WVU Set for Opener at No. 24 Clemson
February 12, 2015 03:20 PM | General
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| Left-hander Ross Vance is the only returning starting pitcher from 2014. | |
| All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team is set to open the 2015 season with a three-game series against No. 24 Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.
The season opener is set for Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday’s game begins at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday’s finale is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Links to a live video, live audio and live stats are available via WVUsports.com.
“We’ve got enough experienced guys in the lineup to score some runs, it’s just a matter of pitching,” coach Randy Mazey said. “Last year if we scored four runs a game, we felt pretty good about it. This year if we score four runs in a game we won’t feel good about it because there are so many new pitchers.
“They’re just going to have to step up to the challenge. There is going to be a lot of pressure on the offense to score runs, so those guys are going to need to click on all cylinders all season long.”
Mazey will return to his alma mater, where he was a three-time All-ACC selection while manning the Clemson outfield.
Mazey will send freshman right-hander BJ Myers to the mound on Friday for his career debut, while Clemson coach Jack Leggett will counter with left-hander Matthew Crownover.
Saturday will feature a battle of left-handers in junior Ross Vance for West Virginia and Zach Erwin for Clemson. Vance went 3-4 last year in seven starts with 51 strikeouts in 58 innings.
Sophomore right-hander Chad Donato will start on Sunday after making four relief appearances last season, and he will battle right-hander Brody Koerner
Top returners at the plate for West Virginia include senior shortstop Taylor Munden and senior outfielder Brad Johnson. Munden batted .261 last year with a team-leading 16 doubles, while adding one triple, two homers, 19 RBI and 13 stolen bases. Johnson finished 2014 with a .318 batting average, four doubles, one triple and 17 RBI.
Also returning are senior catcher Cam O’Brien, senior third baseman Justin Fox, sophomore first baseman Jackson Cramer, sophomore catcher Ray Guerrini and sophomore outfielder Shaun Wood.
Clemson returns infielder Tyler Krieger, who was fifth in the ACC with a .338 batting average in 2014, adding 18 doubles, two homers and 32 RBI. Outfielders Steven Duggar and Tyler Slaton each return as well. Duggar was named to the Golden Spikes Watch List after batting .294 with 11 doubles, three triples, one home run and 36 RBI last season. Slaton hit .274 with nine doubles, three triples, three homers and 25 RBI.
West Virginia will be looking to pick up its first win against Tigers as the all-time series sits at 10-0 in favor of Clemson
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