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Mountaineers Back on Diamond

West Virginia baseball picked sixth in Big 12

MORGANTOWN — The boys of summer — West Virginia University style — open the 2019 season on the road today against Kennesaw State with a solid pitching staff and a huge chip on their shoulders following a 2018 campaign that was less than anyone expected.

Especially veteran coach Randy Mazey.

“That’s not too good,” the Mountaineers skipper said when asked about his team’s No. 6 pick in the Big 12 preseason poll. “That’s not very good for everyone else but it’s good for us. We know we’re better than that. We have a chip on our shoulder now and something to prove. Any time you have a bunch of kids with something to prove, that can be dangerous for the other guys.

“I wish we’d been pick ninth, personally. But we’re sixth and I think that’s really going to help us.”

Mazey is in his seventh season at WVU after guiding the team to unprecedented heights in his first six years in Morgantown, including an NCAA Tournament bid in 2017 and three consecutive Big 12 Championship semifinal appearances from 2016-18.

And for Mazey, it all begins on a pitching mound that lost Wheeling Park graduate Michael Grove to the Los Angeles Dodgers in last year’s MLB Draft.

Junior Alex Manoah appears to be the alpha dog of the staff. An imposing physical presence at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, the Florida native has been solid during his first two seasons in Morgantown.

A year ago, he played in 31 total games with 23 appearances, tied for eighth-most in a single season in school history. He also played eight games in the field.

On the mound Manoah made eight starts, finished second on the team with 60 strikeouts and posted a 3-5 record with two saves and a 4.00 ERA.

And, if Manoah gives the Mountaimeers a solid starter, junior Sam Kessler provides the team with one of the best relievers in the game. Kessler made 25 relief appearances, second-most on the team and tied for fourth-most in a single season at WVU, and posted a team high-tying four wins (4-0) with a team-best four saves.

Manoah will take the role as WVU’s starter today with Jackson Wolf (1-1, 4.07 ERA, 24 strikeouts) and Kade Strowd (4-7, 5.74 ERA) slated for the other two days of the weekend.

“We have a lot of guys who compete really hard and throw a lot of strikes,” Manoah said. “We have some good incoming freshmen too.”

Among the newcomers, Daniel Ouderkirk (RHP, 6-9, 225 pounds) stands tall, but there’s plenty of competition with nine other freshman hurlers on the roster.

Behind the plate Mazey will again be able to call upon the services of Texas native Ivan Gonzalez.

“My dad used to catch and that was the first position he taught me how to play,” Gonzalez saod. “I love it. I love catching. I love taking control and calling the game.”

And, the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention loves to hit, finishing fourth on the team with 11 doubles, fifth with 51 hits, 25 RBI and 18 walks while hitting .255 with one home run, 25 runs scored and a .325 slugging percentage.

The outfield looks solid with the return of Darius Hill and Brandon White, while the infield will possess both talent and inexperience.

“It looks like we will have a freshman shortstop, but we have plenty of other guys there,” Mazey said. “It will cause us some sleepless nights, but this is the best recruiting class since we’ve been here. The help we need will be given by some really good players.”

The Mountaineers will open the home portion of their schedule Friday, March 8, when Kent State comes to Monongalia County Ballpark for a three-game series.

2019 WVU Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time

Feb. 15 Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga. 4 p.m.

Feb. 16 Georgia State Atlanta, Ga. 2 p.m.

Feb. 17 Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. 1 p.m.

Feb. 22 Georgia Southern Statesboro, Ga. 6 p.m.

Feb. 23 Georgia Southern Statesboro, Ga. 3 p.m.

Feb. 24 Georgia Southern Statesboro, Ga. 11:30 a.m.

March 1 Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. 8:35 p.m.

March 2 Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. 4:35 p.m.

March 3 Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. 4:05 p.m.

March 8 Kent State Morgantown 3 p.m.

March 9 Kent State Morgantown 2 p.m.

March 10 Kent State Morgantown 1 p.m.

March 12 Morehead State Morehead, Ky. 3 p.m.

March 13 Morehead State Morehead. Ky. 3 p.m.

March 15 William & Mary Williamsburg, Va. 6 p.m.

March 16 William & Mary Williamsburg, Va. 4 p.m.

March 17 William & Mary Williamsburg, Va. 1 p.m.

March 19 Youngstown State Morgantown 3 p.m.

March 22 Baylor Waco, Texas 7:35 p.m.

March 23 Baylor Waco, Texas 4:05 p.m.

March 24 Baylor Waco, Texas 1:05 p.m.

March 27 Marshall Charleston, W.Va. 6 p.m.

March 29 Oklahoma Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

March 30 Oklahoma Morgantown 4 p.m.

March 31 Oklahoma Morgantown 1 p.m.

April 3 Pitt Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

April 5 Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. 7:05 p.m.

April 6 Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. 3:05 p.m.

April 7 Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. 2:05 p.m.

April 10 Maryland College Park, Md. 4 p.m.

April 12 Texas Tech Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

April 13 Texas Tech Morgantown 4 p.m.

April 14 Texas Tech Morgantown 1 p.m.

April 17 Penn State University Park, Pa. 6:30 p.m.

April 19 Kansas Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

April 20 Kansas Morgantown 4 p.m.

April 21 Kansas Morgantown 1 p.m.

April 23 Penn State Morgantown 7 p.m.

April 26 Texas Austin, Texas TBA

April 27 Texas Austin, Texas TBA

April 28 Texas Austin, Texas TBA

April 30 Marshall Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

May 3 TCU Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

May 4 TCU Morgantown 4 p.m.

May 5 TCU Morgantown 1 p.m.

May 8 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Va. 6 p.m.

May 10 Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. 7 p.m.

May 11 Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. 5 p.m.

May 12 Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. 12 p.m.

May 14 Pitt Pittsburgh, Pa. 6 p.m.

May 16 George Washington Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

May 17 George Washington Morgantown 6:30 p.m.

May 18 George Washington Morgantown 2 p.m.

May 22 Big 12 Championship Oklahoma City, Okla. TBA

May 23 Big 12 Championship Oklahoma City, Okla. TBA

May 24 Big 12 Championship Oklahoma City, Okla. TBA

May 25 Big 12 Championship Oklahoma City, Okla. TBA

May 26 Big 12 Championship Oklahoma City, Okla. TBA

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