MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 25-ranked West Virginia University baseball team opens the 2022 home season with a matchup against Canisius on Tuesday, March 1. First pitch at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark is set for 3 p.m. ET.
 
Tickets for the home opener are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office inside the WVU Coliseum or on game day at the ballpark's box office, beginning at 1 p.m. Fans will have the opportunity to play Baseball Bingo with prizes available.
 
Admission for WVU students is free with a valid student I.D.
 
Fans also can follow the action with live stats, found on WVUsports.com. Additionally, Tuesday's game can be heard live on 91.7 FM in Morgantown and seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
 
Fifth-year senior right-handed pitcher Zach Bravo (0-0, 6.75 ERA) gets the ball for the Mountaineers on Tuesday. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native will go against Canisius' left-hander Justin Guiliano (0-0, 8.10 ERA).
 
The Mountaineers (5-2) and Golden Griffins (4-4) are set to meet for the 16th time on Tuesday. WVU leads the all-time series, 10-5, including 5-3 in the coach Randy Mazey era (2013-present). The two clubs last met on Feb. 18, 2020, a 15-8 WVU win in Morgantown.
 
WVU checks in at No. 25 in this week's Perfect Game Top 25. It marks the Mountaineers' first national ranking of the season.
 
West Virginia is coming off a series win at Charlotte, from Feb. 25-26, at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. WVU came from behind to win the series opener, 5-4, before splitting a doubleheader on Feb. 26. The Mountaineers took Game 1 of the twin bill, 9-2, before falling, 5-4, in the series finale.
 
Sophomore catcher McGwire Holbrook led the Mountaineers against the 49ers, going 5-for-8 with two doubles and four RBI on the weekend. Additionally, senior outfielder Austin Davis and junior outfielder Victor Scott II each had four RBI in the Charlotte series.
 
On the mound, junior right-handed pitcher Jacob Watters and sophomore left-hander Ben Hampton picked up wins at Charlotte. Hampton struck out seven in 5.2 innings of work in Game 1 of Feb. 26's doubleheader, allowing just one run on three hits.
 
WVU enters the week ranked No. 4 nationally with 25 stolen bases. The squad swiped 16 bags against Charlotte, including nine in the series opener.
 
West Virginia finished 5-2 in February, good for its sixth winning record in the season's opening month in the last seven years. The club is off to a 5-2 start for the second time in the last three years.
 
WVU is 93-55 in seven seasons at Monongalia County Ballpark. The club is 6-1 in home openers since the facility opened in 2015, and it has won 19 consecutive midweek home games, dating back to April 3, 2017.
 
Canisius is led by coach Matt Mazurek. The squad opened the season with a four-game, series split with Pitt at the Snowbird Classic, from Feb. 18-20, in Port Charlotte, Florida, before splitting a four-game series at Morehead State last weekend.
 
The Golden Griffins have scored 11 or more runs three times in eight games so far this season. The team, which finished 20-16 in 2021, was picked to finish third in the MAAC preseason poll.
 
A trio of Golden Griffins were named to the preseason All-MAAC squad: first-baseman/outfielder Vinny Chiarenza, outfielder Carlin Dick and infielder Max Grant. So far this season, 1B/OF Mike Steffan leads Canisius with three homers and 12 RBI, while Grant's .484 average also paces the club offensively.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.