Baseball: WVU Opens Official Practice
January 27, 2011 03:51 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team opens its 2011 season on Friday, Jan. 28, with its first official practice at 3:30 p.m., at the Caperton Indoor Facility.
“Everyone involved with this team has been looking forward to tomorrow for quite some time,” says 17-year coach Greg Van Zant. “Our players and coaches are all excited to get started. A lot of our early success this season depends on how we prepare in these upcoming practices, so each day is huge.
“With only three weeks to prepare for our first game, there has to be a sense of urgency; there is a tremendous amount that we want to accomplish this season. We have to make the most of our time. Fortunately, we have the world-class Caperton Indoor Facility for practice, and that will help us get through this bad weather and get ready for the season.”
The Mountaineers return to the diamond after going 27-30 in 2010 and qualifying for the BIG EAST Tournament with a 10-17 record.
Redshirt senior third baseman Grant Buckner will lead the Mountaineers at the plate. A member of the 2011 preseason all-BIG EAST team, the Elkview, W.Va., native owned a .363 batting average last season and recorded 50 RBIs, as well as 73 base hits and eight home runs.
Additional key returnees are senior catcher Justin McDavid and redshirt sophomore outfielder Chris Rasky. McDavid tallied 53 RBIs in 2010, while Rasky powered to a .344 average.
Returning to the mound for the Mountaineers are left-handed pitchers Michael Twigg and Jonathan Jones and right-handed slinger Andy Berry. Twigg went 3-1 in 2010 with a 5.44 ERA, while Berry and Jones combined to go 6-4.
The Mountaineers open their season at the third annual BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, Feb. 18-20. The Mountaineers will open the challenge against Iowa on Friday, Feb. 18, at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, in Clearwater, Fla., at 10 a.m.
“Everyone involved with this team has been looking forward to tomorrow for quite some time,” says 17-year coach Greg Van Zant. “Our players and coaches are all excited to get started. A lot of our early success this season depends on how we prepare in these upcoming practices, so each day is huge.
“With only three weeks to prepare for our first game, there has to be a sense of urgency; there is a tremendous amount that we want to accomplish this season. We have to make the most of our time. Fortunately, we have the world-class Caperton Indoor Facility for practice, and that will help us get through this bad weather and get ready for the season.”
The Mountaineers return to the diamond after going 27-30 in 2010 and qualifying for the BIG EAST Tournament with a 10-17 record.
Redshirt senior third baseman Grant Buckner will lead the Mountaineers at the plate. A member of the 2011 preseason all-BIG EAST team, the Elkview, W.Va., native owned a .363 batting average last season and recorded 50 RBIs, as well as 73 base hits and eight home runs.
Additional key returnees are senior catcher Justin McDavid and redshirt sophomore outfielder Chris Rasky. McDavid tallied 53 RBIs in 2010, while Rasky powered to a .344 average.
Returning to the mound for the Mountaineers are left-handed pitchers Michael Twigg and Jonathan Jones and right-handed slinger Andy Berry. Twigg went 3-1 in 2010 with a 5.44 ERA, while Berry and Jones combined to go 6-4.
The Mountaineers open their season at the third annual BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, Feb. 18-20. The Mountaineers will open the challenge against Iowa on Friday, Feb. 18, at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, in Clearwater, Fla., at 10 a.m.
Gold-Blue Spring Festival Fan Recap
Sunday, April 19
John Neider | April 18
Saturday, April 18
Coach Zac Alley | April 18
Saturday, April 18
Coach Rich Rodriguez | April 18
Saturday, April 18
