MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - According to West Virginia coach Greg Van Zant, ambition and skill can only take you so far. The 17-year Mountaineer skipper believes experience plays a significant role in determining the success of a squad.

Yet, despite fielding a widely untested and youthful pitching staff, Van Zant believes his 2011 team possesses the know-how and the will to win to overcome its lack of experience and play its way into a fourth straight BIG EAST tournament.

“Every team in the country starts the season wanting to win the national championship,” Van Zant said. “You never want to limit yourself, so I try not to put a lot of tangible goals on the team. My goal for this group is that they prepare the best they can on a daily basis, whether it be for a practice or for a game, and then they give the coaching staff all that they have.

“We preach about that all of the time – maximum preparation and maximum effort.”

Working with a roster which features a combined 13 redshirt and true freshmen, Van Zant is busy preaching fundamentals and mechanics to his young Mountaineers.

“Instead of focusing on production, we focus on mechanics,” he explained. “Focusing on mechanics and things you can control will lead to good performances, which also will lead to good numbers.”

Therefore, a combination of preparation, accountability and proper technique is the recipe Van Zant hopes will help the Mountaineers, coming off a 27-30 campaign which saw the team finish eighth in the BIG EAST Conference with an appearance in the league’s tournament, overcome their inexperience and make a name for themselves.

“This team is already giving great effort and showing excellent enthusiasm,” he said. “I’m confident the guys that we have want to do well. I think they’re going to have a lot of fun this year if they continue to work hard and maintain good attitudes. We have talent. They just have to work at it and do the best they can.”

Pitching

Van Zant does not mince words when talking about his inexperienced 2011 pitching staff.

“The overall view of our pitching staff is that we are untested and very young,” he noted of a group which pitched a little more than a third of the Mountaineers’ total innings last season. “This staff will just be a matter of who throws strikes. It’s very inexperienced.”

The Mountaineers look to replace 2010 starters Jarryd Summers and Eric Hinkle, as well as reliable reliever Andy Altemus and closer Chris Enourato. Altemus and Enourato each finished with six wins, with Altemus setting the single-season school record with 29 appearances, and Enourato registering a team-best 67 strikeouts.

Tops among the returnees is senior right-hander Andy Berry. Boasting a 4-3 record from a 2010 season which saw him make 13 starts, the second-most for WVU, Berry accounted for a 6.11 ERA with 57 strikeouts.

“Andy pitched well for us last year,” Van Zant said. “He was fairly consistent over the course of the season. He just has to get the ball down and change speeds. He will have to start for us – he’s earned that. He’s going to have to go out there and get as deep into the game as he can.”

Behind Berry is a pair of underclassmen left-handers in Jonathan Jones and Michael Twigg. Jones, a junior, started six games last season and finished with a 2-1 record and a 6.62 ERA, while Twigg, a sophomore, enjoyed a strong rookie season which saw him work 44.2 innings and earn a 3-1 record with the team’s fourth-best ERA of 5.44. Twigg also finished with 34 strikeouts.

“We are going to have to get a lot of innings out of Berry, Jones and Twigg,” Van Zant said. “They are our most experienced returners, and we will depend on their consistency.”

Van Zant said senior right-hander Marcus Broadwater also could factor into the lineup. Despite making just five appearances one season ago, a change with his technique may increase his innings this year.

“We will need him this year,” said Van Zant. “We dropped him down to the side, and he’s throwing side-arm now. Hopefully, we’ll get an inning or two out of him in a lot of games.”

The biggest hole Van Zant must fill this year is the one left by Enourato, the Mountaineers’ current student assistant. A 2009 all-BIG EAST third team selection, he recorded more strikeouts (179) than innings pitched (178.1), and had a 3.5/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. A four-year letterwinner, he signed a free-agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays following the 2010 season.

“We haven’t identified anyone on this staff yet who is going to take over Chris’ role and close out our games,” explained Van Zant. “It might be closing by committee instead of closing with Enourato. It’s a big hole.”

While Broadwater is an option, junior right-hander Josh McCauley has emerged as the early-season candidate behind a good breaking ball. A transfer from Frederick Community College, he helped the team to a 53-7 record and the 2010 Maryland JUCO Championship. He went 6-2 as a sophomore and registered 82 strikeouts in 90.3 innings pitched.

Also returning this season are seniors Jonathan Hash and Matt Morrone, sophomore Jared Hill, and redshirt freshmen Zach Bargeron and Marshall Thompson.

Newcomers looking to make an impact and add depth this season are freshmen Josh Harlow, Harrison Musgrave, Ryan Tezak and Corey Walter.

“Musgrave, Harlow and Tezak all threw the ball well in the fall and could pitch for us right now,” Van Zant said.

Catching

What experience Van Zant’s pitching staff lacks, the group will not have to worry about who will be receiving its tosses, for the Mountaineers have three quality catchers who provide needed insurance behind the plate.

“We have three excellent college catchers, and I have complete confidence in this group,” Van Zant said.

Senior Kevin Griffin is a near-lock to earn the season’s starting nod. A Martinsburg, W.Va., native, he shared the starting role last season before assuming the position full time for the final 29 games. A gritty player, he threw out 19 of 59 runners attempting to steal (32.2 percent), while also batting .267 with 10 doubles, five home runs, 33 RBI and 25 runs scored.

“He is very mature and a smart leader,” Van Zant said of his senior.

Sophomore Matt Malloy earned valuable starting time last season and will serve as Griffin’s backup. He also is a threat at the plate and is expected to see time as the designated hitter.

Senior Justin McDavid also is an option at catcher.

Infield

Thanks to the quality play and ambition of senior Grant Buckner, Van Zant is confident in his infield, despite the loss of All-American shortstop Jedd Gyorko.

Buckner, a redshirt senior out of Elkview, W.Va., saw time at third base in 2010, but outperformed expectations in the fall and will assume the shortstop duties. A preseason all-BIG EAST selection, Buckner registered a .363 batting average last season, tops among all returnees, and recorded 50 RBI and eight home runs.

“That position was the one I was most worried about going into the fall season, but Grant really stepped up, and (shortstop) is now the most solidified spot in the infield,” admitted Van Zant. “I have a lot of confidence that he can do a really solid job.”

Redshirt junior Dan DiBartolomeo, out last year with a medical redshirt after sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury, looks to return to the diamond this year and hold down third base. He set WVU’s single-season batting average (.439) in 2009, and also accounted for eight home runs and 59 RBI.

Sophomore Brady Wilson, one of the fastest players on the team, will play at second, while utility infielder Colin Durborow could see action at second, third and shortstop. Durborow accounted for 28 RBI last year with a .266 batting average, while Wilson was successful on 60 percent of his stolen base attempts.

Freshman Isac Frankin also is expected to see the field, either at second or third base, or shortstop.

First base remains up for grabs, with McDavid and freshman Ryan McBroom at the top of the pack. McDavid saw action last season at first base and also hit .290 with five home runs and 53 RBI, while McBroom, a left-handed thrower and right-handed hitter, impressed the coaching staff in the fall and could push for playing time this year.

Additional options include sophomore Chris Rasky and redshirt freshman TJ Kuban.

Outfield

Speed and arm strength are the keys to Van Zant’s outfield, and redshirt senior Mark Dvoroznak and sophomore Matt Frazer are vital to the overall success of the team this year.

Dvoroznak, a Westlake, Ohio, native, possess speed like few others in the Mountaineers’ clubhouse and will play centerfield. He went 10-for-10 in stolen bases last season and batted .255 with two home runs, 19 RBI and 39 runs scored.

Frazer will hold down left field. Returning from a freshman campaign which saw him hit .305 with 32 hits and 12 RBI, Frazer began his rookie season on a 10-game hitting streak and had nine multiple-hit games.

Multiple faces could see time in right field this season. McDavid, Wilson and Rasky are all options, as is freshman Tyler Steele-Worsham.

“Frazer is a big presence in the middle of the lineup, and he’ll be an opening day starter,” Van Zant said. “Bottom line is we have to get offense out of our corner outfielders. Whoever hits is who we’ll go with.”

Schedule

The Mountaineers will take on a 57-game slate which features 26 teams, including three 2010 NCAA tournament participants.

“This schedule is a good mix and hopefully it will prepare us for the BIG EAST Conference,” said Van Zant. “We have three weekend trips at the beginning that will provide us with 11 quality games.”

WVU again opens the season at the BIG EAST/Big Ten Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission and beginning this weekend. The Mountaineers open against Iowa, the 2010 Big Ten tournament runner-up, on Friday, followed by games against Penn State on Saturday and Illinois on Sunday.

From there, WVU will compete at the Hughes Brothers Challenge in Wilmington, N.C., Feb. 25-27 where it will face Marist, Miami (Ohio) and UNC-Wilmington. The Mountaineers will close out the weekend with a Feb. 28 trip to Atlantic Coast Conference foe Wake Forest.

The squad completes its early-season road trip in Elon, N.C., on March 4-6 with two games each against the host Phoenix, an NCAA regional qualifier the last three years, and Wright State.

The Mountaineers open their home season at Hawley Field on March 8-9 with a two-game stand against Bryant, before playing host to 2010 NCAA regional participant, Rider, on March 11-13.

Also highlighting the Mountaineers’ non-conference slate is a March 29 meeting with Morehead State at the annual Mountaineer Diamond Classic, in Charleston, W.Va., and an April 5 meeting with Maryland.

“Those two ACC games (against Wake Forest and Maryland) are really big for us,” said Van Zant. “It’s always a plus to play good teams from respected conferences.”

Picked ninth in the BIG EAST preseason coaches’ poll, the Mountaineers face an uphill battle in the conference this year. Fortunately, WVU does not face No. 9 Connecticut or No. 23 St. John’s. Unfortunately, the team only plays host to four conference opponents this season, and takes to the road to face five others.

“Every team in the conference wants to win the BIG EAST Championship, and to get to the tournament, you have to win enough games,” said Van Zant. “The conference is good this year, probably the strongest it’s ever been. It’s only going to continue to get better. It’s a lot of fun and a big challenge.”

WVU opens its BIG EAST slate with a trip to USF on March 25-27. The Bulls eliminated the Mountaineers from the conference tournament with a 10-5 decision last May. WVU also will travel to Louisville on April 1-3; the Cardinals are the only team of the conference’s three NCAA tournament participants the Mountaineers will face this year.

Additionally, the first of WVU’s three games at Notre Dame on April 15-17 will be broadcast on ESPNU at 7 p.m.

“We have never been on national TV like this before,” said Van Zant. “This is a big deal. Games like this offer the entire nation a window to watch our team play and open our program up to so many more fans.”

WVU’s BIG EAST schedule includes home matchups against Georgetown, Seton Hall, Cincinnati and Rutgers. The Mountaineers also travel to Villanova and Pitt.