West Virginia took care of business on the road in their first game of the week against Ohio State, 9-6. They return home to Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark to face the Pittsburgh Panthers for another midweek game. The Mountaineers are 23-4 on the season, while the Panthers sit at 16-11. Pittsburgh has lost their last two games but has won three out of their previous five. The Backyard Brawl is renewed in baseball with the first of two matchups against the Panthers this season. Read more: WVU Baseball: Game Preview vs. Pittsburgh.
WVU Baseball: Game Preview vs. Pittsburgh
WVU got a solid outing and only used four pitchers against Ohio State. Tyler Hutson started the game and threw two innings, giving up two runs with one strikeout. Reese Bassinger did the heavy lifting, pitching the final 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run with one strikeout. That should pay dividends moving forward this week, as they have four games remaining. They must conserve arms this week and get the most out of their pitching staff to stay competitive in these matchups.
READ: What to Watch Now: WVU Sports After Basketball and Spring Seasons
Logan Sauve was behind the plate for the full game and went three for four from the plate. He recorded two walks and had three RBIs. Centerfielder Skylar King also played well batting first for the Mountaineers. He went two for four, with one walk, a double, and scored three runs. Shortstop Spencer Barnett also got a timely hit. He went one for five at the plate, with three strikeouts, but recorded two RBIs and a scored a run. The bottom half of the lineup performed well on the road against the Buckeyes.
Pittsburgh has had an up-and-down season. They rank 123rd in the nation with a team batting average of .284. The pitching staff has an ERA of 5.08, which ranks 83rd in the nation. They struggle to catch baserunners stealing, which should work in the Mountaineers’ favor. WVU ranks 12th in that nation with 71 stolen bases this season. Pittsburgh has allowed 45 of 50 stolen bases to opponents this season. WVU should fare well if they get runners on and move them into scoring position.
West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh Game Times
Game 1: Wednesday, April 2
- Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- WVU Starter: RHP David Hagen (2-0, 2.81 ERA, 16.0 IP, 11 K)
- Pittsburgh Starter: TBA
- Watch: ESPN+
David Hagen has started five games for the Mountaineers this season and has done well recently. He pitched four shutout innings on March 25 against Marshall and five innings on March 19 against James Madison. He only allowed one run against JMU, with four strikeouts. Hagen has only allowed three hits in those starts. A quality start against Pittsburgh should pay dividends this week.
First baseman Luke Cantwell is Pittsburgh’s leading hitter this season, with a .413 average. He is the leadoff hitter for the Panthers and gives them plenty of opportunities to score runs. They only have three other players that have a .300 average or higher. Third baseman Ryan Zuckerman leads the team with 34 RBIs from the clean-up spot with a .333 average. Those are the two hitters that WVU needs to focus on getting out. Pittsburgh should be well rested since their last game was on Sunday, but the Mountaineers should have a favorable chance of winning this game if their bats stay hot.
