Tuesday, March 12
Morehead, Ky.
3:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Morehead State
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
WVU Travels to Morehead State for Midweek Pair
March 11, 2019 03:42 PM | Baseball
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Winners of four in a row, the West Virginia University baseball team travels to Morehead State for a two-game midweek series in Morehead, Kentucky, from March 12-13, with both games at Allen Field set for a 3 p.m. ET, first pitch.
The Mountaineers (9-5) enter the week on a four-game win streak after a weekend sweep at home against Kent State. WVU will face a third consecutive opponent that made the 2018 NCAA Tournament, as the Eagles (10-4) claimed the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference tournament title. MSU opened OVC action with a series loss at Belmont from March 8-10.
In Tuesday's opener, sophomore left-hander Nick Snyder (1-1, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound for the Mountaineers, while the Eagles will start sophomore right-hander Alex Garbrick (1-0, 5.23 ERA). Both teams' starters for Wednesday have not been determined.
Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, with a radio broadcast available at MSUEagles.com. Live stats for both games can be found at MoreheadState.Statbroadcast.com. Direct links to the video 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.
West Virginia ranks No. 18 in the country with 14 double plays turned, while its 2.85 ERA and 29 stolen bases are both No. 19 in the NCAA. WVU pitchers have allowed an average of 6.79 hits per nine innings, which is 23rd-best nationally. Additionally, the Mountaineers' 1.22 WHIP is second in the Big 12.
Junior right-hander Alek Manoah is No. 18 in the NCAA with 36 strikeouts and 14.73 strikeouts per nine innings. Senior right fielder Darius Hill is second in the Big 12 with two triples, as is junior righty Sam Kessler with his three saves. Junior center fielder Brandon White has three sac bunts and sophomore second baseman Tyler Doanes and freshman left fielder Austin Davis both have seven stolen bases, which also are No. 2 in the conference.
SCOUTING MOREHEAD STATE
Morehead State is 10-4 on the season and 6-0 at home. The Eagles are coming off a 4-3 win at Belmont in the second game of a doubleheader. The win snapped a four-game losing streak that came after an eight-game win streak. In the series loss at Belmont to commence OVC play, MSU lost the opener, 4-3, before the two teams split a doubleheader on Sunday. Belmont won a 2-0 contest before MSU's 4-3 win in the finale
Hunter Fain leads the team with a .528 batting average, five home runs and 36 total bases and is second with 19 hits and 11 RBIs in 36 at-bats. Jake Hammon has a team-best 25 hits and 12 RBIs. On the mound, Landon Weins has a 0.92 ERA in five relief appearances. In 19.2 innings, he has 13 strikeouts with six walks and has allowed two runs on 14 hits.
Morehead State is coached by Mike McGuire, who is in his seventh season and owns a 198-170 record at Morehead State. In 2018, he led the Eagles to a an OVC tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE EAGLES
West Virginia is 10-5 all-time against Morehead State and 5-2 in Morehead, Kentucky. The last meeting between the two teams was in 2017, a 5-1 Mountaineer victory at Monongalia County Ballpark. Brandon White had a pair of hits and two runs scored, while Darius Hill drove in two runs. Alek Manoah allowed one hit in 3.2 innings, and Cody Wood gave up one hit in 2.1 innings to earn the win. WVU last visited MSU in 2009 and came home with a 13-9 victory.
LAST TIME OUT: WEEKEND SWEEP AT HOME
WVU is coming off a weekend sweep of Kent State at Monongalia County Ballpark, with 6-2 and 8-4 victories in a doubleheader on March 9, followed by a 9-7 win on March 10.
UP NEXT: ROADTRIP CONCLUDES
West Virginia concludes its spring break roadtrip with a weekend series at William & Mary, from March 15-17, in Williamsburg, Virginia. First pitch on Friday, March 15, is at 6 p.m. ET, followed by a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday. The series at Plumeri Park wraps up on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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 Mountaineers (9-5) enter the week on a four-game win streak after a weekend sweep at home against Kent State. WVU will face a third consecutive opponent that made the 2018 NCAA Tournament, as the Eagles (10-4) claimed the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference tournament title. MSU opened OVC action with a series loss at Belmont from March 8-10.
In Tuesday's opener, sophomore left-hander Nick Snyder (1-1, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound for the Mountaineers, while the Eagles will start sophomore right-hander Alex Garbrick (1-0, 5.23 ERA). Both teams' starters for Wednesday have not been determined.
Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, with a radio broadcast available at MSUEagles.com. Live stats for both games can be found at MoreheadState.Statbroadcast.com. Direct links to the video 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.
West Virginia ranks No. 18 in the country with 14 double plays turned, while its 2.85 ERA and 29 stolen bases are both No. 19 in the NCAA. WVU pitchers have allowed an average of 6.79 hits per nine innings, which is 23rd-best nationally. Additionally, the Mountaineers' 1.22 WHIP is second in the Big 12.
Junior right-hander Alek Manoah is No. 18 in the NCAA with 36 strikeouts and 14.73 strikeouts per nine innings. Senior right fielder Darius Hill is second in the Big 12 with two triples, as is junior righty Sam Kessler with his three saves. Junior center fielder Brandon White has three sac bunts and sophomore second baseman Tyler Doanes and freshman left fielder Austin Davis both have seven stolen bases, which also are No. 2 in the conference.
SCOUTING MOREHEAD STATE
Morehead State is 10-4 on the season and 6-0 at home. The Eagles are coming off a 4-3 win at Belmont in the second game of a doubleheader. The win snapped a four-game losing streak that came after an eight-game win streak. In the series loss at Belmont to commence OVC play, MSU lost the opener, 4-3, before the two teams split a doubleheader on Sunday. Belmont won a 2-0 contest before MSU's 4-3 win in the finale
Hunter Fain leads the team with a .528 batting average, five home runs and 36 total bases and is second with 19 hits and 11 RBIs in 36 at-bats. Jake Hammon has a team-best 25 hits and 12 RBIs. On the mound, Landon Weins has a 0.92 ERA in five relief appearances. In 19.2 innings, he has 13 strikeouts with six walks and has allowed two runs on 14 hits.
Morehead State is coached by Mike McGuire, who is in his seventh season and owns a 198-170 record at Morehead State. In 2018, he led the Eagles to a an OVC tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE EAGLES
West Virginia is 10-5 all-time against Morehead State and 5-2 in Morehead, Kentucky. The last meeting between the two teams was in 2017, a 5-1 Mountaineer victory at Monongalia County Ballpark. Brandon White had a pair of hits and two runs scored, while Darius Hill drove in two runs. Alek Manoah allowed one hit in 3.2 innings, and Cody Wood gave up one hit in 2.1 innings to earn the win. WVU last visited MSU in 2009 and came home with a 13-9 victory.
LAST TIME OUT: WEEKEND SWEEP AT HOME
WVU is coming off a weekend sweep of Kent State at Monongalia County Ballpark, with 6-2 and 8-4 victories in a doubleheader on March 9, followed by a 9-7 win on March 10.
- Alek Manoah struck out 12 and the offense scored six in the final three innings to win Saturday's opener. Manoah struck out the side in the sixth and seventh innings, part of a stretch where he struck out nine of 10 batters, and allowed two runs on five hits in 7.2 innings. WVU was held hitless into the sixth inning until a two-RBI triple by Darius Hill. Brandon White joined Hill with two RBIs.
- The Mountaineers rallied to complete the doubleheader sweep thanks to a five-run sixth inning to erase a 4-0 deficit. Paul McIntosh had two hits and three RBIs, both career-highs, and hit his second home run in three games, a go-ahead, three-run shot in the sixth inning. Gabe Kurtzhals earned the win and held Kent State hitless with a strikeout and a walk in 2.0 innings, and he was one of three freshmen to pitch in Saturday's second contest, a trio that combined to allow two runs on three hits in 5.2 innings.
- WVU completed the series sweep on Sunday thanks to runs in five consecutive innings. A five-run sixth capped the scoring and was highlighted by a three-run home run by Kevin Brophy, while Tyler Doanes homered in the third inning. The West Virginia offense scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth, taking a 2-0 lead after three and regaining a 4-3 advantage in the fifth. After Kent State scored two in the top of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, the Mountaineers answered with five in the bottom half to go up 9-5. KSU scored two in the top of the seventh, but could not get any closer.
UP NEXT: ROADTRIP CONCLUDES
West Virginia concludes its spring break roadtrip with a weekend series at William & Mary, from March 15-17, in Williamsburg, Virginia. First pitch on Friday, March 15, is at 6 p.m. ET, followed by a 4 p.m. contest on Saturday. The series at Plumeri Park wraps up on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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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