Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. Troy — College World Series

Picking Friday afternoon's game between the Mountaineers and Trojans.

WVU Athletics Communications

The West Virginia Mountaineers and Troy Trojans will open the lid on the College World Series Friday afternoon, with the winner moving on to the 1-0 game awaiting the winner of North Carolina/Ole Miss on Sunday.

Can WVU win its first-ever game in Omaha? Here is how we see this one playing out.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 6, Troy 5

As of early Thursday morning, West Virginia's starting pitcher has not been announced, but I'm not sure it really matters. Whether it's Maxx Yehl or Chansen Cole, I expect the Mountaineers to receive a quality start from one of their two aces.

So, how in the world does Troy get to five?

Well, the WVU bullpen is due to run into a little trouble. They have been fantastic all year, but especially throughout the NCAA Tournament. It won't be catastrophic, but just hairy enough to make this game a true sweat. Troy is red-hot at the plate right now and can really barrel up the ball.

Troy's pitching staff has been very generous all season long, walking 268 batters (216th nationally) and has allowed 629 base hits, which ranks 305th out of 308 schools. If they allow West Virginia to have that much traffic on the bases, they are asking for trouble.

A tight ball game for all nine innings, but Steve Sabins' crew finds a way to advance to the 1-0 game.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 7, Troy 4

West Virginia boasts one of the best pitching staffs in the country, ranking seventh with a team ERA of 3.79 and the backing of a stingy defense. However, Troy poses a high-scoring offense.

Four Trojan hitters are batting .307 or better, led by Aaron Piasecki's .346 average, while Jimmy Janicki is third in the nation with 85 RBI.

Troy has plenty of experience against Power Four programs, knocking off Georgia and Alabama during the regular season in midweek games, and had to beat Miami and then Florida twice to advance to the super regionals and handled Little Rock in two games for a trip to Omaha.

After battling Kentucky three times to host the program's first-ever super regional, West Virginia absolutely hammered Cal Poly by a combined score of 29-3.

Both programs are making their first-ever appearance in the College World Series, and whichever club can handle the big stage will move on to play the winner of North Carolina and Ole Miss. This Mountaineer team has handled plenty of adversity this season, and some navigated some crazy scenes last year. West Virginia is unfazed by momentum swings and can battle from any deficit if necessary.

West Virginia's offense is on fire this postseason, and the pitching has continued its regular season dominance into the postseason. The Mountaineers rely on the arms and timely hitting to get the first win, 7-4.