They say the only way to grow is to learn from your failures. It seems West Virginia’s recent offensive explosion at the Clemson regional has proven that to be true for me. Read more: A Surging Revival: WVU’s Offense Comes Alive at Regional
Just last week, I wrote about how West Virginia’s hitting had taken a downward trajectory since facing tougher competition. Well, it seems that they have proven me—and any other skeptics—completely wrong.
Let’s take a look at how the Mountaineers were able to reignite their offense and silence all the doubters in the most important weekend of their season.
Starting Where They Left Off
Before qualifying for the Clemson regional, West Virginia had been struggling mightily at the plate. Their offense had not produced nearly to the degree that it had earlier in the season.
Game 1 of the regional looked to be all the same for the Mountaineers. To start their weekend off, WVU faced the Kentucky Wildcats. And while they went on to win that game 4-3, it was largely due to the efforts of starting pitcher Griffin Kirn.
The Mountaineers were only able to muster seven hits as a team. Armani Guzman was the lone WVU hitter to record two hits. Despite their offensive struggles at the plate, WVU was aggressive on the base paths and capitalized on Kentucky’s mistakes.
Related: West Virginia Baseball Will Travel to LSU for Super Regionals
With the offense’s recent struggle looming over their head, Guzman belted a ninth-inning line drive to Kentucky’s center fielder, who made a spectacular diving catch. This proved to be a costly mistake as WVU’s Brodie Kresser was able to come across and score the winning run.
This was the jolt the Mountaineers desperately needed to awaken their offense.
Back to Early Season Form
The following day, the Mountaineers took on the hosting Clemson Tigers. After all the talk about how they couldn’t produce against high-level competition, the Mountaineers quickly flipped the script.
As a team, WVU recorded 15 hits in the game, with Kyle West being the only starter to not reach base with a hit. Four starters recorded multi-hit games.
One of those players was senior Brodie Kresser, who had seen his own struggles during West Virginia’s recent lack of production. He erased those woes with a near-flawless day at the plate, going four-for-five.
Related: Bottom of the Order Shines in Win over Clemson
Sam White also had a productive game, hitting three-for-five. He also had a pair of RBIs, getting his second off a double in the ninth to give the Mountaineers the lead.
Starting right where he left off in Game 1, Guzman came up huge for WVU. He added two hits and a pair of RBI to his weekend tally. The Mountaineers proved in Game 2 that their offense was back to what it was in the early season. They went on to win this game 9-6.
Offense Firing on All Cylinders
With the Mountaineers sitting at 2-0 for the weekend, all they had to do was wait on Sunday and see who they were going to face. They soon realized who it was going to be, another bout against the Wildcats.
There was just one thing different about this rematch: WVU’s offense came ready to play.
The Mountaineers got on the board early with a solo home run by Logan Sauve. This was a good sign for WVU, considering they have not been a home run threat throughout the season, even at their best.
That early lead would soon be evaporated, though. Flash forward to the fourth inning, the Mountaineers faced their first of two five-run deficits.
Related: A Pitcher’s Duel: How WVU Stacks Up to LSU
With virtually everyone having some type of production throughout the first two games, it was an unlikely face who helped the Mountaineers climb back.
Ben Lumsden hit a shot right back up the middle, scoring two WVU runners. Lumsden has been relatively quiet throughout the season, but his efforts in this game provided a much-needed spark to the offense. He would later go on to hit another single in the ninth, scoring two more of his teammates and tying the game.
Guzman continued his scorching weekend, going four-for-five. His three RBI were arguably the most important of the season for the Mountaineers. His first two came in the fourth to tie the game, and then his third was off a single in the eighth. This would end up being the game-winning RBI.
The Mountaineers would go on to win 13-12 in what will certainly be a game no Mountaineer fan will soon forget.
What This Means Going Forward
Winning Game 3 was a monumental moment for the Mountaineers. Not only did it mean they advanced to their second straight Super Regional, but it was also an eye-opener for just how lethal their offense can be.
The Mountaineers were able to storm back from two separate five-run deficits. They never backed down; instead, they just answered every punch the Wildcats threw at them.
Coming into the weekend playing nowhere near their best baseball, WVU could’ve just laid down and waved the white flag. However, they did the exact opposite.
The Mountaineers made it clear that their offense is elite and they can hang with anyone in the nation. They will need to prove that again this weekend when they face LSU in the Super Regional.
WVU will face LSU on Saturday in game one of the best-of-three series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, with ESPN broadcasting the game.
All WVU games can be heard on WVU’s radio flagship, WVST 100.9 FM, its nine affiliate WV stations and on the WVTheTorch app.
A Surging Revival: WVU’s Offense Comes Alive at Regional
