Friday, April 13
Morgantown, W.Va.
6:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Oklahoma State
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Cowboys in Town to Open Big 12 Home Slate
April 12, 2018 04:45 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team hosts its first Big 12 series of the season with a three-game series against Oklahoma State from April 13-15 at Monongalia County Ballpark.
First pitch set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13, with the series continuing on Saturday at 4 p.m. Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m.
Friday, April 13, 6:30 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Saturday, April 14, 4 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Sunday, April 15, 1 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Tickets | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Tickets for all three games are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Friday's promotions include a Gold Rush, Friday Night Happy Hour, with half-off beverages from 5:30-6:30, and Baseball Bingo. Saturday is Family Day, and fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. Bucket hats, courtesy of Coca-Cola, also will be given away to the first 1,000 fans before the contest. Sunday is the first trading card giveaway of the season, along with Kids Day and postgame autographs, with a new Kids Zone Presented by WVU Medicine Children's and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting.
The Mountaineers (15-15, 1-5 Big 12) enter the weekend on a season-long four-game winning streak and have won five of their last six. WVU owns the No. 3 strength of schedule in the country, according to WarrenNolen.com, and is No. 23 in the NCAA RPI after a series win against then-No. 28 UNLV and midweek wins over Penn State at PNC Park on Tuesday and Pitt on Wednesday.
The Cowboys (18-12-1, 7-2 Big 12) are in second place in the Big 12 Conference after back-to-back Big 12 sweeps. OSU has won seven of its last nine and is ranked No. 40 in the RPI. Oklahoma State comes to Morgantown after a series sweep at Kansas State and a midweek loss to No. 20 Wichita State.
Both West Virginia and Oklahoma State are receiving votes in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association rankings.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along to this weekend's series, with Dan Zangrilli and Ernie Galusky calling the action.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State comes to Morgantown with an 18-12-1 record and a 7-2 mark in Big 12 play. The Cowboys are 8-6-1 at home and 10-6 on the road. While OSU is coming off a 10-7 loss to No. 20 Wichita State, the Cowboys have swept back-to-back weekend series.
Colin Simpson has a team-best 38 hits, 33 RBIs, nine home runs and .593 slugging percentage. Michael Neustifter leads the team with a .312 average and nine doubles.
On the mound, Carson Teel leads the team with four wins, a 2.49 ERA, 47.0 innings pitched and 52 strikeouts. Teel also has three saves. C.J. Verela is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in 31.1 innings with a team-best six starts.
Josh Holliday is in his 6th season as the head coach at his alma mater, compiling a record of 218-118-1. He has led the Cowboys to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, two Big 12 championships and a College World Series berth in 2016.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE COWBOYS
West Virginia is 7-13 all-time against Oklahoma State, but has won back-to-back season series. WVU is 2-4 at home, following a series win at Monongalia County Ballpark in 2016. Since 2015, the series is knotted at 5-5.
Last year, West Virginia went 2-1 at No. 23 Oklahoma State form March 31-April 2. The weekend began with a 3-2 loss on March 31. WVU rebounded with a 5-3, come-from-behind victory on April 1, rallying with two runs in the ninth inning and two in the 10th to upset the Cowboys. The Mountaineers won the series the following day, breaking out for nine runs on 10 hits in a 9-8 win to secure their third consecutive series win.
In the Big 12 Championship, Oklahoma State won the first meeting on May 25, 8-4. Two days later, OSU eliminated WVU with a 4-3, 10-inning victory. The Cowboys went undefeated in Oklahoma City to win the tournament crown.
The Mountaineers won the series in 2016 against the 16th-ranked Cowboys, highlighted by a dramatic 5-4 walk-off victory in the 10th inning in the opener on April 1. WVU was one out away from a 3-1 win, but OSU took its only lead of the day on a three-run home run. The Mountaineers tied the game in the ninth, 4-4, before Jackson Cramer's first-pitch home run in the 10th. West Virginia won the series the next day with a 4-3 victory.
ON DECK: BACKYARD BRAWL ON THE ROAD
West Virginia makes the short trip north to Pittsburgh to play Pitt on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. ET. The contest is one of just three games away from Morgantown for the Mountaineers in the month of April and the only true road game outside the state of West Virginia.
LAST TIME OUT: MARQUEE MIDWEEK WINS
West Virginia extended its winning streak to four games with a pair of midweek wins. WVU traveled to PNC Park in Pittsburgh and beat Penn State, 3-2, in 10 innings, on April 10, before a 12-1 home victory over Pitt the following day in the Backyard Brawl.
Season tickets, single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
First pitch set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13, with the series continuing on Saturday at 4 p.m. Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m.
Friday, April 13, 6:30 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Saturday, April 14, 4 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Sunday, April 15, 1 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Tickets | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Tickets for all three games are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Friday's promotions include a Gold Rush, Friday Night Happy Hour, with half-off beverages from 5:30-6:30, and Baseball Bingo. Saturday is Family Day, and fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. Bucket hats, courtesy of Coca-Cola, also will be given away to the first 1,000 fans before the contest. Sunday is the first trading card giveaway of the season, along with Kids Day and postgame autographs, with a new Kids Zone Presented by WVU Medicine Children's and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting.
The Mountaineers (15-15, 1-5 Big 12) enter the weekend on a season-long four-game winning streak and have won five of their last six. WVU owns the No. 3 strength of schedule in the country, according to WarrenNolen.com, and is No. 23 in the NCAA RPI after a series win against then-No. 28 UNLV and midweek wins over Penn State at PNC Park on Tuesday and Pitt on Wednesday.
The Mountaineers rank among the NCAA and Big 12 leaders in several statistical categories. West Virginia is No. 2 in the Big 12 with 47 stolen bases and ranks third with 28 home runs. WVU is fourth with two shutouts and 29 double plays turned.
Individually, Darius Hill continue to pace the Big 12 with 0.43 doubles per game, while Braden Zarbnisky now leads the league and is No. 9 nationally with 1.00 walks per game. Hill is also No. 11 in the NCAA with 18.1 at-bats per strikeout, while Zarbnisky is No. 19 with 0.61 stolen bases per game.
The Cowboys (18-12-1, 7-2 Big 12) are in second place in the Big 12 Conference after back-to-back Big 12 sweeps. OSU has won seven of its last nine and is ranked No. 40 in the RPI. Oklahoma State comes to Morgantown after a series sweep at Kansas State and a midweek loss to No. 20 Wichita State.
Both West Virginia and Oklahoma State are receiving votes in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association rankings.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along to this weekend's series, with Dan Zangrilli and Ernie Galusky calling the action.
- All three games will feature a free video stream, available on WVUsports.com and the WVU Gameday App. New this season, fans also can watch the video streams via Roku by downloading the West Virginia Mountaineers channel.
- Fans can listen to the series on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state, while fans across the country can tune in to the broadcasts online at WVUsports.com and on the WVU Gameday App as well as the TuneIn App on their mobile device.
- Direct links to the video streams, radio broadcasts and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.
- Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from Monongalia County Ballpark can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @WVUBaseball.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State comes to Morgantown with an 18-12-1 record and a 7-2 mark in Big 12 play. The Cowboys are 8-6-1 at home and 10-6 on the road. While OSU is coming off a 10-7 loss to No. 20 Wichita State, the Cowboys have swept back-to-back weekend series.
Colin Simpson has a team-best 38 hits, 33 RBIs, nine home runs and .593 slugging percentage. Michael Neustifter leads the team with a .312 average and nine doubles.
On the mound, Carson Teel leads the team with four wins, a 2.49 ERA, 47.0 innings pitched and 52 strikeouts. Teel also has three saves. C.J. Verela is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in 31.1 innings with a team-best six starts.
Josh Holliday is in his 6th season as the head coach at his alma mater, compiling a record of 218-118-1. He has led the Cowboys to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, two Big 12 championships and a College World Series berth in 2016.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE COWBOYS
West Virginia is 7-13 all-time against Oklahoma State, but has won back-to-back season series. WVU is 2-4 at home, following a series win at Monongalia County Ballpark in 2016. Since 2015, the series is knotted at 5-5.
Last year, West Virginia went 2-1 at No. 23 Oklahoma State form March 31-April 2. The weekend began with a 3-2 loss on March 31. WVU rebounded with a 5-3, come-from-behind victory on April 1, rallying with two runs in the ninth inning and two in the 10th to upset the Cowboys. The Mountaineers won the series the following day, breaking out for nine runs on 10 hits in a 9-8 win to secure their third consecutive series win.
In the Big 12 Championship, Oklahoma State won the first meeting on May 25, 8-4. Two days later, OSU eliminated WVU with a 4-3, 10-inning victory. The Cowboys went undefeated in Oklahoma City to win the tournament crown.
The Mountaineers won the series in 2016 against the 16th-ranked Cowboys, highlighted by a dramatic 5-4 walk-off victory in the 10th inning in the opener on April 1. WVU was one out away from a 3-1 win, but OSU took its only lead of the day on a three-run home run. The Mountaineers tied the game in the ninth, 4-4, before Jackson Cramer's first-pitch home run in the 10th. West Virginia won the series the next day with a 4-3 victory.
ON DECK: BACKYARD BRAWL ON THE ROAD
West Virginia makes the short trip north to Pittsburgh to play Pitt on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. ET. The contest is one of just three games away from Morgantown for the Mountaineers in the month of April and the only true road game outside the state of West Virginia.
LAST TIME OUT: MARQUEE MIDWEEK WINS
West Virginia extended its winning streak to four games with a pair of midweek wins. WVU traveled to PNC Park in Pittsburgh and beat Penn State, 3-2, in 10 innings, on April 10, before a 12-1 home victory over Pitt the following day in the Backyard Brawl.
- Chase Illig drove in the game-winner at the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second consecutive season, with a 10th-inning single in WVU's 3-2 win. Illig's heroics, with two outs, scored Darius Hill. WVU scored two runs in the first before PSU tallied one in the third and another in the ninth to tie it at 2-2. Reliever Sam Kessler earned the win after he got a groundout to strand the bases loaded in the top of the 10th. Hill led off the bottom half with a single and was sacrifice bunted to second. An intentional walk and pop-up followed, to set up Illig. Freshman left-handed starter Jackson Wolf pitched well in his second career start. In 5.0 innings, he allowed one run on three hits with a career-high five strikeouts and one walk. Hill led the Mountaineers with two hits, had an RBI and scored two runs.
- West Virginia scored 12 runs on 15 hits and added 14 strikeouts on the mound in a 12-1 victory over Pitt the next night at Monongalia County Ballpark. In the 195th Backyard Brawl, the Mountaineers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in first inning and never looked back. West Virginia pitchers combined to hold the Panthers to one run on just four hits while striking out 14. Pitt committed two errors, while WVU had none. West Virginia improves to 107-88 all-time against Pitt. WVU has won four in a row in the series and nine of the last 12. Jimmy Galusky and Brandon White led the offensive attack with a career-high four hits each, while Hill had a career-best five RBIs. Galusky and White both drove in two runs, while White scored four runs and Galusky three. On the mound, Isaiah Kearns pitched 5.0 strong innings, striking out a career-high eight batters. He did not allow a run on two hits while walking three to earn the win. Three relievers followed Kearns and combined to allow one run on two hits with six strikeouts and no walks in the final 4.0 innings.
Season tickets, single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP/OF
/ 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
