West Virginia Journeys to the Desert for a 3 Game Series vs. Arizona

Tuscon, AZ - The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-2) travel west for the first ever meeting versus the Arizona Wildcats (3-1) in a three-game weekend series. The two open the series Friday night with the first pitch scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST and streaming on Pac 12 insider.

Arizona opened the season with a win over third ranked Tennessee in game on the first game of the MLB Desert Invitational before falling in game two to Fresno State and wrapped up the weekend with wins over Michigan State and UC San Diego.

Wildcats’ right-hander and Preseason All-Pac 12 selection TJ Nichols is expected to take the mound in game one. The junior went six inning and allowed one run on three hits in the win over Tennessee, earning Pac 12 Pitcher of the Week. He posted a 6-4 record as the Friday night starter last season with a 5.44 ERA.

Sophomore Anthony Susac is expected to start game two on Saturday while Bradon Shaw is slated for the series finale. Susac gave up three runs on seven hits in Arizona’s lone loss of the season and Shaw began the season with a 5.1 inning outing against Michigan State, allowing one run in the 7-1 decision over the Spartans.

Senior designated hitter and infielder Tony Bullard leads the team in batting average (.333) doubles (3) and slugging percentage (.833).

Junior Chase Davis appeared on Gold Spikes Watch List in the offseason and was selected by multiple publications as a preseason All-American second team selection and was voted to the Preseason All-Pac 12 team. He’s collected four hits on the year in 15 at bats with a team-leading two home runs and four RBI’s.

Senior shortstop Nik McClaughry and Junior right-handed reliever Trevor Long were voted the Preseason All-Pac 12. McClaughry is third on the team with a .286 batting average and a pair of RBIs, while Long, who appeared on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, has gotten off to a rocky start, giving up nine earned runs in three innings.

West Virginia is coming off a pair of quality wins. The Mountaineers captured their first win of the season, avoiding a sweep from Georgia Southern, a program coming off an historic NCAA Regional host, with an emphatic 13-4 series finale win, outscoring the Eagles 18-14 over the weekend. Then, WVU traveled to rival and thirteenth-ranked Maryland an early tournament resume building 8-6 win.

Mountaineers ace Ben Hampton pitched six innings and allowed one run on one hit and four walks in the season opener, but the WVU bullpen allowed three runs in the seventh for a no decision for the right-handed junior.

West Virginia is expected to counter with right-hander Blaine Traxel on Saturday and sophomore Grant Seigel. Traxel carries a 1.80 ERA and Seigal picked up the staff’s first win of the season after 5.2 innings in game three versus Georgia Southern.

Freshman catcher and Designated hitter Logan Suave is batting .454 in the last three games after making an appearance at the plate in the season opener.

J.J. Wetherholt sits fourth in the Big 12 Conference with seven hits on the year and is second on the team with a .412 batting average is tied with senior Caleb McNeely with a team-high two doubles. McNeely is batting .375 with a home run this season and has a team-best six RBIs.

Freshman Sam White replaced a struggling Grant Hussey in the second game of the season and has started at first base the last two outings. He’s hitting .300 with a home run.

West Virginia is 1-5 all-time versus Pac 12 teams with the lone win coming against a third-ranked Oregon State squad in 2019 for a series salvaging 2-0 decision.

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us Twitter:

Facebook - @MountaineersNow

Twitter - @MountaineersNow and Christopher Hall @WVHallBilly