After a tough loss at the hands of Marshall this week, WVU baseball is looking to bounce back as they take on Texas Tech at home in a three-game series. The Mountaineers are looking for their fifth straight conference series sweep.
West Virginia is currently sitting atop the Big 12 standings with a 16-3 conference record and has looked like a dominant force when playing three straight games. The key to victory all season for the Mountaineers has been their deep pitching staff and electricity at the plate. As a team, the Mountaineers are batting .308, which puts them in the top five in the conference.
Griffin Kirn leads all pitchers for WVU. He has been the day 1 starter since the beginning of the season and has backed it up with his performances on the mound. Kirn currently pitches a 3.38 ERA with 62 strikeouts and only 50 hits allowed. He is 4-0 on the season thus far and is the leader of a deep and talented pitching rotation.
Texas Tech, which is currently 15-26 (10-11 in the Big 12) this season, has been beginning to swing the bat at a very high level. Coming off a 2-1 series win against Arizona, the Red Raiders are looking to get themselves a good seed as we get closer to the Big 12 tournament.
Robin Villeneuve, a transfer from the national championship-winning Tennessee Volunteers, led the Red Raiders at the plate. He currently has a .347 batting average with 35 RBIs and eight home runs. Villeneuve, who bats first in the order, will need to come out swinging to defeat this high-scoring West Virginia squad.
Not only is it a big series for the team, but it is a huge series for the school as a whole. There will be events during all three games to attract more students and fans.
Friday Night’s first game will be happy hour from gates opening until first pitch. Fans will be able to enjoy 1/2-priced beverages until game time. Saturday will be the Alumni game, where the school will recognize the 1985 NCAA tournament team roster. Sunday is Star Wars Day, where there will be lots of activities for young kids, and fans are encouraged to wear white.
This is a huge series for the Mountaineers, who are looking to keep their home field advantage hope at the regionals alive. The first pitch of the series will be on Friday night at 6:30, streaming live on ESPN+.
