Tuesday, May 14
Pittsburgh, PA / PNC Park
6:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Pitt
No. 17 Mountaineers Head to PNC Park for Backyard Brawl
May 13, 2019 02:48 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 17 West Virginia University baseball team returns to PNC Park on Tuesday, May 14, for a Backyard Brawl matchup against Pitt, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ET, in Pittsburgh.
Tickets are available at Pirates.com/CollegeBaseball. Mountaineer fans can purchase tickets for $7 by using the promo code "WVU."
The Backyard Brawl will be played at PNC Park for the first time, while the rivalry returns to the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time since 1998, when the Mountaineers won a 9-8 contest at Three Rivers Stadium. In WVU's oldest and most-played rivalry, West Virginia is 108-88 all-time against Pitt following a 5-4 home win on April 3. The Mountaineers have won five in a row in the series and 10 of the last 13.
The Mountaineers (31-18) will play at the Pirates' ballpark for the third consecutive season, after victories against Penn State each of the last two years. Tuesday's matchup concludes a five-game road trip for WVU, which began with a win over Virginia Tech and a series victory at Kansas State last weekend.
West Virginia is 2-0 at PNC Park, with a 4-2 win against Penn State in 2017 and a 3-2, 10-inning walk-off win vs. PSU last season. Tuesday's game marks the fourth consecutive year the Mountaineers will play at a Major League facility. In 2016, they faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in an exhibition contest at Salt River Fields, Arizona's Spring Training ballpark.
The Panthers (20-31) are coming off a series win over No. 11 North Carolina and have won three of their last four. Pitt is 3-2 all-time at PNC Park, and returns to the ballpark for the first time since a loss to Duquesne in 2009.
Statistically, the West Virginia pitching staff is No. 9 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.34), No. 11 in strikeouts per nine innings (10.0), No. 16 in shutouts (5), No. 23 in WHIP (1.28) and No. 25 in ERA (3.62). WVU also is second in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.43). Additionally, the Mountaineers' 82 stolen bases are No. 32 in the country and the most in the Big 12.
Individually, junior right-handed pitcher Alek Manoah is No. 6 nationally with 121 strikeouts, a total that also is No. 2 in WVU's single-season record books. Manoah also ranks No. 13 in the country in WHIP (0.89), No. 22 in ERA (1.89), No. 23 in hits allowed per nine innings (5.86), No. 29 in strikeouts per nine innings (12.01) and complete games (2) and No. 30 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.50). Manoah and junior left-hander Nick Snyder also lead the Big 12 with seven victories.
Junior right-hander Sam Kessler has eight saves, which is second-most in the Big 12 and tied for No. 2 in a single season in program history. Junior center fielder Brandon White also is second in the league with 22 stolen bases. Senior right fielder Darius Hill, who owns the West Virginia record for games played, with 124, is third in the Big 12 with 17 doubles in 2019. Sophomore second baseman Tyler Doanes also is third in the conference in stolen bases (17), and freshman shortstop Tevin Tucker is third in sacrifice bunts (8).
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along with this weekend's action.
SCOUTING PITT
Pitt enters Tuesday's contest with a 20-31 overall record and a 5-4 mark at a neutral site. In their series victory over No. 11 North Carolina, the Panthers won Friday's game, 7-1. Pitt dropped the opening game of a doubleheader on Saturday, 6-10, before clinching the series with a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.
Nico Popa paces the team with a .352 batting average and 70 hits, and is tied for the team lead with Connor Perry with 35 RBIs. Perry also paces the squad with 15 home runs. Chase Smith leads the pitching staff with a 2.95 ERA, four victories and five saves in 30 appearances, and Dan Hammer boast a team-high 75 strikeouts in 60.0 innings pitched.
In his first season, Mike Bell came to Pitt after seven years at Florida State as the associate head coach and pitching coach. Since 2005, Bell has helped three teams to four College World Series appearances.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE PANTHERS
West Virginia is 108-88 all-time against Pitt. In the Mountaineers' oldest and most-played rivalry, WVU is 64-38 at home, 41-48 on the road and 3-2 at a neutral site. West Virginia has won five in a row in the series and 10 of the last 13. WVU and Pitt have met every season since 2008.
The two teams first met in WVU's fourth season, 1895, and the Mountaineers won that first game, 13-6, in Pittsburgh. In 1981 and 1982, 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 tied at 27-27.
A then-WVU-record crowd of 3,487 fans watched West Virginia score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to beat Pitt, 5-4, on April 3, at Monongalia County Ballpark. The Mountaineers regained a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Kevin Brophy after the Panthers tied the game with a three-run sixth inning. WVU scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-1 lead, which included a two-run home run by Brophy.
LAST TIME OUT: BIG 12 PLAY CONCLUDES WITH SERIES WIN AT K-STATE
West Virginia notched its sixth Big 12 series win last weekend at Kansas State to conclude conference play, from May 10-12, in Manhattan, Kansas.
ON DECK: SENIOR WEEKEND
The Mountaineers conclude the regular season at home against George Washington from May 16-18, at Monongalia County Ballpark. The series begins on Thursday, May 16, at 6:30 p.m. ET, and continues on Friday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m. The regular-season finale is slated for Saturday, May 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, during the week at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark. Thursday and Friday's contests will feature Baseball Bingo, and Friday is the final Friday Night Happy Hour of the year, with half-off beverages available from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday's regular-season finale is Senior Day, and seniors Ivan Gonzalez, Darius Hill, Zach Reid and Andrew Zitel will be recognized prior to first pitch. Saturday also is Armed Forces Day, with all active and retired military members receiving a discounted $3 ticket by showing a valid military I.D. Additionally, there will be postgame autographs and kids can run the bases after the game.
Single game tickets and flex plan 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.
Tickets are available at Pirates.com/CollegeBaseball. Mountaineer fans can purchase tickets for $7 by using the promo code "WVU."
The Backyard Brawl will be played at PNC Park for the first time, while the rivalry returns to the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time since 1998, when the Mountaineers won a 9-8 contest at Three Rivers Stadium. In WVU's oldest and most-played rivalry, West Virginia is 108-88 all-time against Pitt following a 5-4 home win on April 3. The Mountaineers have won five in a row in the series and 10 of the last 13.
The Mountaineers (31-18) will play at the Pirates' ballpark for the third consecutive season, after victories against Penn State each of the last two years. Tuesday's matchup concludes a five-game road trip for WVU, which began with a win over Virginia Tech and a series victory at Kansas State last weekend.
West Virginia is 2-0 at PNC Park, with a 4-2 win against Penn State in 2017 and a 3-2, 10-inning walk-off win vs. PSU last season. Tuesday's game marks the fourth consecutive year the Mountaineers will play at a Major League facility. In 2016, they faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in an exhibition contest at Salt River Fields, Arizona's Spring Training ballpark.
The Panthers (20-31) are coming off a series win over No. 11 North Carolina and have won three of their last four. Pitt is 3-2 all-time at PNC Park, and returns to the ballpark for the first time since a loss to Duquesne in 2009.
Statistically, the West Virginia pitching staff is No. 9 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.34), No. 11 in strikeouts per nine innings (10.0), No. 16 in shutouts (5), No. 23 in WHIP (1.28) and No. 25 in ERA (3.62). WVU also is second in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.43). Additionally, the Mountaineers' 82 stolen bases are No. 32 in the country and the most in the Big 12.
Individually, junior right-handed pitcher Alek Manoah is No. 6 nationally with 121 strikeouts, a total that also is No. 2 in WVU's single-season record books. Manoah also ranks No. 13 in the country in WHIP (0.89), No. 22 in ERA (1.89), No. 23 in hits allowed per nine innings (5.86), No. 29 in strikeouts per nine innings (12.01) and complete games (2) and No. 30 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.50). Manoah and junior left-hander Nick Snyder also lead the Big 12 with seven victories.
Junior right-hander Sam Kessler has eight saves, which is second-most in the Big 12 and tied for No. 2 in a single season in program history. Junior center fielder Brandon White also is second in the league with 22 stolen bases. Senior right fielder Darius Hill, who owns the West Virginia record for games played, with 124, is third in the Big 12 with 17 doubles in 2019. Sophomore second baseman Tyler Doanes also is third in the conference in stolen bases (17), and freshman shortstop Tevin Tucker is third in sacrifice bunts (8).
FOLLOWING ALONG
There are a number of ways to follow along with this weekend's action.
- The game will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra and WatchESPN to subscribers.
- Fans can listen to the game on the Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College on various affiliates throughout the state, while fans across the country can tune into the broadcast online at WVUsports.com/Watch and on the WVU Gameday and TuneIn Radio Apps.
- Live stats can be found at PittsburghPanthers.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 PITT
Pitt enters Tuesday's contest with a 20-31 overall record and a 5-4 mark at a neutral site. In their series victory over No. 11 North Carolina, the Panthers won Friday's game, 7-1. Pitt dropped the opening game of a doubleheader on Saturday, 6-10, before clinching the series with a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.
Nico Popa paces the team with a .352 batting average and 70 hits, and is tied for the team lead with Connor Perry with 35 RBIs. Perry also paces the squad with 15 home runs. Chase Smith leads the pitching staff with a 2.95 ERA, four victories and five saves in 30 appearances, and Dan Hammer boast a team-high 75 strikeouts in 60.0 innings pitched.
In his first season, Mike Bell came to Pitt after seven years at Florida State as the associate head coach and pitching coach. Since 2005, Bell has helped three teams to four College World Series appearances.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE PANTHERS
West Virginia is 108-88 all-time against Pitt. In the Mountaineers' oldest and most-played rivalry, WVU is 64-38 at home, 41-48 on the road and 3-2 at a neutral site. West Virginia has won five in a row in the series and 10 of the last 13. WVU and Pitt have met every season since 2008.
The two teams first met in WVU's fourth season, 1895, and the Mountaineers won that first game, 13-6, in Pittsburgh. In 1981 and 1982, 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 tied at 27-27.
A then-WVU-record crowd of 3,487 fans watched West Virginia score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to beat Pitt, 5-4, on April 3, at Monongalia County Ballpark. The Mountaineers regained a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Kevin Brophy after the Panthers tied the game with a three-run sixth inning. WVU scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-1 lead, which included a two-run home run by Brophy.
LAST TIME OUT: BIG 12 PLAY CONCLUDES WITH SERIES WIN AT K-STATE
West Virginia notched its sixth Big 12 series win last weekend at Kansas State to conclude conference play, from May 10-12, in Manhattan, Kansas.
- West Virginia opened the series at K-State with a 6-0 victory on May 10, as Manoah struck out 13 batters and allowed three hits in 8.0 shutout innings. The offense gave Manoah the lead before he even took the mound, thanks to a leadoff home run by Doanes, as the Mountaineers led 2-0 in the first and 5-0 in the second.
- Doanes homered again on Saturday, on the first pitch of the game, but Kansas State evened the series with an 8-6 win. The Mountaineers trailed 5-1 after an inning, but rallied to cut the deficit to two twice, at 5-3 in the third and 8-6 in the sixth. However, the Wildcats responded with a run in the third and two in the fifth and then held West Virginia to one baserunner in the final three innings.
- WVU rallied with a four-run eighth inning to win the finale, 7-4, on May 12. West Virginia led 2-0 in the first inning, but the Wildcats rallied to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh before the Mountaineers scored four in the eighth. White led the way with three hits and two RBIs, Doanes added three hits and an RBI and junior first baseman Marques Inman homered in the first inning. Kessler pitched the final 2.0 innings and picked up the save.
ON DECK: SENIOR WEEKEND
The Mountaineers conclude the regular season at home against George Washington from May 16-18, at Monongalia County Ballpark. The series begins on Thursday, May 16, at 6:30 p.m. ET, and continues on Friday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m. The regular-season finale is slated for Saturday, May 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, during the week at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark. Thursday and Friday's contests will feature Baseball Bingo, and Friday is the final Friday Night Happy Hour of the year, with half-off beverages available from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday's regular-season finale is Senior Day, and seniors Ivan Gonzalez, Darius Hill, Zach Reid and Andrew Zitel will be recognized prior to first pitch. Saturday also is Armed Forces Day, with all active and retired military members receiving a discounted $3 ticket by showing a valid military I.D. Additionally, there will be postgame autographs and kids can run the bases after the game.
Single game tickets and flex plan 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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