West Virginia Ranked in Top 15 of D1 Baseball's Preseason Top 25
After seeing their 2020 season get cut short due to the pandemic, West Virginia baseball is just right around the corner and there are some high expectations for the Mountaineers in 2021.
West Virginia had an 11-5 record at the time of the season being canceled, which was the program's best start to a season since 2009. They have earned the respect of many over the past two years and are now ranked No. 14 in D1Baseball.com's preseason Top 25 rankings.
West Virginia has arguably the best pitching staff the program has ever assembled, especially from a depth standpoint. They have quality guys up and down the roster that can give head coach Randy Mazey several options not only in the starting rotation but in the bullpen as well.
Key veterans returning are Jackson Wolf, Ryan Bergert, Madison Jeffrey, Beau Lowery, Zach Ottinger, Daniel Ouderkirk, Tyler Stechay, and Jake Carr. They also add true freshman flamethrower (6'5", 210 lbs) Tyler Chadwick to the mix who was the No. 118 overall prospect in the 2020 class according to Perfect Game.
In terms of the offense, well, if you've watched Mountaineer baseball over the last few years you know that Mazey likes to be aggressive on the base paths and brings in a lot of speed to the program. Freshman outfielder Victor Scott, sophomore infielder Tevin Tucker, sophomore utility man Austin Davis, and infielder Tyler Doanes are just a few notable names who can wreak havoc on the bases.
As for power, West Virginia will look to junior catcher Paul McIntosh who has 13 career home runs, freshman catcher/infielder Matt McCormick who belted three homers in 55 at-bats a year ago, and senior infielder Kevin Brophy (16 career home runs).
West Virginia's 2021 schedule has not been released at this time but should be finalized sometime in the coming weeks.
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