WVU Homers Way to NCAA-Opening Victory
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (June 2, 2017) – The No. 2-seed West Virginia University baseball team hit six home runs to open the 2017 NCAA Baseball Tournament with a 9-1 victory over third-seeded Maryland on Friday afternoon in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Making their 12th NCAA Regional appearance in program history and first since 1996, the Mountaineers (35-24) scored three runs in the second inning, on two home runs, and benefited from 5.2 shutout innings in relief from junior right-hander BJ Myers.
Highlights | Photos | Postgame Quotes (PDF) | WVU Press Conference (Video)
Several of WVU’s six home runs, the most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history, were no-doubters, sailing upwards of 400 feet. Junior left fielder Kyle Davis and sophomore shortstop Jimmy Galusky both hit a career-best two home runs, the most by a single player in an NCAA game in team history. Sophomores Cole Austin and Ivan Gonzalez also homered.
“It seems like every time we play we're going to set or break records for ourselves,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “It's pretty cool. Every game we move closer toward our goal. We didn't come down here to win (one game), we want to win the thing. I think we showed today that we're not just happy to be down here, we want to keep our season alive and that's been our mission the whole season. We're going to feel good about this win for the next hour or so, and then see who we're going to play tomorrow and see how we're going to attack them."
The victory came in front of a large contingent of fans sporting Old Gold and Blue at David F. Couch Ballpark. With the win, West Virginia advances to tomorrow’s winners-bracket game. WVU will play on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET against the winner of tonight’s Wake Forest-UMBC game.
Davis led WVU with three hits, while he joined Austin with a team-best three RBIs. Galusky added two RBIs and was one of three Mountaineers with two runs scored.
With a 4-1 lead, Myers relieved freshman right-handed starter Alek Manoah. Myers got out of the inning, stranding the bases loaded. He allowed three hits in the next five innings to keep Maryland off the scoreboard and allow the WVU offense to grow the lead.
In 5.2 innings, Myers allowed no runs on four hits with a strikeout and a walk.
West Virginia got the scoring underway in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Davis’ first-pitch, two run home run to left-center sailed an estimated 414 feet, and was followed by Galusky’s two-out solo home run to left.
The Terrapins responded with a run in the third on a one-out walk and an RBI single to cut the West Virginia lead to 3-1.
However, Gonzalez homered down the left-field line in the third to answer Maryland, and Davis led off the fourth with his second home run of the day to extend WVU’s lead to 5-1.
The Mountaineers added two more runs in the fifth on Austin’s two-run, two-out home run that made it 7-1.
After Myers pitched 1-2-3 sixth and seventh innings, a sacrifice fly plated West Virginia’s eighth run in the seventh.
Galusky’s second home run, a solo shot in the eighth with one out to left-center, capped the day offensively for the Mountaineers.
Myers held Maryland off the scoreboard in the ninth to secure the victory, his fifth of the season.
West Virginia continues regional action on Saturday, at 7 p.m. ET, against the winner of tonight’s Wake Forest-UMBC game. The regional continues on Sunday, June 4, with games at noon and 5 p.m. If necessary, a final game will be played on Monday, June 4, at 7 p.m., to crown a regional champion.
Every game at David F. Couch Ballpark will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. Doug Sherman and John Gregory will have the call. Fans can listen to all of WVU’s games on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state, online at WVUsports.com, on the Mountaineer Gameday App and the TuneInRadio App. Dan Zangrilli will broadcast the action.
Links to video streams, radio broadcasts and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from Winston-Salem can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team at @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
NOTES: West Virginia improves to 35-24 on the season … Making its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and first since 1996, WVU improved to 9-22 all-time at NCAAs … WVU improves to 24-41-1 all-time against Maryland and 1-0 in NCAA play … WVU hit six home runs, tied for the most in a game this season and the most in program history in an NCAA Tournament game, doubling the previous high of three set in 1963 against Wake Forest … West Virginia’s 11 hits are the fourth-most in an NCAA Tournament game … The Mountaineers’ nine RBIs are tied for third-most in a tournament contest … West Virginia’s seven extra-base hits set a program NCAA Tournament record … Kyle Davis and Jimmy Galusky both hit a career-high two home runs, the most in an NCAA Tournament game by a single player in program history … Davis now has a team-high-tying 10 home runs on the season, while Galusky has four … Davis’ three hits are tied for second-most in an NCAA Tournament game … Davis’ and Cole Austin’s three RBIs are tied for second-most in a NCAA Tournament game … Ivan Gonzalez hit his fifth home run of the season, while Cole Austin hit his seventh … BJ Myers made his first relief appearance on the season, pitching 5.2 shutout innings, allowing four hits with a strikeout and a walk … Meyer’s no runs allowed in 5.2 innings pitched is the second-best performance by a Mountaineer pitcher in the NCAA Tournament, as John Holsey tossed five scoreless innings against Old Dominion on May 28, 1992, while Jeff Wilson did not surrender a run in six innings pitched against Florida State on June 1, 1962 … West Virginia advances to the winner’s bracket of the Winston-Salem Regional, where it will play the winner of tonight’s Wake Forest-UMBC game on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visitWVUsports.com.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (June 2, 2017) – The No. 2-seed West Virginia University baseball team hit six home runs to open the 2017 NCAA Baseball Tournament with a 9-1 victory over third-seeded Maryland on Friday afternoon in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Making their 12th NCAA Regional appearance in program history and first since 1996, the Mountaineers (35-24) scored three runs in the second inning, on two home runs, and benefited from 5.2 shutout innings in relief from junior right-hander BJ Myers.
Highlights | Photos | Postgame Quotes (PDF) | WVU Press Conference (Video)
Several of WVU’s six home runs, the most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history, were no-doubters, sailing upwards of 400 feet. Junior left fielder Kyle Davis and sophomore shortstop Jimmy Galusky both hit a career-best two home runs, the most by a single player in an NCAA game in team history. Sophomores Cole Austin and Ivan Gonzalez also homered.
“It seems like every time we play we're going to set or break records for ourselves,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “It's pretty cool. Every game we move closer toward our goal. We didn't come down here to win (one game), we want to win the thing. I think we showed today that we're not just happy to be down here, we want to keep our season alive and that's been our mission the whole season. We're going to feel good about this win for the next hour or so, and then see who we're going to play tomorrow and see how we're going to attack them."
The victory came in front of a large contingent of fans sporting Old Gold and Blue at David F. Couch Ballpark. With the win, West Virginia advances to tomorrow’s winners-bracket game. WVU will play on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET against the winner of tonight’s Wake Forest-UMBC game.
Davis led WVU with three hits, while he joined Austin with a team-best three RBIs. Galusky added two RBIs and was one of three Mountaineers with two runs scored.
With a 4-1 lead, Myers relieved freshman right-handed starter Alek Manoah. Myers got out of the inning, stranding the bases loaded. He allowed three hits in the next five innings to keep Maryland off the scoreboard and allow the WVU offense to grow the lead.
In 5.2 innings, Myers allowed no runs on four hits with a strikeout and a walk.
West Virginia got the scoring underway in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Davis’ first-pitch, two run home run to left-center sailed an estimated 414 feet, and was followed by Galusky’s two-out solo home run to left.
The Terrapins responded with a run in the third on a one-out walk and an RBI single to cut the West Virginia lead to 3-1.
However, Gonzalez homered down the left-field line in the third to answer Maryland, and Davis led off the fourth with his second home run of the day to extend WVU’s lead to 5-1.
The Mountaineers added two more runs in the fifth on Austin’s two-run, two-out home run that made it 7-1.
After Myers pitched 1-2-3 sixth and seventh innings, a sacrifice fly plated West Virginia’s eighth run in the seventh.
Galusky’s second home run, a solo shot in the eighth with one out to left-center, capped the day offensively for the Mountaineers.
Myers held Maryland off the scoreboard in the ninth to secure the victory, his fifth of the season.
West Virginia continues regional action on Saturday, at 7 p.m. ET, against the winner of tonight’s Wake Forest-UMBC game. The regional continues on Sunday, June 4, with games at noon and 5 p.m. If necessary, a final game will be played on Monday, June 4, at 7 p.m., to crown a regional champion.
Every game at David F. Couch Ballpark will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. Doug Sherman and John Gregory will have the call. Fans can listen to all of WVU’s games on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state, online at WVUsports.com, on the Mountaineer Gameday App and the TuneInRadio App. Dan Zangrilli will broadcast the action.
Links to video streams, radio broadcasts and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. Additional behind-the-scenes updates, news and notes from Winston-Salem can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team at @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
NOTES: West Virginia improves to 35-24 on the season … Making its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and first since 1996, WVU improved to 9-22 all-time at NCAAs … WVU improves to 24-41-1 all-time against Maryland and 1-0 in NCAA play … WVU hit six home runs, tied for the most in a game this season and the most in program history in an NCAA Tournament game, doubling the previous high of three set in 1963 against Wake Forest … West Virginia’s 11 hits are the fourth-most in an NCAA Tournament game … The Mountaineers’ nine RBIs are tied for third-most in a tournament contest … West Virginia’s seven extra-base hits set a program NCAA Tournament record … Kyle Davis and Jimmy Galusky both hit a career-high two home runs, the most in an NCAA Tournament game by a single player in program history … Davis now has a team-high-tying 10 home runs on the season, while Galusky has four … Davis’ three hits are tied for second-most in an NCAA Tournament game … Davis’ and Cole Austin’s three RBIs are tied for second-most in a NCAA Tournament game … Ivan Gonzalez hit his fifth home run of the season, while Cole Austin hit his seventh … BJ Myers made his first relief appearance on the season, pitching 5.2 shutout innings, allowing four hits with a strikeout and a walk … Meyer’s no runs allowed in 5.2 innings pitched is the second-best performance by a Mountaineer pitcher in the NCAA Tournament, as John Holsey tossed five scoreless innings against Old Dominion on May 28, 1992, while Jeff Wilson did not surrender a run in six innings pitched against Florida State on June 1, 1962 … West Virginia advances to the winner’s bracket of the Winston-Salem Regional, where it will play the winner of tonight’s Wake Forest-UMBC game on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visitWVUsports.com.
