The Mountaineers took care of business on Tuesday against Marshall, 7-0, to achieve their second shutout of the season. They moved to 20-3 on the season and will travel to Provo, Utah to face the BYU Cougars, who are 13-9. The Cougars are surprisingly better on the road this season, with a 9-5 record, while going 4-4 at home. The games will be played in Miller Park on Thursday through Saturday because BYU does not play on Sunday, which is tied to religious beliefs. It should be an important series for WVU to start climbing the Big 12 standings. Read more: WVU Baseball: Series Preview vs. BYU
WVU Baseball: Series Preview vs. BYU
The injuries did not hurt WVU against Marshall but could affect them for a few weeks. Head coach Steve Sabins said catcher Logan Sauve has shoulder inflammation after landing on his shoulder wrong while sliding. They are hopeful he can return at some point this weekend. He said this about Sam White, “He dislocated his shoulder and so I think with that just comes more time.” The recovery time frame is going to be longer for the second baseman and could be a few weeks to a month.
READ: Post-Game Takeaways: Coach Sabins Speaks on WVU’s Victory
Spencer Barnett replaced Sam White at second base against Marshall. He went 0-2 with two walks and a strikeout while batting eighth. Gavin Kelly replaced Logan Sauve at catcher for the second consecutive game and took his spot in the lineup, batting second. He went 1-3 with a walk, RBI, run, and a stolen base. Designated hitter Kyle West replaced White in the batting order. He went 0-2 batting third but contributed a run and drew three walks while also stealing a base.
The Cougars rank 120th in the nation with a batting average of .285. They are led by right fielder Bryker Hurdsman, who is batting .388 this season in 19 games. First baseman Cooper Vest is batting .330 with nine home runs, which ranks second in the conference. He also leads the team with 30 RBIs. Second baseman Luke Anderson (.311) and third baseman Brock Watkins (.325) are two hitters to watch for this weekend. The pitching staff ranks 115th in the nation with an ERA of 5.43. The Cougars are a capable team and should not be taken lightly despite their 13-9 record.
West Virginia vs. BYU Game Times
Game 1: Thursday, March 27
- Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- WVU Starter: LHP Griffin Kirn (3-0, 3.41 ERA, 29.0 IP, 34 K)
- BYU Starter: RHP Payton Gubler (3-1, 3.12 ERA, 34.1 IP, 23 K)
- Watch: ESPN+
Game 2: Friday, March 28
- Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- WVU Starter: RHP Gavin Van Kempen (2-0, 4.43 ERA, 20.1 IP, 22 K)
- BYU Starter: RHP Jaden Harris (1-1, 7.71 ERA, 23.1 IP, 15 K)
- Watch: ESPN+
Game 3: Saturday, March 29
- Start Time: 3:30 ET
- WVU Starter: RHP Carson Estridge (2-0, 0.96 ERA, 18.2 IP, 13 K)
- BYU Starter: RHP Garrison Sumner (3-1, 5.52 ERA, 29.1 IP, 26 K)
- Watch: ESPN+
The Mountaineers are tearing up the base paths this season. They are tied for seventh in the nation with 67 stolen bases, which leads the Big 12. That is 2.91 stolen bases per game, which ranks seventh in the nation. BYU has only allowed 18 stolen bases this season, and could be a pivotal theme to the games in this series. WVU must put the ball in play and be smart on the bases to win this series.
The starters for the Mountaineers must go deep into the game, too. The 16-inning affair with Arizona on Sunday used up a lot of arms for WVU, and they used six pitchers on Tuesday against Marshall. The pitching staff is still excelling this season, ranking seventh in the nation with a 3.14 ERA. Tired arms could be a problem in this series, but the pitching staff should be prepared to face the Cougars. Payton Gubler is one of the best pitchers in the Big 12, with an ERA of 3.12. WVU must be ready for a hard-fought game on Thursday before facing easier pitching in the last two games of the series. The Mountaineers could move into the top five of the Big 12 standings with a good series against BYU, which makes this an important series, especially with two key injuries.
