MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (April 23, 2023) – The West Virginia baseball team completed its first Big 12 series sweep of the season on Sunday, defeating TCU, 17-7, in seven innings. The Mountaineers improve to 29-11 and 8-4 in the Big 12 while the Horned Frogs fall to 22-18 and 7-8 in conference play.
The Mountaineers have now won six of their last seven conference games and sit in first place in the Big 12 standings.
“It’s so hard to sweep in this conference,” said head coach Randy Mazey. “We’ve had good success against almost every team in the Big 12 since we’ve joined except TCU, but now we’ve won five out of six against a team like that that has tradition and has been to Omaha not too long ago. It’s hard, but our guys are playing at a very high level right now.”
After missing five games with an injury, sophomore JJ Wetherholt returned and picked up right where he left off, going 2-for-3 with four RBI after entering as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning. Classmate Grant Hussey drove in five runs on the day which included a three-run home run late in the game.
Graduate student Dayne Leonard went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored while fellow graduate Tevin Tucker had two hits with two RBI and two runs scored.
On the mound, freshman Robby Porco, graduate Noah Short, and redshirt-freshman David Hagaman combined to strike out 12 in just seven innings
The Mountaineers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second as runs came home on an error and a bases-loaded walk.
After TCU got one run in the third, Hussey got it back in the home half with an RBI single before West Virginia exploded for eight runs in the fourth to take a double-digit lead.
Leonard got the scoring started in the fourth with a two-run single before Hussey was hit by a pitch and junior Braden Barry walked with the bases loaded. The big blow came next as Wetherholt popped out of the dugout for his first at-bat in over a week. After fouling off the first pitch, he ripped a double to right field, clearing the bases. Freshman Sam White capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.
TCU did not go down quietly as the Horned Frogs hit a grand slam in the fifth and a two-run home run in the sixth to get back within four, but Hagaman came out of the pen and put an end to the comeback as he finished the game with two scoreless innings.
In the bottom of the seventh, freshman Ellis Garcia drove in a run with a fielder’s choice before Hussey delivered the knockout blow with a three-run home run, his ninth of the year which ties him for the team lead. After a double by Barry, Wetherholt picked up his fourth RBI of the day with a single. He then stole third and came home on an infield single from Tucker to put the Mountaineers back up 10 and end the game.
West Virginia will remain home for a midweek contest on Tuesday against Penn State. First pitch against the Nittany Lions at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark is set for 6:30 p.m.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Mountaineers have now won six of their last seven conference games and sit in first place in the Big 12 standings.
“It’s so hard to sweep in this conference,” said head coach Randy Mazey. “We’ve had good success against almost every team in the Big 12 since we’ve joined except TCU, but now we’ve won five out of six against a team like that that has tradition and has been to Omaha not too long ago. It’s hard, but our guys are playing at a very high level right now.”
After missing five games with an injury, sophomore JJ Wetherholt returned and picked up right where he left off, going 2-for-3 with four RBI after entering as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning. Classmate Grant Hussey drove in five runs on the day which included a three-run home run late in the game.
Graduate student Dayne Leonard went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored while fellow graduate Tevin Tucker had two hits with two RBI and two runs scored.
On the mound, freshman Robby Porco, graduate Noah Short, and redshirt-freshman David Hagaman combined to strike out 12 in just seven innings
The Mountaineers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second as runs came home on an error and a bases-loaded walk.
After TCU got one run in the third, Hussey got it back in the home half with an RBI single before West Virginia exploded for eight runs in the fourth to take a double-digit lead.
Leonard got the scoring started in the fourth with a two-run single before Hussey was hit by a pitch and junior Braden Barry walked with the bases loaded. The big blow came next as Wetherholt popped out of the dugout for his first at-bat in over a week. After fouling off the first pitch, he ripped a double to right field, clearing the bases. Freshman Sam White capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.
TCU did not go down quietly as the Horned Frogs hit a grand slam in the fifth and a two-run home run in the sixth to get back within four, but Hagaman came out of the pen and put an end to the comeback as he finished the game with two scoreless innings.
In the bottom of the seventh, freshman Ellis Garcia drove in a run with a fielder’s choice before Hussey delivered the knockout blow with a three-run home run, his ninth of the year which ties him for the team lead. After a double by Barry, Wetherholt picked up his fourth RBI of the day with a single. He then stole third and came home on an infield single from Tucker to put the Mountaineers back up 10 and end the game.
West Virginia will remain home for a midweek contest on Tuesday against Penn State. First pitch against the Nittany Lions at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark is set for 6:30 p.m.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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