Friday, April 27
Morgantown, W.Va.
6:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Texas
No. 19 Texas In Morgantown This Weekend
April 26, 2018 03:46 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team welcomes No. 19 Texas to Monongalia County Ballpark for a three-game series from April 27-29.
The Big 12 series begins on Friday, April 27, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Saturday's first pitch is at 4 p.m., while Sunday's finale commences at 1 p.m.
Friday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Saturday, April 28, 4 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Sunday, April 29, 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. Admission for WVU students is free with a valid student I.D.
Friday's promotions include Friday Night Happy Hour, with half-off beverages from 5:30-6:30, and all fans can play Baseball Bingo. Saturday is Family Day, where fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. Sunday is the third trading card giveaway of the season, 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.
The Mountaineers (20-18, 4-8 Big 12) have won four of their last five games and nine of their last 12. WVU is coming off an 11-10 victory in 13 innings at Marshall on Tuesday night in Charleston. West Virginia is ranked No. 33 in the NCAA RPI and has the No. 7 strength of schedule in the nation, according to WarrenNolen.com.
West Virginia ranks among the NCAA and Big 12 leaders in several categories. The Mountaineers are second in the Big 12 and No. 22 nationally with 67 stolen bases and No. 3 in the Big 12 with 13 triples. WVU is fourth in the league and No. 19 nationally with 39 double plays turned, and the Mountaineers also are No. 4 in the Big 12 with 34 home runs, a .422 slugging percentage, 20 sacrifice bunts and a 1.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the mound.
Individually, Braden Zarbnisky ranks No. 7 nationally with 1.03 walks per game, while Darius Hill is No. 8 in the NCAA and first in the Big 12 with an average of 20.1 at-bats per strikeout. Zarbnisky also is No. 17 in the country averaging 0.58 stolen bases per game, while Marques Inman has 0.41 doubles per game, which leads the Big 12.
The Longhorns (29-15, 11-4 Big 12) are ranked as high as No. 19 in three polls and are in the top-25 in all of the six major rankings. Texas is in second place in the Big 12 standings, one game out of first place.
Senior right-hander BJ Myers (0-1, 4.89 ERA) will start for West Virginia on Friday night against Texas junior righty Nolan Kingham (5-2, 4.29). Saturday's pitching matchup features Mountaineer sophomore righty Kade Strowd (4-3, 4.24) against Longhorn junior right-hander Chase Shugart (4-2, 4.12). Sophomore right-hander Blair Henley (5-5, 3.05) gets the ball for Texas on Sunday, while West Virginia's starter has not been determined.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along with this weekend's games, with Dan Zangrilli and Ernie Galusky calling the action.
SCOUTING TEXAS
Texas is 29-15 on the season and 11-4 in Big 12 play. The Longhorns, who are 7-10 against top-25 teams, have won five of their last six. UT beat Houston, 9-4, on Tuesday, after taking a home series against New Orleans last weekend.
Kody Clemens leads the team with a .350 batting average, 57 hits, 47 RBIs, 13 home runs and a .693 slugging percentage. Zach Zubia is second with a .299 average, 35 RBIs and nine home runs, while he is third with 44 hits.
On the mound, Kamron Fields owns a 1.08 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched, while Andy McGuire has a 2.11 ERA and six saves. Nolan Kingham's 49 strikeouts leads the team, while Kingham, Blair Henley and Bryce Elder each have five wins.
David Pierce is in his second season at the helm of the Longhorns. In his seven years as a head coach, Pierce has led three different schools to the NCAA Tournament and has amassed a record of 265-148.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LONGHORNS
West Virginia is 9-6 all-time against Texas. Following a three-game sweep at home in 2016 and a series loss in Austin a year ago, the Mountaineers are 5-1 in Morgantown and 4-5 in Austin. All 15 games have occurred since 2013, when WVU joined the Big 12 Conference and coach Randy Mazey took the helm.
The all-time series began with a series win in Austin in 2013, followed by another win in Morgantown in 2014 in the final series at Hawley Field. Texas won its first series in 2015 in Austin, and West Virginia followed with a home sweep in 2016.
In the sweep, WVU outscored UT 34-14 and out-hit them 38-22. WVU posted a .369 batting average to UT's .218. West Virginia's bullpen held Texas to one run on four hits in 9.1 innings, while WVU scored 14 runs off the UT bullpen in 13 innings.
Last year, the Mountaineers lost a three-game series in Austin to conclude the regular season. UT won the opener, 6-2, before WVU evened the series with a 4-3 win the next day. Texas claimed the finale, 9-4.
Kyle Gray led the team with a .375 batting average in the three-game set, while Darius Hill drove in the game-winning run in the May 20 win with a ninth-inning RBI double.
ON DECK: NCAA REMATCH VS. MARYLAND
The Mountaineers open the month of May with a midweek matchup against Maryland on Tuesday, May 1, at Monongalia County Ballpark. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET in a rematch of last season's NCAA Regional.
Tickets 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.
Tuesday is Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night. With a WVU ID, faculty and staff can purchase tickets for just $3 on game day. Additionally, all fans can play Baseball Bingo.
LAST TIME OUT: WILD IN-STATE WIN
In a back-and-forth affair that featured seven lead changes between in-state foes, West Virginia beat Marshall in 13 innings, 11-10, on April 24 in Charleston, West Virginia.
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.
The Big 12 series begins on Friday, April 27, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Saturday's first pitch is at 4 p.m., while Sunday's finale commences at 1 p.m.
Friday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Saturday, April 28, 4 p.m. – Video | Radio | Stats
Sunday, April 29, 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. Admission for WVU students is free with a valid student I.D.
Friday's promotions include Friday Night Happy Hour, with half-off beverages from 5:30-6:30, and all fans can play Baseball Bingo. Saturday is Family Day, where fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. Sunday is the third trading card giveaway of the season, 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.
The Mountaineers (20-18, 4-8 Big 12) have won four of their last five games and nine of their last 12. WVU is coming off an 11-10 victory in 13 innings at Marshall on Tuesday night in Charleston. West Virginia is ranked No. 33 in the NCAA RPI and has the No. 7 strength of schedule in the nation, according to WarrenNolen.com.
West Virginia ranks among the NCAA and Big 12 leaders in several categories. The Mountaineers are second in the Big 12 and No. 22 nationally with 67 stolen bases and No. 3 in the Big 12 with 13 triples. WVU is fourth in the league and No. 19 nationally with 39 double plays turned, and the Mountaineers also are No. 4 in the Big 12 with 34 home runs, a .422 slugging percentage, 20 sacrifice bunts and a 1.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the mound.
Individually, Braden Zarbnisky ranks No. 7 nationally with 1.03 walks per game, while Darius Hill is No. 8 in the NCAA and first in the Big 12 with an average of 20.1 at-bats per strikeout. Zarbnisky also is No. 17 in the country averaging 0.58 stolen bases per game, while Marques Inman has 0.41 doubles per game, which leads the Big 12.
The Longhorns (29-15, 11-4 Big 12) are ranked as high as No. 19 in three polls and are in the top-25 in all of the six major rankings. Texas is in second place in the Big 12 standings, one game out of first place.
Senior right-hander BJ Myers (0-1, 4.89 ERA) will start for West Virginia on Friday night against Texas junior righty Nolan Kingham (5-2, 4.29). Saturday's pitching matchup features Mountaineer sophomore righty Kade Strowd (4-3, 4.24) against Longhorn junior right-hander Chase Shugart (4-2, 4.12). Sophomore right-hander Blair Henley (5-5, 3.05) gets the ball for Texas on Sunday, while West Virginia's starter has not been determined.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along with this weekend's games, with Dan Zangrilli and Ernie Galusky calling the action.
- The 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 games 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 can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @WVUBaseball.
SCOUTING TEXAS
Texas is 29-15 on the season and 11-4 in Big 12 play. The Longhorns, who are 7-10 against top-25 teams, have won five of their last six. UT beat Houston, 9-4, on Tuesday, after taking a home series against New Orleans last weekend.
Kody Clemens leads the team with a .350 batting average, 57 hits, 47 RBIs, 13 home runs and a .693 slugging percentage. Zach Zubia is second with a .299 average, 35 RBIs and nine home runs, while he is third with 44 hits.
On the mound, Kamron Fields owns a 1.08 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched, while Andy McGuire has a 2.11 ERA and six saves. Nolan Kingham's 49 strikeouts leads the team, while Kingham, Blair Henley and Bryce Elder each have five wins.
David Pierce is in his second season at the helm of the Longhorns. In his seven years as a head coach, Pierce has led three different schools to the NCAA Tournament and has amassed a record of 265-148.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LONGHORNS
West Virginia is 9-6 all-time against Texas. Following a three-game sweep at home in 2016 and a series loss in Austin a year ago, the Mountaineers are 5-1 in Morgantown and 4-5 in Austin. All 15 games have occurred since 2013, when WVU joined the Big 12 Conference and coach Randy Mazey took the helm.
The all-time series began with a series win in Austin in 2013, followed by another win in Morgantown in 2014 in the final series at Hawley Field. Texas won its first series in 2015 in Austin, and West Virginia followed with a home sweep in 2016.
In the sweep, WVU outscored UT 34-14 and out-hit them 38-22. WVU posted a .369 batting average to UT's .218. West Virginia's bullpen held Texas to one run on four hits in 9.1 innings, while WVU scored 14 runs off the UT bullpen in 13 innings.
Last year, the Mountaineers lost a three-game series in Austin to conclude the regular season. UT won the opener, 6-2, before WVU evened the series with a 4-3 win the next day. Texas claimed the finale, 9-4.
Kyle Gray led the team with a .375 batting average in the three-game set, while Darius Hill drove in the game-winning run in the May 20 win with a ninth-inning RBI double.
ON DECK: NCAA REMATCH VS. MARYLAND
The Mountaineers open the month of May with a midweek matchup against Maryland on Tuesday, May 1, at Monongalia County Ballpark. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET in a rematch of last season's NCAA Regional.
Tickets 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.
Tuesday is Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night. With a WVU ID, faculty and staff can purchase tickets for just $3 on game day. Additionally, all fans can play Baseball Bingo.
LAST TIME OUT: WILD IN-STATE WIN
In a back-and-forth affair that featured seven lead changes between in-state foes, West Virginia beat Marshall in 13 innings, 11-10, on April 24 in Charleston, West Virginia.
- On a rainy evening at Appalachian Power Park, the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd scored runs in nine of the first 15 half innings before going scoreless in the next nine half innings, from the bottom of the eighth to the bottom of the 12th. In a 10-10 game, WVU broke through with an RBI single in the top of the 13th off the bat of Kyle Gray.
- West Virginia improved to 46-24 all-time vs. Marshall. The Mountaineers have won five in a row in the series, seven of the last eight and 16 of the last 19.
- Gray had a team-best four RBIs with two hits, including his seventh home run of the season and 10th of his career. Darius Hill also homered, his fourth of the year and 11th of his career, and had two hits and an RBI with a pair of runs scored.
- On the mound, right-hander Alek Manoah pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win. He allowed two hits with four strikeouts while holding Marshall off the board in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings. Manoah was one of eight Mountaineer pitchers in the contest.
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
OF
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INF
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RHP/1B
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RHP
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RHP/OF
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