The Mountaineers are home at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark to take on the James Madison Dukes. They will play two games on Tuesday and Wednesday against the 7-12 team from Harrisonburg, Virginia. The first pitch for both games is 6:30 p.m. EST, and the second game was moved from 2 p.m. and you can find more information here. It is the start of a six-game homestand for the Mountaineers as they take a break from conference play before their series with Arizona this weekend. Read more: WVU Baseball: Series Preview vs. James Madison
WVU Baseball: Series Preview vs. James Madison
The Mountaineers had a chaotic weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Their first two games with Oklahoma State were postponed due to fires and winds, but they took the final game on Sunday, 8-6. Sophomore pitcher Chase Meyer was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 and tossing 5.2 hitless innings in two games. He struck out nine batters in 3.2 innings on Sunday against Oklahoma State, with one walk. The pitching staff should be near full strength for James Madison since they only played one game over the weekend.
READ: WVU baseball takes lone game against Oklahoma State
Steve Sabins seems to have found his batting order, at least at the top. Brodie Kresser was in the lead-off spot again, going 1-5 and scoring a run. Catcher Logan Suave went 1-4 in the two-spot, scoring a run. Second baseman Sam White batted third and went 2-3 with a walk and two RBIs. Right fielder Jace Rinehart batted clean up and went 1-5 with a two-run home run but left five men on base.
James Madison went 2-1 over the weekend against ULM. That moved them to 7-4 at home, but they have not found a win on the road this season (0-8). JMU struggles to hit the ball, ranking 299th in the nation with a team batting average of .208. Their pitching staff has fared better, ranking 118th in the nation, with an ERA of 5.40. The Mountaineers should have no problem putting the ball in play. They rank 18th in the nation, with an average of .328. The pitching staff is also ranked 13th with an impressive 3.38 ERA.
West Virginia vs. James Madison Game Times
Game 1: Tuesday, March 18
- Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- WVU Starter: RHP Mac Stiffler (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 5.0 IP, 6K)
- James Madison Starter: LHP Tim Tyler (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 4 K)
- Watch: ESPN+
Game 2: Wednesday, March 19
- Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- WVU Starter: RHP David Hagen (1-0, 5.14 ERA, 7 IP, 6 K)
- James Madison Starter: TBA
- Watch: ESPN+
Brodie Kresser and Sam White should have a solid two-game series, as they are batting .386 and .397, respectively. Mac Stiffler has pitched 5.0 innings this season, allowing three runs on three hits and five walks. He does have six strikeouts and should get good experience against an underwhelming hitting JMU squad. Stiffler has allowed an opponent’s batting average of .158, so he should force a lot of outs if the strikeouts do not come as easily. Tim Tyler is one of the better pitchers for JMU, but WVU should be able to put the ball in play. He only has four strikeouts in 4.0 IP, allowing two doubles and one home run. WVU should fare well before they face Arizona this weekend in a pivotal conference series against the Wildcats, who are 3-0 in the Big 12.
