The Formula for WVU to Beat Troy in the Opening Game of the College World Series

In roughly 24 hours, the West Virginia Mountaineers will be taking the field to throw the first pitch of the College World Series at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, taking on the Troy Trojans.

Don't let Troy's 38-30 record fool you. They are absolutely deserving of a spot in Omaha after having pulled off the upset in the Gainesville Regional against Miami and then No. 8 Florida twice. During the regular season, they also beat Georgia and Alabama once each.

What will the Mountaineers need to do to beat the red-hot Trojans and advance to the 1-0 game on Sunday? Here are my three keys to the game.

Calculated chaos on the bases

West Virginia does this well and often. In all likelihood, Troy is going to help them out a little, considering their pitching staff is prone to giving up a ton of base hits (9.25 per game) and walks (3.94). Getting good jumps will be important with a lefty likely on the mound in Benjamin Stubbs and Jimmy Janicki behind the plate, who has thrown out 30.3% of base stealers. Being aggressive is a part of West Virginia's DNA, but they have to be careful not to get too greedy and run into an out if/when the offense is rolling or the pitcher is having trouble with his command. An interesting little note for you...The Mountaineers are 6-2 when Armani Guzman steals multiple bags. When he steals at least one, they are 25-4.

Jump on the bullpen

Troy's bullpen has been shaky all year long, with the exception of Zach Crotchfelt, who has been their Ian Korn, an innings eater. I would assume that once Skylar Meads turns to the bullpen, he will be the first guy to be brought into the game. Unlike many of his teammates, he has done a good job of throwing strikes consistently, issuing just 22 walks in 61.2 innings of work. Cooper Ellingworth, their other top reliever, stays in the zone, but sometimes stays in it too much, which would explain the .295 opponents' batting average and ERA of 6.15.

It makes all the sense in the world to see as many pitches as humanly possible early to drive up the count and get into the pen, but once they do, it's time to flip the switch and be ready to swing early and often. The deeper they get in the pen, the bigger the advantage for the Mountaineers.

Stay ahead on the mound/clean defense

It may sound like a cliché goal here, but when you're facing a lineup with pop, it's even more important to pound the zone and be in a favorable count from the jump. Whether it's Chansen Cole or Maxx Yehl, the "stuff" becomes more of a weapon when hitters are in protect mode. Constantly finding yourself in 2-0 or 3-1 types of counts against this lineup is just straight up playing with fire.

The second part of this is just as obvious, but two or three-run homers can be a backbreaker. Yes, it's a big ballpark and to send one out you'll really have to get ahold of it, but this Troy lineup is certainly capable. They don't run well whatsoever, so the threat of a stolen base is minimal, as are their odds of breaking up/beating out a double play. Routine or not, WVU will have plenty of time to make a play, gather their feet, and make the throw.

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