WVU Opens its Big 12 Schedule at Kansas State

The Mountaineers are on the road for the start of Big 12 Conference play.

Manhattan, KS - The West Virginia Mountaineers (19-6, 0-0) will begin their Big 12 Conference schedule on the road versus the Kansas State Wildcats (18-9. 4-2) with the first game of the three-game series set for 7:00 p.m. EST and streaming on ESPN+.

West Virginia heads into conference play having won 13 of the last 15 games and ranks in the top half of the Big 12 in nearly every batting and pitching statistical category.

Sophomore J.J. Wetherholt leads the country in hits with 48 and leads the league in batting average and is second in stolen bases with 24 while leading the Big 12 in batting average (.462), runs (32), ranks second in doubles (12), and fourth in home runs (6).

Shortstop Tevin Tucker’s .319 batting average ranks second on the team, upping his average from .181 from a season ago, leads the conference with seven sacrifice bunts and is currently riding a five-game hitting streak.

Ben Hampton is scheduled to take the mound in game one. The junior holds a 3.47 ERA and a 1-0 record in six appearances.

Blaine Traxel will start game two. The senior’s five wins on the season leads the Big 12 and his 2.02 ERA ranks fourth in the conference in a league-leading 49.0 innings pitches and leads the NCAA in complete games with four.

Sophomore Grant Siegal is set for game three. He holds is 2-2 on the season with a 6.38 ERA.

Kansas opened their conference schedule on the road at Baylor two weeks ago. The Wildcats won the opener 8-1 before dropping the next two and the series by a combined score of 14-8 before bouncing back the following weekend with a home series sweep of the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Wildcats patience at the plate has led to a NCAA-leading 195 walks and has paved the way for 70 stolen bases on the season and coupled with timely hitting has produced 237 runs and 215 RBIs with all three ranking second in the conference.

Three Kansas State sluggers are hitting over .300. Cash Rugely leads the way with a .341 batting average, Nick Goodwin and Cole Johnson combine for 55 RBIs and 12 homeruns and Brenden Jones leads the team in doubles (8) and steals (19).

The Wildcats are expected to start Senior Owen Boerema (4-0, 2.61 ERA) in game one, junior German Fajardo (0-1, 6.26 ERA) in game two and Sophomore Colin Rothermel is set to make his season debut in the series finale.

West Virginia is 16-12 all-time versus Kansas State, including 8-7 in Manhattan. 

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