Wednesday, May 25
Arlington, Texas
8:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Oklahoma
Photo by: Seth Seebaugh
WVU’s Big 12 Championship Run Begins with Oklahoma
May 24, 2022 05:33 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team begins postseason play at the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship against No. 18 Oklahoma on Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas. First pitch at Globe Life Field is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
Fans can follow along with all the action with live stats, found on WVUsports.com. The game also will air live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Mountaineer Sports Network on 100.9 WZST-FM, as well as various affiliates throughout the state, the WVU Gameday app, the free Varsity Network app and WVUsports.com.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jacob Watters (3-6, 5.65 ERA) opens the tournament for the Mountaineers on the mound, while OU counters with right-hander Carson Atwood (2-3, 5.79 ERA).
WVU (33-20) is 15-14 all-time at the Big 12 Championship. The Mountaineers have won multiple games at the event in six of the last eight tournaments, including five in a row.
After going 14-10 inside the league, West Virginia earned the No. 6 seed in this week's championship. Oklahoma, meanwhile, is the No. 3 seed. The winner of Wednesday's game meets the winner of No. 2-seed Texas Tech vs. No. 7-seed Kansas State on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. The two losers will be paired in an elimination game on Thursday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
West Virginia is 13-18 against Oklahoma all time. OU took the regular-season series, 2-1, from May 13-15, in Norman. Of note, Wednesday's game marks the first time the two squads meet in postseason action since 2016.
Prior to the tournament, eight Mountaineers were selected on one of the 2022 All-Big 12 Teams. Fifth-year senior right-handed pitcher Trey Braithwaite and senior outfielder Austin Davis were first-team honorees, while sophomore catcher McGwire Holbrook was placed on the second team. Additionally, redshirt junior right-hander Noah Short, Watters, sophomore left-hander Ben Hampton and freshman infielder JJ Wetherholt were named Honorable Mention selections, while freshman right-hander Chris Sleeper joined Wetherholt on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
Last time out, the Mountaineers capped the regular season with a three-game sweep over Kansas State from May 19-21, at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark in Morgantown. West Virginia outscored K-State, 35-9, and outhit the Wildcats, 36-22, in the series, earning wins of 15-4, 15-4 and 5-1.
Following the sweep, West Virginia finished with 14 wins inside the Big 12 this season, a program record.
Led by coach Randy Mazey, the Mountaineers are the only team in the Big 12 who haven't endured a three-game losing streak this season. What's more, WVU has won 30 or more games in five of Mazey's 10 seasons in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers enter the week ranked No. 2 nationally in stolen bases, with 154, which is good for the most in single-season program history. Individually, junior outfielder Victor Scott II's 38 stolen bases sit at No. 6 in the nation and are the most by one player in WVU's single-season history.
Davis and redshirt junior catcher/infielder Dayne Leonard co-lead the Mountaineers with a .336 average at the plate. Holbrook (.325) and Wetherholt (.308) also are hitting better than .300.
Freshman infielder Grant Hussey paces the club with 10 home runs, while Wetherholt has 17 doubles. Along with his ability on the base paths, Scott II is No. 1 on the team with 46 RBI.
Led by fifth-year coach Skip Johnson, Oklahoma is 33-20 this season. OU also went 15-9 in Big 12 play. The Sooners capped the regular season by winning a series over Texas Tech, 2-1, in Lubbock last weekend.
Peyton Graham and Bennett were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Blake Robertson, Tanner Tredaway and Trevin Michael earned second-team honors. Additionally, Robertson was voted the league's Newcomer of the Year.
Tredaway leads the squad with a .346 average, while Graham's 14 home runs and 53 RBI pace OU offensively. On the mound, Atwood has 20 strikeouts in 23.1 innings of work.
OU is ranked as high as No. 18 by Perfect Game this week, while Baseball America and D1Baseball ranked the Sooners at No. 19 and No. 22, respectively.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Fans can follow along with all the action with live stats, found on WVUsports.com. The game also will air live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Mountaineer Sports Network on 100.9 WZST-FM, as well as various affiliates throughout the state, the WVU Gameday app, the free Varsity Network app and WVUsports.com.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jacob Watters (3-6, 5.65 ERA) opens the tournament for the Mountaineers on the mound, while OU counters with right-hander Carson Atwood (2-3, 5.79 ERA).
WVU (33-20) is 15-14 all-time at the Big 12 Championship. The Mountaineers have won multiple games at the event in six of the last eight tournaments, including five in a row.
After going 14-10 inside the league, West Virginia earned the No. 6 seed in this week's championship. Oklahoma, meanwhile, is the No. 3 seed. The winner of Wednesday's game meets the winner of No. 2-seed Texas Tech vs. No. 7-seed Kansas State on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. The two losers will be paired in an elimination game on Thursday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
West Virginia is 13-18 against Oklahoma all time. OU took the regular-season series, 2-1, from May 13-15, in Norman. Of note, Wednesday's game marks the first time the two squads meet in postseason action since 2016.
Prior to the tournament, eight Mountaineers were selected on one of the 2022 All-Big 12 Teams. Fifth-year senior right-handed pitcher Trey Braithwaite and senior outfielder Austin Davis were first-team honorees, while sophomore catcher McGwire Holbrook was placed on the second team. Additionally, redshirt junior right-hander Noah Short, Watters, sophomore left-hander Ben Hampton and freshman infielder JJ Wetherholt were named Honorable Mention selections, while freshman right-hander Chris Sleeper joined Wetherholt on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
Last time out, the Mountaineers capped the regular season with a three-game sweep over Kansas State from May 19-21, at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark in Morgantown. West Virginia outscored K-State, 35-9, and outhit the Wildcats, 36-22, in the series, earning wins of 15-4, 15-4 and 5-1.
Following the sweep, West Virginia finished with 14 wins inside the Big 12 this season, a program record.
Led by coach Randy Mazey, the Mountaineers are the only team in the Big 12 who haven't endured a three-game losing streak this season. What's more, WVU has won 30 or more games in five of Mazey's 10 seasons in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers enter the week ranked No. 2 nationally in stolen bases, with 154, which is good for the most in single-season program history. Individually, junior outfielder Victor Scott II's 38 stolen bases sit at No. 6 in the nation and are the most by one player in WVU's single-season history.
Davis and redshirt junior catcher/infielder Dayne Leonard co-lead the Mountaineers with a .336 average at the plate. Holbrook (.325) and Wetherholt (.308) also are hitting better than .300.
Freshman infielder Grant Hussey paces the club with 10 home runs, while Wetherholt has 17 doubles. Along with his ability on the base paths, Scott II is No. 1 on the team with 46 RBI.
Led by fifth-year coach Skip Johnson, Oklahoma is 33-20 this season. OU also went 15-9 in Big 12 play. The Sooners capped the regular season by winning a series over Texas Tech, 2-1, in Lubbock last weekend.
Peyton Graham and Bennett were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Blake Robertson, Tanner Tredaway and Trevin Michael earned second-team honors. Additionally, Robertson was voted the league's Newcomer of the Year.
Tredaway leads the squad with a .346 average, while Graham's 14 home runs and 53 RBI pace OU offensively. On the mound, Atwood has 20 strikeouts in 23.1 innings of work.
OU is ranked as high as No. 18 by Perfect Game this week, while Baseball America and D1Baseball ranked the Sooners at No. 19 and No. 22, respectively.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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