Friday, March 1
Corvallis, Ore.
8:35 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Oregon State
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
WVU Faces Road Test at Defending NCAA Champions
February 28, 2019 03:00 PM | Baseball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the second time in the last three years, the West Virginia University baseball team will play the defending NCAA Champion, when the Mountaineers face No. 3 Oregon State from March 1-3, in Corvallis, Oregon.
The series at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field begins on Friday, March 1, at 8:35 p.m. ET/5:35 p.m. PT. On Saturday, first pitch is set for 4:35 p.m. ET/1:35 p.m. PT, while the series concludes on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT.
The Mountaineers (5-3) will play the reigning national champion for the second time in program history after WVU went 2-0 at No. 18 Coastal Carolina in 2017. West Virginia has won four of its last five games and is coming off an 8-3 win over Towson on Wednesday in Morgantown.
The Beavers (8-0) are undefeated on the season after they won their third national title in 2018, and this weekend is their home-opening series. OSU is ranked in the top 10 in every major poll. The Beavers are ranked No. 3 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 6 by D1 Baseball and No. 10 by Baseball America.
Junior right-hander Alek Manoah (1-0, 0.73 ERA) will take the mound for the Mountaineers against sophomore righty Kevin Abel (1-0, 5.23) in Friday night's opener. On Saturday, sophomore lefty Jackson Wolf (2-0, 1.46) will toe the rubber against OSU senior right-hander Bryce Fehmel (1-0, 2.57). Sunday's finale will see a pair of righties square off, as WVU junior Kade Strowd (0-1, 2.45) faces senior Sam Tweedt (1-0, 1.69).
Through eight games, WVU's earned run average of 2.02 is No. 13 in the NCAA, while the pitching staff is No. 17 in the country with a 1.08 WHIP and No. 23 with 6.56 hits allowed per nine innings. West Virginia also is second in the Big 12 with a 3.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio and third with 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.15 walks per nine innings.
WVU's eight sacrifice bunts ranks No. 6 in the country and its 17 stolen bases are No. 21 in the NCAA. WVU also is No. 31 in the nation and second in the conference with 31 sac flies and has been hit by pitch eight times, which is third in the league.
Manoah's 21 strikeouts are No. 5 in the NCAA, while his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 10.50 is No. 27 nationally and his 0.73 ERA and 0.73 WHIP are both No. 3 in the Big 12. Wolf's two wins rank No. 8 in the country. Additionally, Strowd is third in the league with a 0.73 WHIP and 0.82 walks allowed per game.
Sophomore infielder Tristen Hudson is No. 9 in the NCAA with two sacrifice flies and junior center fielder Brandon White and freshman shortstop Tevin Tucker are tied for No. 26 in the country with two sacrifice bunts. Additionally, freshman outfielder Austin Davis has five stolen bases, which is No. 27 nationally.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along with this weekend's action in Corvallis. All three games will be streamed live for free on Pac-12.com/Live, and radio broadcasts of each game will be available on OSUBeavers.com/Watch. Live stats for all three games can be found at OregonState.Statebroadcast.com. Direct links to video and radio streams and live stats are available 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 OREGON STATE
Oregon State is a perfect 8-0 on the season after a pair of 4-0 weekends in Surprise, Arizona, to open the year. The Beavers are coming off a 4-0 sweep of Nebraska, where they outscored the Huskers 38-9.
Alex McGarry leads the team with a .577 batting average, 15 hits and 12 RBIs in 26 at-bats, while Adley Rutschman has hit four home runs and is batting .400 with 11 RBIs and 10 hits. On the mound, Brandon Eisert is 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA in four relief appearances, and Kevin Abel has 14 strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched with two starts.
Pat Bailey is Oregon State's interim head coach after he spent the last 11 years as an assistant and associate head coach. Bailey has helped guide the Beavers to nine postseason appearances, including the 2018 national championship. Bailey came to OSU from George Fox, where he coached the Bruins to an NCAA Division III national title in 2004 and recorded a 353-158 record in 12 years.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BEAVERS
West Virginia is 0-2 all-time against Oregon State. The first meeting came in 2000, a 9-6 loss in Las Vegas. The two teams met again in 2012, when OSU recorded a 11-0 victory in Corvallis. In the 2012 matchup at Oregon State, current WVU volunteer assistant Zach Bargeron struck out the lone batter he faced on four pitches to end the eighth inning.
LAST TIME OUT: FEBRUARY HOME WIN
WVU is coming off an 8-3 win at home against Towson on Feb. 27. West Virginia took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and led 6-0 after five innings.
Up Next: Home Series vs. Kent State
West Virginia returns home next weekend for a series against Kent State from March 8-10, at Monongalia County Ballpark. The series begins on Friday, March 8, at 3 p.m. ET, and continues on Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m. Sunday's first pitch is at 1 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, 1-800-WVU GAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Single game tickets, 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.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The series at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field begins on Friday, March 1, at 8:35 p.m. ET/5:35 p.m. PT. On Saturday, first pitch is set for 4:35 p.m. ET/1:35 p.m. PT, while the series concludes on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT.
The Mountaineers (5-3) will play the reigning national champion for the second time in program history after WVU went 2-0 at No. 18 Coastal Carolina in 2017. West Virginia has won four of its last five games and is coming off an 8-3 win over Towson on Wednesday in Morgantown.
The Beavers (8-0) are undefeated on the season after they won their third national title in 2018, and this weekend is their home-opening series. OSU is ranked in the top 10 in every major poll. The Beavers are ranked No. 3 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 6 by D1 Baseball and No. 10 by Baseball America.
Junior right-hander Alek Manoah (1-0, 0.73 ERA) will take the mound for the Mountaineers against sophomore righty Kevin Abel (1-0, 5.23) in Friday night's opener. On Saturday, sophomore lefty Jackson Wolf (2-0, 1.46) will toe the rubber against OSU senior right-hander Bryce Fehmel (1-0, 2.57). Sunday's finale will see a pair of righties square off, as WVU junior Kade Strowd (0-1, 2.45) faces senior Sam Tweedt (1-0, 1.69).
Through eight games, WVU's earned run average of 2.02 is No. 13 in the NCAA, while the pitching staff is No. 17 in the country with a 1.08 WHIP and No. 23 with 6.56 hits allowed per nine innings. West Virginia also is second in the Big 12 with a 3.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio and third with 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.15 walks per nine innings.
WVU's eight sacrifice bunts ranks No. 6 in the country and its 17 stolen bases are No. 21 in the NCAA. WVU also is No. 31 in the nation and second in the conference with 31 sac flies and has been hit by pitch eight times, which is third in the league.
Manoah's 21 strikeouts are No. 5 in the NCAA, while his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 10.50 is No. 27 nationally and his 0.73 ERA and 0.73 WHIP are both No. 3 in the Big 12. Wolf's two wins rank No. 8 in the country. Additionally, Strowd is third in the league with a 0.73 WHIP and 0.82 walks allowed per game.
Sophomore infielder Tristen Hudson is No. 9 in the NCAA with two sacrifice flies and junior center fielder Brandon White and freshman shortstop Tevin Tucker are tied for No. 26 in the country with two sacrifice bunts. Additionally, freshman outfielder Austin Davis has five stolen bases, which is No. 27 nationally.
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along with this weekend's action in Corvallis. All three games will be streamed live for free on Pac-12.com/Live, and radio broadcasts of each game will be available on OSUBeavers.com/Watch. Live stats for all three games can be found at OregonState.Statebroadcast.com. Direct links to video and radio streams and live stats are available 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 OREGON STATE
Oregon State is a perfect 8-0 on the season after a pair of 4-0 weekends in Surprise, Arizona, to open the year. The Beavers are coming off a 4-0 sweep of Nebraska, where they outscored the Huskers 38-9.
Alex McGarry leads the team with a .577 batting average, 15 hits and 12 RBIs in 26 at-bats, while Adley Rutschman has hit four home runs and is batting .400 with 11 RBIs and 10 hits. On the mound, Brandon Eisert is 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA in four relief appearances, and Kevin Abel has 14 strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched with two starts.
Pat Bailey is Oregon State's interim head coach after he spent the last 11 years as an assistant and associate head coach. Bailey has helped guide the Beavers to nine postseason appearances, including the 2018 national championship. Bailey came to OSU from George Fox, where he coached the Bruins to an NCAA Division III national title in 2004 and recorded a 353-158 record in 12 years.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BEAVERS
West Virginia is 0-2 all-time against Oregon State. The first meeting came in 2000, a 9-6 loss in Las Vegas. The two teams met again in 2012, when OSU recorded a 11-0 victory in Corvallis. In the 2012 matchup at Oregon State, current WVU volunteer assistant Zach Bargeron struck out the lone batter he faced on four pitches to end the eighth inning.
LAST TIME OUT: FEBRUARY HOME WIN
WVU is coming off an 8-3 win at home against Towson on Feb. 27. West Virginia took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and led 6-0 after five innings.
- Nineteen Mountaineers saw action in the win as seven WVU pitchers held the Tigers to three runs on six hits, and all but one pitcher allowed no runs on one or fewer hits.
- Junior lefty Nick Snyder earned his first career win. In his second start of the season, he did not allow a hit in 3.0 innings. He struck out a career-best six batters and had no walks. Junior righty Dillon Meadows entered the game in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and one out and got a double play to end the game and collect his first career save.
- The offensive attack included a home run by senior right fielder Darius Hill, one double, a triple and six stolen bases, three by White.
- Hill led the team with three hits and senior first baseman Andrew Zitel had two hits, a career-best three RBIs and a run scored.
- The matchup was the second February home game in program history, after West Virginia added a contest against Canisius last week, where the Mountaineers beat CC, 5-4, on Feb. 19.
Up Next: Home Series vs. Kent State
West Virginia returns home next weekend for a series against Kent State from March 8-10, at Monongalia County Ballpark. The series begins on Friday, March 8, at 3 p.m. ET, and continues on Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m. Sunday's first pitch is at 1 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, 1-800-WVU GAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Single game tickets, 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.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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