The No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers baseball team is set to welcome Texas Tech for their final home series at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark this weekend. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, while Sunday’s game will commence at 1 p.m., preceded by graduation and Senior Day festivities.
Fans can stream all three games on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ or tune into the Mountaineer Sports Network baseball radio network, which includes the flagship station 100.9 Jack FM in Morgantown. The games will also be available on the Varsity Network app, with Andrew Caridi providing the play-by-play commentary.
The Mountaineers are entering the series fresh off a 9-8 midweek victory over Pitt, which took their season record to an impressive 37-12. In the Big 12, WVU boasts a 13-5 record and holds a two-game lead over Oklahoma State and Kansas State with six games remaining.
Sophomore JJ Wetherholt has recently taken over as the nation’s leading hitter, sporting a .470 batting average, outperforming probable No. 1 draft pick Dylan Crews of LSU. Wetherholt hit his 14th home run of the season against the Panthers and stole his 34th base. He has also been invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp this summer.
Junior Ben Hampton is slated to start on Friday, following an impressive performance last week against Oklahoma where he threw 6.0 innings of one-run ball. He is just two strikeouts short of reaching the 200 mark for his career in less than three full seasons.
On Senior Day this Sunday, the Mountaineers will honor Blaine Traxel and Kevin Dowdell, who are completing their college eligibility, along with four players who have earned their degrees this past fall, winter, or spring – Dowdell, Dayne Leonard, Jake Carr, and Noah Short.
Texas Tech brings a strong record of 34-16 overall and 9-9 in Big 12 play to the weekend series. The Red Raiders boast one of the country’s top offenses, ranking in the top 10 in hitting, scoring, doubles, OBP, walks, and sacrifice flies.
Kevin Bazell is Texas Tech’s leading hitter with a .383 batting average, while Gavin Kash tops the Big 12 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI.
On the mound, Mason Molina has made 12 starts and holds a 4-2 record with a 4.22 ERA and 73 strikeouts. Brandon Beckel has contributed four saves and a 1.57 ERA in 17 relief appearances.
