Hot & Cold: A Temperature Check of WVU's Hitters Heading Into Big 12 Title Game

With a fourth win tonight over Kansas, West Virginia would make a massive statement to the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Not only are they deserving of being a regional host, but potentially a team to be considered for a national seed (Top 8).

Regardless of the outcome, the Mountaineers are trending in the right direction at the right time, but a trophy is on the line. So yeah, this one matters.

Just how are the Mountaineers' bats over the last couple of weeks? Let's take a trip down the lineup for a temperature check.

SS Matt Ineich: Cold

Ineich has been terrific all year, but he has been in a little bit of a funk since the start of the Kansas series a couple of weeks ago. He has recorded six hits in his last 30 at-bats; however, three of those came in the regular season finale against TCU. At the Big 12 tournament, he is 1/8. He's still putting together good ABs, but needs to turn that into getting on base.

C/2B Gavin Kelly: Staying hot

Kelly had one mini stretch where he went hitless in eight straight at-bats back in mid-April. Aside from that, he's constantly barreling up the ball, collecting multiple hits more often than not, and being a true problem for opposing pitchers. He has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.

CF Paul Schoenfeld: Cold

Much like Ineich, Schoenfeld entered a slump at the start of that Kansas series. He is 7-for-34 (.205) since that series and is just 1/7 in the Big 12 tournament. He is due to come through, and after the shocking error he had in the outfield last night, I wouldn't be surprised to see him lock in and have himself a night.

DH Sean Smith: Scorching hot, on fire, blazing...all of the adjectives

No one in this lineup has been more impressive in this tournament than Sean Smith, and that includes Gavin Kelly. Over the last two nights, he's gone 6/8 with an RBI and a double. It's odd to see someone put up those types of numbers and not drive in more runs, but in this tournament, he has been the table setter, especially last night.

C/OF Matthew Graveline: Mild

Gravy is a career .285 hitter, and coming into tonight's game, his season average is .287. He may not tear the cover off the ball or produce like your typical middle-of-the-order bat, but he is consistent. You know what you're going to get from him and will likely collect a hit at some point. Dating back to the TCU series, he is 4/16 — not bad, not great.

1B Armani Guzman: Quietly heating up

This is just Armani's time of the year. When the Mountaineers are on the big stage playing in crucial games, Guzman always finds a way to make his impact felt. In this tournament, he's already flashed the glove a couple of times at first, wreaked havoc on the bases, and is doing his thing at the dish, going 3/7. Last night, he had the big hit off the left field wall in the sixth to make it a one-run game, really igniting the big inning.

IF Brodie Kresser: Hot

West Virginia University infielder Brodie Kresser | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Kresser warming up and lengthening the lineup is going to be huge for the Mountaineers. He is eight for his last 22 and has come up with some timely hits not only in this tournament, but in the series against Kansas and TCU. A steady veteran presence in the seven-hole is a luxury.

OF Brock Wills: Ice cold

Since the start of the Kansas State series, Willis is 5/23. The bat has cooled off significantly in his last six appearances, going just 1/13 and being set down on strikes four times. He doesn't need to be a multi-hit game type of guy, but he does need to produce better ABs, even if it's as simple as moving a runner over or making the pitcher work, laying off pitches outside of the zone.

3B Tyrus Hall: Mild

Hall has been fantastic with the glove. At the plate, it's been a little up-and-down. Last night, he had quite the sequence, coming through with an RBI base knock and then ended up scoring on a play where he was stealing second base. Needs to get more bat to ball and cut down on the swing and miss. He has struck out at least once in 19 of his last 20 games, gone down at least twice in 10 of those games, and is three for his last 15.

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