Texas Tech takes on Big 12 leader West Virginia
The West Virginia Mountaineers are one of the great stories in college baseball this season.
Picked sixth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, West Virginia is ranked No. 13, in position to win its first conference championship since 1996 and three away from the school single-season victories record. The Mountaineers are in contention to host an NCAA regional, and for a game last Saturday against Oklahoma, their fans broke the program's single-game home attendance record.
Texas Tech wants and needs to interrupt the Mountaineers' storybook season this weekend.
"Even though it's going to be tough, it'll still be a fun environment to play there," Tech left fielder Nolen Hester said. "It's just a new opportunity for us to go out there and put our brand of baseball out on the field and show them how good we are."
No. 13 WVU (37-12, 13-5) hosts No. 24 Texas Tech (32-16, 9-9) in a three-game Big 12 series at 3 p.m. CDT Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday in Morgantown, West Virginia. The start time for the series opener was moved up on Thursday because of the weather forecast for Friday.
West Virginia, whose last conference baseball title came in the Big East, leads the Big 12 by two games over No. 23 Oklahoma State (33-14, 11-7) and Kansas State (31-18, 11-7) and by 2 1/2 games over Texas (33-17, 12-9).
In a recent interview with "This Week in College Baseball" on SiriusXM, WVU coach Randy Mazey said he thought his team's experience, coupled with widespread pitcher departures across the Big 12 after last season, gave his team a shot.
"This was the year that I thought we had a chance to attack the league," Mazey said, "because I knew offensively we had the pieces together to score some runs, so I thought this was the year that the league was for the taking.
"The teams are just as good. They're just young on the mound. So if ever there was a chance for the Mountaineers to make some noise, I thought this was it."
Tech trails the Mountaineers by four games. More important if they want to make the NCAA postseason, the Red Raiders need to spruce up their RPI, No. 51 at the moment. A good way to do it would be to win the road series over WVU, whose RPI is No. 18.
"I think they've got a great team this year," Tech coach Tim Tadlock said, "and so you've got to up there and play good baseball. You're going to have to play good in as many phases as you can. ... And again, it's really important that we keep just trying to get a little bit better each day."
The series showcases arguably the top two hitters in the Big 12. West Virginia second baseman J.J. Wetherholt, batting .470 with 14 home runs and 54 runs batted in, had the top batting average in NCAA Division I going into Thursday. Tech first baseman Gavin Kash (.367-22-76) was tied for third in Division I in both home runs and RBI.
Wetherholt leads the Big 12 in on-base percentage (.532), slugging percentage (.834), onbase-plus-slugging (1.366), hits (85), runs (62) and stolen bases (34). Within the conference, he's second in doubles to Tech third baseman Kevin Bazzell, who has 22.
West Virginia's 116 stolen bases rank first in the conference and seventh in Division I. Wetherholt is the ringleader in that department, too, with 34 but four other Mountaineers have double-digit stolen-base totals.
That could be a concern for the Red Raiders, who have allowed 80 stolen bases, an opponent success rate of 79.2 percent and 12 passed balls, all worst in the Big 12.
Asked this week about his team's emphasis on holding runners, particularly as it pertains to the Mountaineers, Tadlock said, "We're not just going to let 'em go, so yeah, we're going to do our best."
The Red Raiders can counter with their explosive offense. They lead the Big 12 in batting average, hits and runs. Tech boosted those numbers Tuesday with 15-11 and 13-3 home victories against Abilene Christian.
"It's awesome to get everyone going right now," catcher Hudson White. "We've got a big series against West Virginia, so it's good to see everyone swinging it well."
College baseball
Who: Texas Tech at West Virginia
When: 3 p.m. CDT Friday, 3 p.m. CDT Saturday, noon CDT Sunday
Where: Monongalia County Ballpark, Morgantown, West Virginia
Records: Texas Tech 32-16, 9-9 in the Big 12; West Virginia 37-12, 13-5
Rankings by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association: Texas Tech No. 24, West Virginia No. 13
Online streaming: All games on ESPN+
Starting pitchers: Friday, Texas Tech LHP Mason Molina (4-2, 4.22 earned-run average) vs. WVU LHP Ben Hampton (5-1, 3.95). Saturday, Texas Tech RHP Trendan Parish (3-1, 4.65) vs. WVU RHP Blaine Traxel (6-4, 3.32). Sunday, Texas Tech starter to be announced vs. WVU RHP Robby Porco (4-1, 7.60).
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball team takes on Big 12 leader West Virginia
