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Round Two of Backyard Brawl Set for Tuesday
May 16, 2016 06:47 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Winners of nine in a row and 12 of its last 13, the West Virginia University baseball team takes its winning streak to Pittsburgh for the 192nd edition of the Backyard Brawl.
First pitch between WVU and Pitt is set for 6 p.m. ET at Pitt’s Charles L. Cost Field.The Mountaineers (31-19) are riding a nine game winning streak, their longest since they won 11 in a row in 2008. West Virginia is coming off a sweep of William & Mary, marking back-to-back weekend series sweeps for the first time since 2008.
Tuesday’s contest is the second edition of the Backyard Brawl this season. The Panthers (25-23) won the first meeting, 4-1 on April 12. WVU won last year’s contest in Pittsburgh, 4-1, and is 4-3 against Pitt since 2013. Tuesday’s game is the 192nd game between the two teams, the most-played rivalry among any WVU opponent.
On the mound, West Virginia will start freshman right-hander Braden Zarbnisky (4-0, 3.04 ERA). Pitt will counter with junior righty Sam Mersing (5-2, 5.94 ERA).
FOLLOWING ALONG
For fans unable to cheer on the Mountaineers in person in Pittsburgh, there are several ways to tune in live. On the radio, Jeff Culhane and Ernie Galusky will call the action on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state. The radio broadcast can also be found online at WVUsports.com or on the TuneIn Radio App and the Mountaineer Gameday App. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3, while live stats can be found at PittsburghPanthers.com. Additional updates and notes can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team at @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
SCOUTING PITT
Pitt owns a 25-23 record and is 10-9 at home. The Panthers are 10-16 in ACC action after getting swept at No. 4 Miami. Pitt has lost four in a row.
Last weekend, Pitt traveled to Miami to face the fourth-ranked Hurricanes. UM won the opener, 7-6 before an 11-inning contest the following day. The home team prevailed, 4-3, after Pitt tied the game in the ninth inning. Miami completed the sweep with an 8-4 win in the finale.
Pitt played two midweek contests last week. It began with a five-inning, 5-3 win at home against Youngstown State. The following day, Pitt hosted Penn State and lost, 11-6.
The Panthers are coached by Joe Jordano, in his 19th season at the helm. The winningest coach in team history, he owns a 536-463 record. Previously at Mercyhurst, Jordano has led his teams to 10 postseason appearances and has coached 12 All-Americans in his 29 seasons as head coach.
HISTORY VS. THE PANTHERS
West Virginia is 103-88 all-time against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. Since the first meeting in Pittsburgh in 1895, WVU is 61-38 at home, 39-48 on the road and 3-2 at a neutral site. WVU has faced Pitt 191 times, the most of any Mountaineer opponent.
WVU and Pitt first met in 1895, a 13-6 victory in Pittsburgh. The following season, the Panthers came to Morgantown, where the Mountaineers again won, 4-3.
In 1981 and 82, and again from 1996-2012, West Virginia and Pitt met as conference rivals. First in the Eastern 8, where WVU went 5-3 against Pitt in 81-82, and then in the Big East, from 1996-2012. As Big East foes, the Panthers owned a 24-22 edge in the series.
WVU and Pitt have met every season since 2008. Since 2013, when the two teams have met twice each year, the Mountaineers own a 4-3 advantage. Last year, WVU won 4-1 in Pittsburgh before a 4-1 loss at home.
Earlier this year, WVU lost to Pitt, 4-1, on April 12. In a scoreless pitcher’s duel through six innings, Pitt scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning. The Mountaineers, who were held to five hits, loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but could only bring home one run.
ON DECK: FINAL BIG 12 SERIES
WVU concludes the regular season at No. 5 Texas Tech from May 19-21 before the Big 12 Championship begins on May 25. First pitch in Lubbock, Texas, is set for Thursday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The series continues on May 20 at 3 p.m. and concludes with the regular-season finale on May 21 at 3 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: BACK-TO-BACK SWEEPS
West Virginia extended its winning streak to nine games with a sweep of William & Mary, WVU’s second consecutive weekend sweep. In the opening game of a doubleheader on May 13, WVU rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the seventh inning to score eight unanswered runs to win 8-7 in 10 innings. Sophomore Shaun Corso drove in the game-tying run in a four-run eighth inning and singled home the winning run in the 10th. In Friday’s nightcap, WVU earned another 1-run victory, 7-6. After an off day on Saturday, the Mountaineers jumped out with four runs in the first inning to beat W&M, 6-1 on Senior Day.
RECORD ATTENDANCE IN 2016
A total of 40,390 fans filled Monongalia County Ballpark in 2016, the highest home attendance in team history. For 30 home games, WVU averaged 1,346 fans per game, the second-highest average in program history. In last year’s inaugural season at Monongalia County Ballpark, WVU averaged 1,507 fans per game.
STRIKING OUT THE RECORD BOOKS
West Virginia pitchers have struck out 441 batters in 2016, the most in program history. WVU is led by junior Chad Donato, who has an even 100 on the season.
The 441 strikeouts is the most in a single season, easily eclipsing the mark of 416 set in 2001.
Donato has struck out a career-best 100 batters in 2016, the ninth time in team history a Mountaineer has reached the century mark. He is 11 strikeouts shy of cracking the top five and he needs 23 to catch the WVU record-holder, John Radosevich, who set the mark of 123 in 1964.
SAVING THE RECORD BOOKS
West Virginia has recorded 13 saves this season, led by senior Blake Smith’s eight. Both totals rank second in a single season in program history.
WVU’s 13 total team saves is the second-most in program history. The 1994 Mountaineers had 14 saves. Smith’s eight saves are also tied for second. He is just the fourth Mountaineer to post eight or more saves in a season and needs two to tie Mike Marz, who had 10 saves in 1994.
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