Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Underdog WVU Has Enjoyed Success at Big 12 Baseball Tournament
May 20, 2019 12:23 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia has a history of performing well in the Big 12 baseball tournament and veteran Mountaineer coach Randy Mazey has a theory on why that's been the case.
"We go down there with a chip on our shoulder," he explained late last week. "We're always going to fight for national recognition with our program. It's a lot easier to play as an underdog, and we've always been the underdog down there."
In 2013, West Virginia's first year playing in the Big 12 tournament, WVU won games against TCU and 22nd-ranked Oklahoma State in a weather-shortened tournament that required the eight teams to be divided into two pools for a round-robin format.
A year later, the Mountaineers knocked off Kansas in an opening round game before suffering back-to-back losses to second-ranked TCU and Baylor.
In 2016, WVU nearly upset its way to a championship by knocking off Oklahoma and fifth-ranked Texas Tech to reach the championship game against third-ranked TCU.
The Mountaineers rallied from an early 8-0 deficit to take a 10-9 lead into the top of the ninth until the Frogs tied the game on a sacrifice fly. In the 10th, TCU's Luken Baker put his team ahead with a solo home run, and West Virginia was unable to answer in the bottom of the 10th.
Two years ago, West Virginia fought back with an impressive 12-7 loser's bracket victory over 19th-ranked Texas Tech before dropping a 4-3 decision to Oklahoma State in 10 innings.
And last year, WVU knocked 15th-ranked Texas Tech out of the tournament before losing to TCU the following day.
That's nine wins in seven Big 12 tournament appearances out in Oklahoma City, which is not too shabby.
Only once has WVU been two-and-barbequed, that happening in 2015.
"We go down there and maybe people underestimate us, I don't know," Mazey said, adding, "as good as we are, we could go 56-0 or we could go 0-56, and Texas can go whatever and they're going to be favored, no matter how good of a year they're having or how good of a year we're having.
"If we play Texas, everybody is going to think we're the underdog, and I think that helps us," he added.
It also probably helps that Texas is not in this year's tournament. The Longhorns failed to make the eight-team event just one year after reaching the College World Series.
Mazey believes the setting at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City is also helpful because it's a big ballpark that consumes the crowds that attend the Big 12 tournament, much like PNC Park where WVU has played either Pitt or Penn State late in the season.
"Those atmospheres are similar," Mazey pointed out. "It's a big ballpark with a ton of empty seats, even if you have a good crowd. I like the fact that it's in Oklahoma City because there are only two teams with a homefield advantage.
"If that tournament was somewhere in Texas then four teams would have a homefield advantage. We've always played pretty well down there, and our guys play with a lot of confidence at that place."
"It's a big, nice ballpark, and we have a great time there when we're not playing baseball," senior rightfielder Darius Hill added. "It allows us to relax and just enjoy our week there. I think we've always felt real comfortable and want to play there."
With the exception of 2017, when West Virginia was an NCAA tournament lock, the Mountaineers have gone to Oklahoma City with their season's postseason fate on the line. In 2016, WVU came within an out of snapping its 20-year NCAA tournament drought when it lost to TCU in 10 innings.
This year, 19th-ranked West Virginia's postseason destiny is secure. The Mountaineers' outstanding 34-18 record and No. 16 RPI have them right on the cut line to serve as host of a regional this year.
"It's nice going to the conference tournament pretty much knowing you are going to make a regional," Mazey admitted. "Most years you go and you don't know that. You're on the bubble and you have to play good to get there.
"This year we're going down there with the intention of if we play good we can host, which is a pretty good feeling playing with house money so to speak."
"Two years ago (when WVU made the NCAA tournament in 2017) we weren't going to host, but this year we're in the running for it," Hill mentioned. "We still have stuff to play for and we're going to play for it just as if we don't have a bid at stake."
Mazey believes hosting a regional at Monongalia County Ballpark would put West Virginia baseball on a different level nationally, perception wise.
"If we host a regional here in Morgantown could you imagine the crowd and atmosphere?" he said. "It would change the face of our program completely. You get national recognition, plus, it gives you a real chance to win. If you host a regional you're going to be a one-seed playing a four-seed and if you don't host, you're probably going to be a two-seed playing a three-seed. A lot of times that's a huge difference."
But first things first.
WVU opens Big 12 tournament play on Wednesday morning against fifth-seeded Kansas at 10 a.m. (EDT). The winner will face the winner of Texas Tech-Kansas State on Thursday at 4 p.m.
The two losers will play immediately afterward.
Fox College Sports will televise the entire Big 12 tournament with the exception of the championship game on Sunday at 2 p.m. (EST).
That contest will air on FSN.
"We go down there with a chip on our shoulder," he explained late last week. "We're always going to fight for national recognition with our program. It's a lot easier to play as an underdog, and we've always been the underdog down there."
In 2013, West Virginia's first year playing in the Big 12 tournament, WVU won games against TCU and 22nd-ranked Oklahoma State in a weather-shortened tournament that required the eight teams to be divided into two pools for a round-robin format.
A year later, the Mountaineers knocked off Kansas in an opening round game before suffering back-to-back losses to second-ranked TCU and Baylor.
In 2016, WVU nearly upset its way to a championship by knocking off Oklahoma and fifth-ranked Texas Tech to reach the championship game against third-ranked TCU.
The Mountaineers rallied from an early 8-0 deficit to take a 10-9 lead into the top of the ninth until the Frogs tied the game on a sacrifice fly. In the 10th, TCU's Luken Baker put his team ahead with a solo home run, and West Virginia was unable to answer in the bottom of the 10th.
Two years ago, West Virginia fought back with an impressive 12-7 loser's bracket victory over 19th-ranked Texas Tech before dropping a 4-3 decision to Oklahoma State in 10 innings.
And last year, WVU knocked 15th-ranked Texas Tech out of the tournament before losing to TCU the following day.
That's nine wins in seven Big 12 tournament appearances out in Oklahoma City, which is not too shabby.
Only once has WVU been two-and-barbequed, that happening in 2015.
"We go down there and maybe people underestimate us, I don't know," Mazey said, adding, "as good as we are, we could go 56-0 or we could go 0-56, and Texas can go whatever and they're going to be favored, no matter how good of a year they're having or how good of a year we're having.
"If we play Texas, everybody is going to think we're the underdog, and I think that helps us," he added.
It also probably helps that Texas is not in this year's tournament. The Longhorns failed to make the eight-team event just one year after reaching the College World Series.
Mazey believes the setting at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City is also helpful because it's a big ballpark that consumes the crowds that attend the Big 12 tournament, much like PNC Park where WVU has played either Pitt or Penn State late in the season.
"Those atmospheres are similar," Mazey pointed out. "It's a big ballpark with a ton of empty seats, even if you have a good crowd. I like the fact that it's in Oklahoma City because there are only two teams with a homefield advantage.
"If that tournament was somewhere in Texas then four teams would have a homefield advantage. We've always played pretty well down there, and our guys play with a lot of confidence at that place."
"It's a big, nice ballpark, and we have a great time there when we're not playing baseball," senior rightfielder Darius Hill added. "It allows us to relax and just enjoy our week there. I think we've always felt real comfortable and want to play there."With the exception of 2017, when West Virginia was an NCAA tournament lock, the Mountaineers have gone to Oklahoma City with their season's postseason fate on the line. In 2016, WVU came within an out of snapping its 20-year NCAA tournament drought when it lost to TCU in 10 innings.
This year, 19th-ranked West Virginia's postseason destiny is secure. The Mountaineers' outstanding 34-18 record and No. 16 RPI have them right on the cut line to serve as host of a regional this year.
"It's nice going to the conference tournament pretty much knowing you are going to make a regional," Mazey admitted. "Most years you go and you don't know that. You're on the bubble and you have to play good to get there.
"This year we're going down there with the intention of if we play good we can host, which is a pretty good feeling playing with house money so to speak."
"Two years ago (when WVU made the NCAA tournament in 2017) we weren't going to host, but this year we're in the running for it," Hill mentioned. "We still have stuff to play for and we're going to play for it just as if we don't have a bid at stake."
Mazey believes hosting a regional at Monongalia County Ballpark would put West Virginia baseball on a different level nationally, perception wise.
"If we host a regional here in Morgantown could you imagine the crowd and atmosphere?" he said. "It would change the face of our program completely. You get national recognition, plus, it gives you a real chance to win. If you host a regional you're going to be a one-seed playing a four-seed and if you don't host, you're probably going to be a two-seed playing a three-seed. A lot of times that's a huge difference."
But first things first.
WVU opens Big 12 tournament play on Wednesday morning against fifth-seeded Kansas at 10 a.m. (EDT). The winner will face the winner of Texas Tech-Kansas State on Thursday at 4 p.m.
The two losers will play immediately afterward.
Fox College Sports will televise the entire Big 12 tournament with the exception of the championship game on Sunday at 2 p.m. (EST).
That contest will air on FSN.
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