Baseball: WVU Heads to Caravelle Resort Tourney
February 18, 2010 11:33 AM | General
February 18, 2010
CARAVELLE RESORT TOURNAMENT NOTES | BASEBALL PREVIEW
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| Jedd Gyorko |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team begins its 2010 campaign with a trip to the Caravelle Resort Tournament on Feb. 19-21 in Conway, S.C.
The Mountaineers begin their season against tournament host and 12th-rated Coastal Carolina on Friday at 4 p.m. at Charles Watson Stadium. West Virginia is 1-5 all-time against the Big South favorites, with its last victory occurring in 2006.
West Virginia follows with a matchup against Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky on Saturday at noon. In last year’s contest between both teams, the Mountaineers came away with a 10-7 victory in front of 2,452 fans at the West Virginia Power Classic in Charleston, W.Va.
WVU concludes its trip with an 11 a.m. first pitch against former BIG EAST rival Virginia Tech. Both teams have met just once since the Hokies became members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, with WVU defeating Virginia Tech, 5-0, at the Keith LeClair Tournament in 2006.
Just like the start of every season, WVU’s trip down South will allow it to get outdoors instead of practicing indoors due to the cold weather.
“Even though we haven’t been outside yet and our players haven’t had a chance to put their spikes on yet, we feel like we have a chance to win some ball games,” 16th-year coach Greg Van Zant said. “We’ll be able to practice on Thursday at the Pelicans’ Stadium and go outside and do some things that we haven’t been able to do here for the first month.”
The Mountaineers return four position starters from last year’s team that set school records for batting average (.360), RBIs (491), doubles (161), extra base hits (242) and runs scored (525). The returnees include shortstop and preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year Jedd Gyorko, third baseman Dan DiBartolomeo, second baseman Colin Durborow and right fielder Grant Buckner.
Nine pitchers return from a season ago, highlighted by staff ace Jarryd Summers, who joins Gyorko and DiBartolomeo as members of the preseason all-BIG EAST team. National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year candidate Chris Enourato, a senior closer, also returns, while starting left-hander Jonathan Jones and senior right-hander Andy Altemus highlight a group of 16 pitchers.
“Practice has gone real well overall,” Van Zant added. “Our returning players have done a real good job of helping the younger players try to figure things out. By the time we start our preseason practice in January, our guys have already had a fall together.”
The Chanticleers will designate junior left-hander Cody Wheeler as their opening day starter, while the Mountaineers are expected to counter with Summers. Wheeler finished the 2009 season with a 10-1 record and a 3.83 ERA in 15 games started.
Kentucky plans to throw freshman left-hander and Littleton, Colo., native Taylor Rogers on Saturday, while the Hokies have junior right-hander Jesse Hahn slotted for Sunday. Hahn went 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 17 appearances last season.
WVU’s Saturday and Sunday starters are to be determined.
