The Mountaineers are home for another weekend Big 12 series at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark. They are playing the Utah Utes in a three-game series for a chance to move up the standings in the Big 12. WVU is 24-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big 12, which puts them fifth. Utah is 13-13 overall and 2-7 in conference play. Utah has lost four in a row as they travel across the country to Morgantown. The Mountaineers have won four in a row, and it should be a good weekend for WVU baseball. Read more: WVU Baseball: Series Preview vs. Utah.
WVU Baseball: Series Preview vs. Utah
WVU played Pittsburgh on Wednesday and won 11-1. David Hagen started the game and threw two shutout innings, allowing only one hit. Benjamin Hudson earned the win, throwing five innings, allowing one run, two hits, and four strikeouts. The pitching staff did a fantastic job of providing quality innings to limit the amount of arms needed with two midweek games before this three-game series. Second baseman Gavin Kelly went three for four with three RBIs, batting fifth. The Mountaineers recorded 11 hits on 32 at-bats and drew eight walks, with two hit by pitches.
READ: Leigh, DiCello, and Rice Represent WVU at NCAA Regional Competition
WVU still ranks in the top 15 of the nation in ERA, with a 3.71 ERA. They also rank 20th in the nation with a batting average of .318. They are still tearing up the basepaths, ranking 11th in the country with 75 stolen bases, putting themselves in scoring position. Utah does a good job of limiting stolen bases, though. They have only allowed 18 stolen bases on 26 attempts this season. The Mountaineers must test the arm of catcher Jack Kleveno to get a good sense of how aggressive they can be in stealing bases.
Utah ranks 83rd in the nation with a .294 batting average. Their pitching staff is struggling this season. They rank 138th with an ERA of 5.93. Shortstop Core Jackson is their best hitter, with a .406 batting average. He has six home runs and 24 RBIs and leads the team in both categories. Second baseman Austen Roellig bats first and has a .336 batting average. Outfielder Kaden Carpenter bats clean-up and hits .324. They put the ball in play a lot, only drawing 94 walks on the season, so the Mountaineers need to limit errors.
West Virginia vs. Utah Game Times
Game 1: Friday, April 4
- Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- WVU Starter: LHP Griffin Kirn (3-0, 3.82 ERA, 33.0 IP, 36 K)
- Utah Starter: RHP Colter McAnelly (2-1, 2.72 ERA, 46.1 IP, 51 K)
- Watch: ESPN+
Game 2: Saturday, April 5
- Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
- WVU Starter: RHP Gavin Van Kempen (2-0, 4.32 ERA, 25.0 IP, 26 K)
- Utah Starter: RHP Merit Jones (2-3, 7.57 ERA, 35.2 IP, 28 K)
- Watch: ESPN+
Game 3: Sunday, April 6
- Start Time: Noon ET
- WVU Starter: TBA
- Utah Starter: TBA
- Watch: ESPN+
Colter McAnelly is Utah’s best starter with a 2.72 ERA and .99 WHIP. He has limited hitters to a .204 batting average this season, so the pitching staff must limit runs on the other side. WVU’s bats have been hot all season, so they should be able to put the ball in play, but it will undoubtedly be their toughest test of the series. Merit Jones is slated to take the mound Saturday for the Utes. He has a 7.57 ERA and has allowed a .295 average to hitters this season.
Griffin Kirn has been solid in his seven starts this season for WVU. He has a 3.82 ERA and has allowed a .242 average to hitters this season. A quality start would go a long way for the Mountaineers as they head into the final two games. If he can throw at least four innings, they should have a lot of arms available for the next two games.
