Friday, February 23
Conway, S.C.
11:00 a.m.
West Virginia University
vs
VCU
WVU Travels to Tournament at Coastal Carolina
February 22, 2018 02:00 PM | Baseball
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The second week of the season sends the West Virginia University baseball team to Conway, South Carolina, for the Brittain Resorts Invitational, hosted by Coastal Carolina, from Feb. 23-25.
After going 4-0 at the event last year, WVU will play VCU twice and Illinois and Coastal Carolina once at Springs Brooks Stadium. The weekend begins vs. VCU on Feb. 23, at 11 a.m. ET, before a doubleheader on Feb. 24, vs. Illinois at 11 a.m. and against VCU at 6 p.m. WVU and CCU square off on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 2:30 p.m., to conclude the weekend.
The Mountaineers (1-2) opened the 2018 season with a series loss at Jacksonville last weekend. WVU won the opener, 5-4, on Feb. 16. The following day, West Virginia's late-inning rally came up short in a 7-4 defeat, before a 2-1 loss in Sunday's finale.
The Rams (1-3) began the year by getting swept at Liberty before a 4-3 mid-week win at William & Mary on Tuesday. An 5-4 loss on Opening Day was followed by a doubleheader on Sunday, where VCU fell to the Flames, 14-10 and 4-2.
The Fighting Illini (1-1) split their season-opening weekend, with a 5-2 win over South Dakota State and a 2-0 loss to Austin Peay as part of a doubleheader on Sunday. Originally scheduled to travel to Texas to face Lamar, weather forced Illinois to go to St. Louis, where weather again delayed U of I's opener until Sunday.
The Chanticleers (4-1) went 3-0 to start the season, including back-to-back 4-3, 10-inning wins, over No. 18 Oklahoma and Kansas State. Following a loss to No. 17 Indiana on Monday, CCU beat the College of Charleston, 13-0 on Wednesday on the road.
Senior righty BJ Myers (0-0, 2.08 ERA) will take the mound on Friday against VCU right-hander Sam Ryan (0-0, 0.00). In Saturday's first game, sophomore right-hander Kade Strowd (0-1, 2.70) will make his first start of the season, going up against Illinois righty Quinn Snarskis (0-0, 0.00). Saturday's second game will see sophomore right-hander Alek Manoah toe the rubber for the Mountaineers against the Rams' righty Sean Thompson (0-0, 13.50). Sunday's WVU starter is to be determined, while the Chanticleers will throw sophomore lefty Anthony Veneziano.
FOLLOWING ALONG
All four games at Springs Brooks Stadium will feature live stats, while Sunday's contest against Coastal Carolina will be live streamed and have an online radio broadcast. Links to live stats, audio and video can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.
Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from Conway, South Carolina, can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @WVUBaseball.
SERIES HISTORY VS. VCU
This weekend marks the first time WVU has faced VCU. The Mountaineers are 167-108 all-time against current members of the Atlantic 10. The last meeting against an A-10 team came last year, a 5-3 win over George Mason, also in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
SERIES HISTORY VS. ILLINOIS
West Virginia is 1-8 all-time against Illinois, with the first four meetings coming prior to 1960. All but two meetings have come at a neutral site. WVU's win in the series came in 2010, an 11-8 victory in Greenville, N.C.
The last meeting came in 2015, also at a tournament in Myrtle Beach. In a 2-1 loss to No. 25 Illinois, West Virginia was held to one run on seven hits as WVU starter Chad Donato allowed two runs on four hits in 8.0 innings.
SERIES HISTORY VS. COASTAL CAROLINA
The Mountaineers are 4-7 all-time against Coastal Carolina, though WVU has won two in a row and three of the last four. All 11 games in the series have been road games, with all but one played at Coastal's home ballpark in Conway.
This marks WVU's fourth trip to Myrtle Beach since coach Randy Mazey's arrival at WVU in 2013. West Virginia is 3-1 against CCU in that span, with a 6-2 win in 2014 and a pair of victories last season, 22-9 and 4-1. The lone loss came in 2015, 4-3.
LAST YEAR VS. THE CHANTICLEERS
West Virginia went 4-0 last year in Myrtle Beach, at the Caravelle Resort Tournament from Feb. 24-27. The weekend was highlighted by a pair of wins at No. 18 Coastal Carolina, the defending national champions. Darius Hill led WVU with six hits, six RBIs, six runs scored and two home runs. He hit .429 with a .857 slugging percentage.
Playing a defending national champion for the first time in team history, WVU's bats broke out for 22 runs on 29 hits in a 22-9 victory at CCU on Feb. 25. WVU scored at least one run in all but two innings and batted around twice. The 22 runs were WVU's most since 2010, the 29 hits was three shy of tying the school record and the six home runs was one shy of the record, set in 1997. Jackson Cramer had a career-best five hits, four extra-base hits and three doubles, all one shy of tying the school record. He added a career-high six RBIs, with a home run. Every WVU starter had at least two hits, while seven had at least three. All but one starter drove in at least one run and four had multiple RBIs.
West Virginia closed the week with a 4-1 win at Coastal on Feb. 27. WVU took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, and Cole Austin followed with a towering home run in the third. Conner Dotson got the win with a career-best 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. The bullpen followed with three shutout innings, holding CCU to one hit.
Along with two games at CCU, Seven innings from BJ Myers and a five-run seventh propelled WVU to a weekend-opening, 5-3 victory over George Mason on Feb. 24. Two days later, West Virginia rallied with two runs in the eighth and ninth innings to beat Ball State, 4-1. The Mountaineers were no-hit for six innings.
ON DECK: AT WESTERN KENTUCKY
The Mountaineers head west next weekend for a series at Western Kentucky from March 2-4. First pitch on Friday, March 2, is set for 4 p.m. ET, while Saturday's contest will commence at 2 p.m. The series finale at Nick Denes Field is set for Sunday, March 4, at 1 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: OPENING DAY IN JACKSONVILLE
West Virginia opened the 2018 season with a 1-2 weekend at Jacksonville. The Mountaineers began the year with a 5-4 Opening Day win on Friday, Feb. 16, before a late rally came up short in a 7-4 loss on Saturday. The series concluded with a 2-1 loss on Sunday.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
After going 4-0 at the event last year, WVU will play VCU twice and Illinois and Coastal Carolina once at Springs Brooks Stadium. The weekend begins vs. VCU on Feb. 23, at 11 a.m. ET, before a doubleheader on Feb. 24, vs. Illinois at 11 a.m. and against VCU at 6 p.m. WVU and CCU square off on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 2:30 p.m., to conclude the weekend.
The Mountaineers (1-2) opened the 2018 season with a series loss at Jacksonville last weekend. WVU won the opener, 5-4, on Feb. 16. The following day, West Virginia's late-inning rally came up short in a 7-4 defeat, before a 2-1 loss in Sunday's finale.
The Rams (1-3) began the year by getting swept at Liberty before a 4-3 mid-week win at William & Mary on Tuesday. An 5-4 loss on Opening Day was followed by a doubleheader on Sunday, where VCU fell to the Flames, 14-10 and 4-2.
The Fighting Illini (1-1) split their season-opening weekend, with a 5-2 win over South Dakota State and a 2-0 loss to Austin Peay as part of a doubleheader on Sunday. Originally scheduled to travel to Texas to face Lamar, weather forced Illinois to go to St. Louis, where weather again delayed U of I's opener until Sunday.
The Chanticleers (4-1) went 3-0 to start the season, including back-to-back 4-3, 10-inning wins, over No. 18 Oklahoma and Kansas State. Following a loss to No. 17 Indiana on Monday, CCU beat the College of Charleston, 13-0 on Wednesday on the road.
Senior righty BJ Myers (0-0, 2.08 ERA) will take the mound on Friday against VCU right-hander Sam Ryan (0-0, 0.00). In Saturday's first game, sophomore right-hander Kade Strowd (0-1, 2.70) will make his first start of the season, going up against Illinois righty Quinn Snarskis (0-0, 0.00). Saturday's second game will see sophomore right-hander Alek Manoah toe the rubber for the Mountaineers against the Rams' righty Sean Thompson (0-0, 13.50). Sunday's WVU starter is to be determined, while the Chanticleers will throw sophomore lefty Anthony Veneziano.
FOLLOWING ALONG
All four games at Springs Brooks Stadium will feature live stats, while Sunday's contest against Coastal Carolina will be live streamed and have an online radio broadcast. Links to live stats, audio and video can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.
Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from Conway, South Carolina, can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @WVUBaseball.
SERIES HISTORY VS. VCU
This weekend marks the first time WVU has faced VCU. The Mountaineers are 167-108 all-time against current members of the Atlantic 10. The last meeting against an A-10 team came last year, a 5-3 win over George Mason, also in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
SERIES HISTORY VS. ILLINOIS
West Virginia is 1-8 all-time against Illinois, with the first four meetings coming prior to 1960. All but two meetings have come at a neutral site. WVU's win in the series came in 2010, an 11-8 victory in Greenville, N.C.
The last meeting came in 2015, also at a tournament in Myrtle Beach. In a 2-1 loss to No. 25 Illinois, West Virginia was held to one run on seven hits as WVU starter Chad Donato allowed two runs on four hits in 8.0 innings.
SERIES HISTORY VS. COASTAL CAROLINA
The Mountaineers are 4-7 all-time against Coastal Carolina, though WVU has won two in a row and three of the last four. All 11 games in the series have been road games, with all but one played at Coastal's home ballpark in Conway.
This marks WVU's fourth trip to Myrtle Beach since coach Randy Mazey's arrival at WVU in 2013. West Virginia is 3-1 against CCU in that span, with a 6-2 win in 2014 and a pair of victories last season, 22-9 and 4-1. The lone loss came in 2015, 4-3.
LAST YEAR VS. THE CHANTICLEERS
West Virginia went 4-0 last year in Myrtle Beach, at the Caravelle Resort Tournament from Feb. 24-27. The weekend was highlighted by a pair of wins at No. 18 Coastal Carolina, the defending national champions. Darius Hill led WVU with six hits, six RBIs, six runs scored and two home runs. He hit .429 with a .857 slugging percentage.
Playing a defending national champion for the first time in team history, WVU's bats broke out for 22 runs on 29 hits in a 22-9 victory at CCU on Feb. 25. WVU scored at least one run in all but two innings and batted around twice. The 22 runs were WVU's most since 2010, the 29 hits was three shy of tying the school record and the six home runs was one shy of the record, set in 1997. Jackson Cramer had a career-best five hits, four extra-base hits and three doubles, all one shy of tying the school record. He added a career-high six RBIs, with a home run. Every WVU starter had at least two hits, while seven had at least three. All but one starter drove in at least one run and four had multiple RBIs.
West Virginia closed the week with a 4-1 win at Coastal on Feb. 27. WVU took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, and Cole Austin followed with a towering home run in the third. Conner Dotson got the win with a career-best 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. The bullpen followed with three shutout innings, holding CCU to one hit.
Along with two games at CCU, Seven innings from BJ Myers and a five-run seventh propelled WVU to a weekend-opening, 5-3 victory over George Mason on Feb. 24. Two days later, West Virginia rallied with two runs in the eighth and ninth innings to beat Ball State, 4-1. The Mountaineers were no-hit for six innings.
ON DECK: AT WESTERN KENTUCKY
The Mountaineers head west next weekend for a series at Western Kentucky from March 2-4. First pitch on Friday, March 2, is set for 4 p.m. ET, while Saturday's contest will commence at 2 p.m. The series finale at Nick Denes Field is set for Sunday, March 4, at 1 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: OPENING DAY IN JACKSONVILLE
West Virginia opened the 2018 season with a 1-2 weekend at Jacksonville. The Mountaineers began the year with a 5-4 Opening Day win on Friday, Feb. 16, before a late rally came up short in a 7-4 loss on Saturday. The series concluded with a 2-1 loss on Sunday.
- West Virginia used a four-run fourth inning and a solo home run in the fifth to go along with 4.2 shutout innings from four relievers in the bullpen to secure Friday night's win. Senior right-hander Shane Ennis earned the win, allowing no runs on two hits in 2.1 innings, while sophomore righty Sam Kessler got the final two outs and picked up his first career save. Sophomore catcher Chase Illig led WVU offensively with two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, hitting his first home run of the season and fourth of his career in the fifth inning.
- On Saturday, the Mountaineers rallied with four runs in the final three innings, but it was not enough. WVU was held to one run on two hits in the first seven innings and trailed 7-1 before scoring three runs on five hits off of the Dolphins bullpen. WVU sent the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but a groundout ended the game. Junior shortstop Jimmy Galusky hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and had a team-high two RBIs.
- West Virginia was held to one hit in Sunday's loss, a home run by sophomore first baseman Kevin Brophy. It was Brophy's first career home run. The Mountaineer bullpen held JU to one run on three hits in the final 5.1 innings.
- On the weekend, WVU pitchers stranded at least eight JU runners on base in each of the three games. Ennis made two appearances and allowed no runs on two hits in 3.2 innings with two strikeouts and a walk. Offensively, Galusky had a team-high-tying three hits with three RBIs and two runs scored, while sophomore designated hitter Marques Inman also had three hits with an RBI. Four Mountaineers made their WVU debuts on Saturday: freshman infielder Tyler Doanes, junior right-hander Christian Young, sophomore lefty Nick Snyder and freshman righty Tristen Hudson.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP/INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP/1B
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballSteve Sabins | Oct. 29
Wednesday, October 29
Kentucky TV Highlights (NCAA Clemson Regional Final) | June 1
Monday, June 02
Clemson TV Highlights (NCAA Clemson Regional) | May 31
Saturday, May 31
BSB: Clemson Regional Game 1 Recap (vs. Kentucky)
Saturday, May 31
