West Virginia Heads To Georgia For Series At Kennesaw State

The West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1) are on the road for their second series in the State of Georgia in the first month of the early season slate as they prepare to take on the Kennesaw State Owls (4-3) in a three-game series at Mickey Dunn Stadium.

The series opener is set for Friday at 4:00 p.m., game two is on Saturday at 2:00 p.m., and the series finale is scheduled for Sunday at noon. All the action will stream on ESPN+.

West Virginia handled the first two series of the season, sweeping the season series opener at Georgia Southern, including taking both games of a Saturday doubleheader – a tough task at any level. Then, the Mountaineers hopped over the border into Virginia, taking two of three from Liberty, after splitting a doubleheader.

Three Mountaineers rank in the top 10 of the Big 12 Conference in batting average. Senior Brodie Kresser leads the league at the plate with a .550 batting average, sophomore Matt Ineich sits third, hitting .484, and senior Brock Wills is batting .429.

On the mound, West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins has been consistent on the starting rotation, as the same trio has been scheduled to start since opening weekend.

Chansen Cole has started the series opener in the first two series of the season but is expected to start game two – the first instance he’s been scheduled to start the middle game of the series. The sophomore right-hander bounced back from his Mountaineer debut where he gave up two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings and followed with a seven-strikeout performance last week at Liberty in 5.1 scoreless innings of work. He currently holds a 1-0 record with a 2.25 ERA and 10 Ks.

Lefty Maxx Yehl has taken the hill in game two of each of the two series. The redshirt junior overcame a rough first start of the season and tossed four scoreless innings, registering six strikeouts and allowed just one hit after allowing four runs, one earned, on three hits in two innings during the opening weekend series. He’s 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and eight strikeouts.

Dawson Montesa has controlled the mound in the series finale for the Mountaineers. He’s 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA. The junior right-hander leads the team in innings pitched (10) and his 15 strikeouts on the year tops the Big 12 along with Hudson Barrett of Oklahoma State. He is presumed to take mound in the series opener on Friday.

Kennesaw State is expected to counter with sophomore right-hander Cooper McMullen (0-1, 3.52 ERA) in game one. In game two, right-handed sophomore Ty Bayer (0-1, 20.77 ERA) is set to take the mound, and sophomore right-hander Cole Royer (1-0, 6.75 ERA) is scheduled for the series finale.

Daniel Powell has come out of the bullpen to lead Kennesaw State with a pair of wins, a save, and 13 strikeouts in 8.2 innings pitched and holds a 1.04 ERA.

The Owls were swept last weekend in what’s been their biggest test to date, falling to then-no. 12 Florida where they were outscored 32-12.

Senior Jackson Chirello leads Kennesaw State at the plate with a .407 batting average. Freshman Grayson McCollum (.391) and junior Cooper Williams (.310) have a club-leading nine RBI apiece, while senior Charlie Jones and sophomore James McGee have both clubbed a pair of home runs.

West Virginia leads the all-time series 6-4.