The West Virginia University baseball team officially opens the 2019 season on Friday, eager to prove itself against a challenging 53-game schedule in one of the nation's best baseball conferences.
 
As the season begins at the Atlanta Challenge in Atlanta, seventh-year coach Randy Mazey will have a veteran-laden team with plenty of experience alongside a freshman class that is the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history.
 
The Mountaineers return 13 of 17 position players from last year's team and seven of nine starters. On the mound, 10 of 17 pitchers are back in 2019. In total, 20 of 30 lettermen return.
 
"There's no substitute for experience," Mazey said. "I think the guys like (seniors) Darius Hill Ivan Gonzalez, (redshirt junior) Marques Inman, (sophomore) Tyler Doanes and (junior) Brandon White have played a lot in their careers. If you're going to have a good team, you have to look for experience and leadership, and we have it in some areas."
 
Hill, Gonzalez and White have started more than 100 games in their careers, Hill in right field, Gonzalez at catcher and White in center field, while Inman has 84 career starts, including 51 last year, primarily at first base. Doanes played in 43 games with 29 starts as a freshman and was a consistent presence at third base in the second half of the season.
 
"Experience is the best teacher; most of the guys in the lineup have been playing since their freshman year, so they've played in every Big 12 stadium," Mazey added. "They're not going to see anything that they haven't seen before. That has a calming effect on the rest of the crowd, when those guys don't get too out of control with their emotions. I'm hoping the experience of this team really helps us."
 
With plenty of returning star power, the Mountaineers have several players who have been recognized with regional or national preseason accolades. Junior right-hander Alek Manoah was named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List and the Baseball America Preseason All-America Second Team, while Hill was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Junior righty Sam Kessler was recognized on the preseason watch list for the Stopper of the Year Award.
 
Despite those preseason honors and returning experience, not to mention three consecutive Big 12 Championship semifinal appearances, the Mountaineers were picked to finish sixth in the 2019 Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
The low ranking is just fine with Mazey though.
 
"That's not very good for everybody else; I think that's really good for us," Mazey said. "I think our guys know we're better than that, and that's going to enable them to play with a chip on their shoulder, something to prove. Any time you get a group of kids with something to prove and they're willing to do it, that can be dangerous for the other team."
 
That mentality has helped West Virginia in its first six seasons in the Big 12. WVU has finished in the top four in the final Big 12 standings in three of its first six seasons in the league and, despite its early success since joining the conference, has never been voted better than fifth in the preseason poll.
 
"Just do what we do," Mazey said of his team's success since joining one of the toughest conferences in the country. "We've had a history here of really playing better in the Big 12 than we have in (non-conference games). I'm not worried about our kids as far as that goes, with the experience of this team and the fact that we're not going to get in awe of anybody at this point. We know that we can beat anybody we play on our schedule. We've had a lot of success in the Big 12, and I don't see why this year will be any different."
 
The Mountaineers' challenging 53-game schedule features 22 home games and 30 road contests, including the Backyard Brawl against Pitt at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, and a matchup with Marshall at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston.
 
Additionally, nearly half of the schedule, 23 games, is against teams that made the 2018 NCAA Tournament. That includes nine games against teams that advanced to the 2018 College World Series, with a three-game series at Oregon State, the 2018 national champions, along with a home series against Texas Tech and a road set at Texas. NCAA Tournament teams also include Oklahoma and Kent State at home and Baylor, Oklahoma State and Morehead State on the road.
 
On Opening Day, WVU's 36-man roster will feature five seniors, 11 juniors, five sophomores and 15 freshmen. With several two-way players, four are catchers, 13 are infielders, eight are outfielders and 21 are pitchers. That includes 17 right-handers and four leftys.
 
"The beautiful part about this team is that I think we can win games in a variety of ways," Mazey said. "If the power doesn't show up one day, I think the speed will, and if the speed doesn't show up, the power will. We're pretty multi-dimensional as far as that goes."
 
Here is a position-by-position breakdown of this year's squad:

INFIELD
While there will be some turnover in the infield from last season, many of those changes are familiar faces.
 
Inman, who started 51 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2018, will get the start at first base, where he made 41 starts at the position last season and had an impressive year at the plate. Expected to man second base will be Doanes, who earned his way into a starting role and made 23 starts at third base as a freshman in 2018. Freshman Tevin Tucker is anticipated to be the shortstop, while there are several candidates to play third.
 
An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2018, Inman led the team with 20 doubles and 40 RBIs, was third with a .319 batting average, 61 hits, six home runs, a .529 slugging percentage and 101 total bases. He was fourth with 20 walks, fifth with 31 runs scored and a .387 on-base percentage.
 
"Marques Inman has locked down the first base position," Mazey said. "He has a lot of experience there, and is a middle of the lineup hitter. Additionally, Kevin Brophy and Andrew Zitel can back him up if need be."
 
Doanes was on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and collected All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades in an impressive first-year campaign. In 43 games, Doanes led the team with four triples, was second with a .407 on-base percentage and fourth with a .317 batting average and a .475 slugging percentage with 32 hits, 20 RBIs and five doubles.
 
"Tyler Doanes, at least for the time being, is going to move to second base, which is a position that suits him a lot better," Mazey said. "He's a great communicator, has great leadership abilities. Right up the middle we can surround those young kids with experience."
 
A Petersburg, Virginia, native, Tucker comes to WVU from Prince George High, where he helped his team with its first-ever state title in 2019. Tucker was a two-time first team all-conference, first team all-region, second team all-state and all-academic team honoree. He was ranked No. 7 overall and No. 2 among shortstops in Virginia by Perfect Game.
 
"He's a really dynamic kid, a dynamic kid who's fun to be around," Mazey said. "I just want him to have fun and play baseball. He has a lot of older guys around him at those positions that are going to help calm him down. So, just go do what you do, that's why you're here. We'll live with some mistakes, but that's how you grow, that's what he's going to do."
 
At third base, junior Kevin Brophy, senior Andrew Zitel and Gonzalez all have experience at the hot corner, while sophomore Tristen Hudson also could see time at third. Brophy is back after suffering a season-ending injury last season. In 18 games with 16 starts, he hit six home runs and had a .566 slugging percentage with a .226 batting average, 12 hits and 13 RBIs. Fourteen of his 16 starts came at first base, but Brophy saw time at third base as a freshman, where he appeared in 25 games and had three starts at third.
 
Prior to the 2018 season, Zitel played in a total of 29 career games with four starts. Last season, he played in 44 games with 28 starts and hit .235 with 27 hits, 18 runs scored, 16 RBIs, five doubles, one home run and a .304 slugging percentage.
 
Primarily a catcher, Gonzalez is another player who could see time at third base. He saw consistent time at the hot corner as a freshman and 20 starts at the position while serving as the backup catcher. He started another six games in 2017 and eight in 2018 at third.
 
Hudson played in 12 games in the field as a freshman, with six appearances as a pinch runner, four as a pinch hitter and two at second base. He hit .125 with one hit, a double, in eight at-bats with a run scored.
 
OUTFIELD
Much like three of the four infield positions, right and center field are set by a pair of veterans who have patrolled the outfield nearly every game of their career. Hill will once again be in right, with White in center. There are several options in left field, including redshirt junior TJ Lake and freshman Austin Davis. Senior Braden Zarbnisky, who also is a pitcher, will miss the season with an injury.
 
"Brandon White and Darius Hill have been experienced starters out there and really good players for us," Mazey said. "With the loss of Braden Zarbnisky in left field, that opens up a spot for somebody. TJ Lake has stepped up and played really well in left field, and I have a young kid named Austin Davis who is pretty dynamic and will probably see some time there as well."
 
Hill, who ranks in the top-10 in program history in five career statistical categories, is a multiple-time freshman All-American, has been named to two ABCA All-Region teams and three All-Big 12 teams in his career. Last year, he led the team with 79 hits and 20 doubles, was second with a .329 batting average, 41 hits and 115 total bases, third with 36 RBIs and two triples and fourth with a .479 slugging percentage.
 
White earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades in each of his first two years as a Mountaineer. While making highlight-reel plays in center, he finished second on the team with 22 stolen bases in 2018, which ranked No. 6 in WVU history. White was third with 33 walks, fourth with 58 hits and a .392 on-base percentage, fifth with a .289 batting average and 72 total bases and had 20 RBIs, 30 runs scored and seven doubles.
 
Lake played in 45 games as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and 11 of WVU's first 18 games with six starts last season, before he suffered a season-ending injury. Fifteen of his 23 career starts have come in the outfield. In 2017, Lake hit .233 with 17 hits, five RBIs and six stolen bases in eight attempts.
 
Davis comes to WVU from Orlando, where he was named a Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American in 2016 and 2018. He is a two-time all-metro honoree and can play both the infield and outfield.
 
CATCHER
A freshman All-American and two time- All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honoree, Gonzalez has plenty of experience behind the plate, with 91 starts as catcher, and ranks No. 10 in WVU history with 780 career putouts.
 
Gonzalez has produced solid offensive numbers throughout his career. As a junior in 2018, he finished fourth on the team with 11 doubles, fifth with 51 hits, 25 RBIs and 18 walks and hit .255 with one home run, 25 runs scored and a .325 slugging percentage.
 
Sophomores Connor Hamilton and Paul McIntosh will be Gonzalez's backups behind the plate. Redshirt junior Chase Illig will miss the season with an injury.
 
Hamilton played in 24 games last year with four starts, one as catcher. He hit .132 with five hits and five RBIs. McIntosh comes to West Virginia from Motlow State CC. He hit 16 home runs with 48 RBIs, a .331 batting average, 57 hits and a .680 slugging percentage and a .510 on-base percentage. McIntosh joined the Mountaineers after he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 34th round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
 
"Ivan has been a mainstay behind the plate," Mazey said. "We rely heavily on him, but we can't expect him to catch all 56 games. Paul McIntosh is a very talented hitter who does a good job catching. He'll see some time behind home plate, and could also play in left field, while Connor Hamilton is another option we have."
 
DESIGNATED HITTER
There are several options in the designated hitter spot, and a lot of that depends on who is playing third base and left field. For Mazey, he doesn't have a set way he uses the position. Whoever can help the team score runs and win, he'll use.
 
"The DH spot for me is anybody who can help you score runs, however they can do it. If they're a bunter and a runner, or a hit-and-run guy that helps the offense, you can slide into that DH spot that way too."
 
Early candidates include Brophy, Davis Hamilton, Hudson, Lake, McIntosh and Zitel.
 
PITCHING
Mazey's starting rotation for the opening weekend is set, with Manoah getting the ball on Friday at Kennesaw State. Sophomore left-hander Jackson Wolf will start on Saturday at Georgia State and junior righty Kade Strowd will toe the rubber on Sunday at Georgia Tech.
 
Manoah's Friday start comes after a strong summer in the Cape Cod League. That followed a sophomore season in which he appeared in 23 games with eight starts. He was second on the team with 60 strikeouts and posted a 3-5 record with two saves and a 4.00 ERA.
 
"He's been really good so far," Mazey said. "I think he made a decision this summer that he's going to get really serious about playing this game for a living, and I think the results have shown. He's been pitching really well so far this spring. He's going to have to be a workhorse for us, go out and give us 100, 120 pitches every time out.
 
"He has all three pitches going on really well right now; he has command of all three pitches. The stuff is off the charts; he throws really hard, has a great changeup, great slider, but he's put it all together. And, he's cleaned up his body. That's the first thing he had to do, and he couldn't do that until he made a decision to clean up his body, like we all try to do every day, right? But, he's done that, and I think that's what's enabled him to turn the corner."
 
Wolf made 17 appearances with two starts as a freshman. He posted a 1-1 record with a 4.07 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched.
 
Strowd collected All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades as a sophomore. He made 15 appearances with a team-best 13 starts and led the team with four wins, going 4-7, 61 strikeouts and 62.2 innings pitched. His ERA was 5.74.
 
Another candidate to start games is junior Nick Snyder, who made seven appearances last season and pitched 4.0 innings after coming to WVU from Mercer County CC.
 
"There's some experience with our starters as well," Mazey said. "Kade Strowd has started some games for us last year in Big 12 play. Jackson Wolf has made a jump; he's a big tall left-hander who has been throwing pretty well. Nick Snyder had as good a fall for us as anybody, and he's very capable. Depth is going to be a little bit of an issue between starters and once we get to the back end of the bullpen where Sam Kessler is going to sit. We're going to need some new guys in that role to fill in some quality innings. That'll probably dictate our success, how well those new guys pitch in that role."
 
Kessler once again will be WVU's closer in 2019, after he earned four wins and four saves last year. His 25 relief appearances as a sophomore tied for fourth-most in a single season in team history. He led the team with a 2.86 ERA and allowed nine earned runs on 25 hits with 32 strikeouts.
 
Between the starters and Kessler, Mazey notes the relief corps could include freshmen Ryan Bergert, Brock Helverson and Beau Lowery, all who have thrown the ball well in preseason practice.
 
"Sam Kessler has proven that he can finish games for us," Mazey said. "He has the chance to be a pretty quality closer in this league. We just need to fill the gap between what we feel like are quality starters and quality closers. And that's where the loss of Zarbnisky and some other guys are really going to open the door for some young guys to step in … Ryan Bergert and Brock Helverson are two freshmen who pitch pretty well who should see some time, and Beau Lowery, a West Virginia kid, has really pitched well this spring as well."
 
West Virginia opens the 2019 season at the Atlanta Challenge, from Feb. 15-17, in Atlanta. Opening day is set for Friday, Feb. 15, at Kennesaw State at 4 p.m. ET. The weekend continues with contests at Georgia State on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 2 p.m., and at Georgia Tech on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m.
 
Season tickets and mini-packages for the 2019 season are on sale now. Fans can join the excitement of WVU baseball and support the Mountaineers by purchasing tickets at WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVU GAME or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum.
 
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