MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 6, 2011) – The West Virginia University baseball team will play host to BIG EAST foe Cincinnati in a three-game series this weekend at Hawley Field. Saturday, May 7, will be a doubleheader, starting at 2 p.m., while Sunday’s finale begins at 1 p.m. Saturday is a Dollar Day, as all tickets and select concessions will be just $1 each for both games of the doubleheader.
“Cincinnati is an excellent team and will be difficult to get a win against,” says coach Greg Van Zant. “Their pitching is outstanding, they hit with some power and and they steal some bases. We have to focus on ourselves, get ourselves ready to play and see what happens.”
Van Zant will be honored with a presentation before the start of Saturday’s doubleheader for his 500th career win. Redshirt seniors Grant Buckner, Colin Durborow and Mark Dvoroznak will present Van Zant with a plaque.
West Virginia (25-18, 11-7 BIG EAST) currently sits in a tie for third place in the conference after losing two of three last weekend at Villanova. The Mountaineers hold a one-game advantage over the Bearcats entering this weekend.
“We really aren’t thinking about the implications of this weekend,” Van Zant says. “We focus on what we can control. We can’t control the standings and what other teams do.”
Redshirt senior shortstop Buckner continued his hot streak against the Wildcats and went 5 for 10 with one double and one RBI. He continues to lead the team with a .358 batting average and has scored 34 runs, while hitting for 11 doubles and six home runs, and driving in a team-high 34 runs. He also is tops in the conference against BIG EAST teams with a .439 batting average.
Redshirt senior designated hitter Jeremy Gum (.340), sophomore outfielder Brady Wilson (.333), redshirt junior second baseman Dan DiBartolomeo (.326) and senior catcher Kevin Griffin (.318) are all batting over .300. DiBartolomeo leads the team with 36 runs, while Gum has a team-leading 13 doubles, followed by senior third baseman Justin McDavid with 12.
In the conference, West Virginia is fourth in batting average (.274), fifth in pitching (3.32 ERA), fifth in fielding percentage (.970).
Cincinnati (24-19, 10-8 BIG EAST) is third in the conference with a .287 batting average and eighth in pitching with a 3.95 ERA.
Braden Kline leads the Bearcats with a .355 batting average with 16 runs, nine doubles, one triple, four home runs and 21 RBIs. Jake Proctor leads the team with 38 runs, while Justin Riddell has a team-high six home runs and 50 RBIs.
On Saturday, the Bearcats will throw right-handers Dan Jensen and Andrew Strenge, while righty Nick Johnson will pitch in Sunday’s finale. Jensen has a 3-3 record and leads the squad with a 2.36 ERA in 11 starts. He also has struck out 64 batters. Strenge has made 10 starts and owns a 3-4 record and a 3.77 ERA, while Johnson has a 5-1 record in 11 starts with a 3.75 ERA.
Last weekend, Cincinnati took two of three from Pitt before dropping two mid-week games with Otterbein and Wright State.
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