josh has a lot of potential and potential means that you haven’t done it yet,” Stewart explained. “If Josh takes his brother’s work ethic (graduate assistant Paul Jenkins) or the work ethic of Ryan Stanchek, he has the chance to be a good player.”

There are five Big East teams that have made it to the Sweet 16, making it one of the strongest years in league history. The Big East’s best performance came in 1985 when Villanova, Georgetown and St. John’s made the Final Four.

After the first week of tournament play the Big East is 11-2 in NCAA Tournament play with eight of the 11 victories coming by double digit margins.

UConn, Pitt and Villanova play tonight while Louisville and Syracuse play tomorrow night. Notre Dame is also still alive in the NIT after knocking off Kentucky last night in South Bend.

There has been a lot of talk about the experience returning on defense and Bill Stewart’s desire to bring more pressure in 2009. A key for the defense will be how quickly the secondary can pick up what Dave Lockwood is teaching because in order to blitz more, the back end has to be able to cover.


	Lisa Stoia

West Virginia University will have representation when the fledgling Women’s Professional Soccer League begins play Sunday, March 29. Lisa Stoia, a former Mountaineer player and now assistant coach on Nikki Izzo-Brown’s staff, is playing with the St. Louis Athletica and Greer Barnes, a member of last year’s team, is a member of the Los Angeles Sol.

You can catch Barnes and the Sol battle the Washington Freedom at 6 p.m. Sunday evening on Fox Soccer Channel.

The seven-team league will play though the summer until the end of August.

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