Baseball: WVU Takes on Duquesne
April 26, 2010 01:59 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
April 26, 2010
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the second time in a one-week span, the West Virginia University baseball team faces Duquesne on Tuesday, April 27, at 7:05 p.m. at Hawley Field.
The Mountaineers (17-23) hold a seven-game winning streak against the Dukes (8-33), defeating them 23-6 last Tuesday in Pittsburgh. In that contest, the Mountaineers established a season-high for runs while producing 23 base hits. Every WVU starting position player reached base, and seven of the eight starters posted multiple hits.
“This is a big week for our team, and it starts Tuesday night against Duquesne,” coach Greg Van Zant said. “Before we play any of our conference series, we’re always looking for mid-week wins to create some momentum. Both teams will be prepared after playing only a week ago, and hopefully our team comes up with a good result.”
Junior Jedd Gyorko finished 3-for-7 with two home runs and six RBIs in WVU’s rout. The Morgantown native set the tone for the Mountaineer offense when he hit two home runs in the first inning.
Despite falling to nationally-ranked Pitt in a three-game set last weekend, WVU’s offense continues to excel. The Mountaineers have a .302 team batting average and remain in the top half of the BIG EAST in hitting, tying with Rutgers for sixth place.
If WVU finishes the season with a .300 team batting average or higher, it would mark the eighth consecutive year that the program has accomplished the feat. The last time WVU failed to achieve the mark was in 2002, when it completed the season with a .295 average.
Junior first baseman Justin McDavid continues to perform well, providing a stable presence in the infield and at the plate. The Queen Creek, Ariz., native has a 16-game hitting streak, the longest of any Mountaineer this season. McDavid batted .333 (7-for-21) in four games last week with seven RBIs and five runs scored.
Dom Hayes led the everyday starters with a .421 average (8-for-19) last week. The Freehold, N.J., native is first on the team with a .411 batting average, the third-best in the conference.
Gyorko is hitting at .357 and remains in the top five in several BIG EAST offensive categories. The Morgantown native’s 13 home runs are tied for second in the conference, and he is also second with 118 total bases.
WVU is 71-8 all-time against Duquesne. Both teams have played since 1915 when WVU opened the series with a 7-5 road victory.
