Tuesday, April 17
Pittsburgh, Pa.
6:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Pitt
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
WVU Heads North for Backyard Brawl
April 16, 2018 04:28 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Marking its second meeting in the last week, the West Virginia University baseball team makes the short trip up I-79 for the Backyard Brawl against Pitt on Tuesday, April 17, at 6 p.m. ET.
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Tuesday's contest at Charles L. Cost Field comes six days after WVU won the first matchup between the two teams, 12-1, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers (16-17) own a 107-88 lead in the all-time series and have won four in a row and nine of the last 12. WVU is coming off a series loss to Oklahoma State at home. Tuesday's game at Pitt is one of only two road games in the month of April for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers rank among the NCAA and Big 12 leaders in several statistical categories. West Virginia is No. 2 in the Big 12 with 55 stolen bases and ranks fourth with 30 home runs and 10 triples. On the mound, WVU's 1.85 strikeouts-to-walk ratio is No. 4 in the league.
Individually, Braden Zarbnisky leads the league and is No. 4 nationally with an average of 1.08 walks per game. He also leads the Big 12 and is No. 22 in the NCAA with 0.58 stolen bases per game. Darius Hill is averaging 17.8 at-bats per strikeout, a ratio that is No. 11 nationally and second in the Big 12. Additionally, Hill's 14 doubles is No. 23 nationally.
The Panthers (19-14) have won two in a row after a series win at home over Georgia Tech. The two wins snapped a four-game losing streak and gave Pitt its third consecutive weekend series win.
A pair of sophomore right-handers will take the mound on Tuesday. Isaiah Kearns (1-1, 2.55 ERA) will throw for West Virginia, while Derek West (1-3, 5.32) gets the nod for Pitt. Kearns has started all three games in his career against Pitt and is 2-0 while leading WVU to wins in each game. In 14.1 innings in the Backyard Brawl, he has allowed no runs on 7 hits with 18 strikeouts.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along to Tuesday's action from Pittsburgh.
SCOUTING PITT
Pitt enters the week with a 19-14 record and an 8-10 mark in ACC play. The Panthers are 6-5 at home, 4-7 on the road and 9-2 at a neutral site. Pitt has won three consecutive weekend series, with two wins over Georgia Tech coming after the Panthers had lost four in a row.
Frank Maldonado has a team-high .316 batting average and is second with 36 hits. Liam Sabino has 37 hits and a team-best nine home runs. Maldonado and Sabino each have 27 RBIs to pace the squad.
Chase Smith leads the team with a 2.62 ERA in 24.0 innings pitched, while RJ Freure has struck out a team-leading 65 batters in 15 appearances. Yaya Chentouf owns six saves and shares the team lead of four wins with Matt Pidich.
In his 21st season at Pitt, Joe Jordano is the winningest coach in program history with a record of 578-510-2. In his 20 years in Pittsburgh, Jordano has coached 13 All-Americans and 53 All-Conference selections.
SERIES HISTORY VS. PANTHERS
West Virginia is 107-88 all-time against Pitt. In the Mountaineers' oldest and most-played rivalry, WVU is 63-38 at home, 41-48 on the road and 3-2 at a neutral site. West Virginia has won four in a row in the series and nine of the last 12. WVU and Pitt have met every season since 2008 and twice a year since 2013.
The two teams first met in WVU's fourth season, 1895. The Mountaineers won that first game, 13-6, in Pittsburgh.
In 1981 and '82, and again from 1996-2012, West Virginia and Pitt were conference rivals. First in the Eastern 8, and then in the Big East. As conference foes, the series is knotted at 27 apiece.
Last week in Morgantown, West Virginia scored 12 runs on 15 hits and added 14 strikeouts on the mound in a 12-1 victory.
ON DECK: K-STATE IN TOWN
Up next, West Virginia hosts Kansas State in a three-game series from April 20-22 at Monongalia County Ballpark. The series begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, April 20, and continues on Saturday at 4 p.m. Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m.
Tickets for all three home 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 Friday Night Happy Hour, with half-off beverages from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and all fans can play Baseball Bingo. Saturday is a True Blue game and Family Day, where fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. An exclusive WVU baseball t-shirt will be given away to the first 500 fans at Saturday's game, while 3,000 blue shakers also will be given away. Finally, Sunday is the first trading card giveaway of the season, along with Kids Day, postgame autographs and running the bases, with a new Kids Zone Presented by WVU Medicine Children's and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting.
LAST TIME OUT: WEEKEND VS. OSU
West Virginia suffered a series loss to Oklahoma State. OSU won the opener, 7-4, before the Mountaineers evened the series with a 10-7 victory on Saturday. The Cowboys won the series with a 6-4 Sunday victory.
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.
Video | Radio | Stats | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Tuesday's contest at Charles L. Cost Field comes six days after WVU won the first matchup between the two teams, 12-1, in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers (16-17) own a 107-88 lead in the all-time series and have won four in a row and nine of the last 12. WVU is coming off a series loss to Oklahoma State at home. Tuesday's game at Pitt is one of only two road games in the month of April for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers rank among the NCAA and Big 12 leaders in several statistical categories. West Virginia is No. 2 in the Big 12 with 55 stolen bases and ranks fourth with 30 home runs and 10 triples. On the mound, WVU's 1.85 strikeouts-to-walk ratio is No. 4 in the league.
Individually, Braden Zarbnisky leads the league and is No. 4 nationally with an average of 1.08 walks per game. He also leads the Big 12 and is No. 22 in the NCAA with 0.58 stolen bases per game. Darius Hill is averaging 17.8 at-bats per strikeout, a ratio that is No. 11 nationally and second in the Big 12. Additionally, Hill's 14 doubles is No. 23 nationally.
The Panthers (19-14) have won two in a row after a series win at home over Georgia Tech. The two wins snapped a four-game losing streak and gave Pitt its third consecutive weekend series win.
A pair of sophomore right-handers will take the mound on Tuesday. Isaiah Kearns (1-1, 2.55 ERA) will throw for West Virginia, while Derek West (1-3, 5.32) gets the nod for Pitt. Kearns has started all three games in his career against Pitt and is 2-0 while leading WVU to wins in each game. In 14.1 innings in the Backyard Brawl, he has allowed no runs on 7 hits with 18 strikeouts.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along to Tuesday's action from Pittsburgh.
- The game will be broadcast on WatchESPN and the WatchESPN App.
- Fans can listen to the game 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 stream, radio broadcast and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.
- Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from the Backyard Brawl can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @WVUBaseball.
SCOUTING PITT
Pitt enters the week with a 19-14 record and an 8-10 mark in ACC play. The Panthers are 6-5 at home, 4-7 on the road and 9-2 at a neutral site. Pitt has won three consecutive weekend series, with two wins over Georgia Tech coming after the Panthers had lost four in a row.
Frank Maldonado has a team-high .316 batting average and is second with 36 hits. Liam Sabino has 37 hits and a team-best nine home runs. Maldonado and Sabino each have 27 RBIs to pace the squad.
Chase Smith leads the team with a 2.62 ERA in 24.0 innings pitched, while RJ Freure has struck out a team-leading 65 batters in 15 appearances. Yaya Chentouf owns six saves and shares the team lead of four wins with Matt Pidich.
In his 21st season at Pitt, Joe Jordano is the winningest coach in program history with a record of 578-510-2. In his 20 years in Pittsburgh, Jordano has coached 13 All-Americans and 53 All-Conference selections.
SERIES HISTORY VS. PANTHERS
West Virginia is 107-88 all-time against Pitt. In the Mountaineers' oldest and most-played rivalry, WVU is 63-38 at home, 41-48 on the road and 3-2 at a neutral site. West Virginia has won four in a row in the series and nine of the last 12. WVU and Pitt have met every season since 2008 and twice a year since 2013.
The two teams first met in WVU's fourth season, 1895. The Mountaineers won that first game, 13-6, in Pittsburgh.
In 1981 and '82, and again from 1996-2012, West Virginia and Pitt were conference rivals. First in the Eastern 8, and then in the Big East. As conference foes, the series is knotted at 27 apiece.
Last week in Morgantown, West Virginia scored 12 runs on 15 hits and added 14 strikeouts on the mound in a 12-1 victory.
- The Mountaineers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back on their way to their fourth consecutive win. 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.
- Jimmy Galusky and Brandon White led the offensive attack with a career-high four hits each, while Darius Hill had a career-best five RBIs. Galusky and White both drove in two runs, while White scored four runs and Galusky three.
- Isaiah Kearns pitched 5.0 strong innings, striking out a career-high eight batters to earn the win. He did not allow a run on two hits while walking three. 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.
ON DECK: K-STATE IN TOWN
Up next, West Virginia hosts Kansas State in a three-game series from April 20-22 at Monongalia County Ballpark. The series begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, April 20, and continues on Saturday at 4 p.m. Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m.
Tickets for all three home 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 Friday Night Happy Hour, with half-off beverages from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and all fans can play Baseball Bingo. Saturday is a True Blue game and Family Day, where fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. An exclusive WVU baseball t-shirt will be given away to the first 500 fans at Saturday's game, while 3,000 blue shakers also will be given away. Finally, Sunday is the first trading card giveaway of the season, along with Kids Day, postgame autographs and running the bases, with a new Kids Zone Presented by WVU Medicine Children's and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting.
LAST TIME OUT: WEEKEND VS. OSU
West Virginia suffered a series loss to Oklahoma State. OSU won the opener, 7-4, before the Mountaineers evened the series with a 10-7 victory on Saturday. The Cowboys won the series with a 6-4 Sunday victory.
- The Mountaineers' four-game win streak was snapped with a 7-4 loss to Oklahoma State in the series opener on April 13, as OSU scored three in the third and three unearned runs in the fourth, both via three-run home runs. Kyle Gray had a career-high four hits with a home run.
- WVU evened the series the next day with a 10-7 win, thanks to a six-run first inning and a two-run home run by Marques Inman in the eighth. The Mountaineers batted around in the first to take a 6-1 lead and OSU cut WVU's lead to one at 8-7, before Inman's homer. Tyler Doanes drove in three runs on two hits, for his first career RBIs and first multi-hit and multi-RBI game of his career. Kade Strowd pitched 5.0 innings and struck out 10 batters, the second time this season he has notched double-digit strikeouts, while earning the win, and Alek Manoah notched his first save of the year.
- Oklahoma State won Sunday's finale, 6-4, as OSU rallied with three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to stay tied atop the Big 12 standings. Inman had three hits in the loss, his third consecutive multi-hit game.
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.
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