Meyer

Even in the normally chilly spring weather, the crowded attendance figures have exceeded the listed seating capacity at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The listed capacity is 3,500 and at least one crowd numbered over 4,000.

Last weekend in the warmth of Houston, the Mountaineers swept the Cougars in three games and raised their current winning streak to 10 games.

Just before flying to Houston, West Virginia swept three conference games at home against Utah.

As potent as baseball teams are supposed to be at home, West Virginia owned a sparkling 18-1 record in road game. After the 10-game win streak the nationally ranked Mountaineers were cruising along toward a possible bid to the NCAA Tournament, with a cool 30-4 overall record. WVU received an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Van Kempen

The impressive Mountaineers had a 10-3 record in Big 12 Conference games. They held a scant lead over Texas Christian (11-4), Arizona (10-5), Kansas State (10-5), Kansas (9-6) and Arizona State (9-6) in their possible run to the conference’s regular season title and No.1 seed in the league tournament to be held in Arlington, Tex. at the home of the Texas Rangers, from May 21-24.

There are still five series left against Big 12 opponents. The team has been on a consistent path with both its hitters and pitchers dominating games at times.

The five opponents remaining are Cincinnati, Central Florida, Texas Tech, Kansas State and a regular season-closing series with Kansas in Granville. The final home game of the regular season comes on May 17.

These Mountaineers have a .320 team batting average and their combined opponents have only a .216 batting average.

No fewer than 10 Mountaineer players are batting over .300, with utility man Sam White (.380) and outfielder Skylar King (.377) leading the way.

Kirn

Jace Rinehart (outfielder) has six homers and both catcher Logan Sauve and first baseman-designated hitter Grant Hussey have hit five. The team has hit 37 home runs.

Utility player Chase Swain is hitting .352, outfielder-catcher Gavin Kelly is at .326, infielder Brodie Kresser at .315, designated hitter-first baseman Kyle West at .314 and Spencer Barnett at .313. One of the notable recent happenings was the first pitching start of the season by graduate student Jack Karsones, who returned from an arm injury, to shutout Houston for seven innings. Karsones (from Kent State) allowed the Cougars only two hits and two walks, while fanning five and throwing 97 pitches. He had previously made 11 relief appearances while building up his pitch count.

Pitchers Griffin Kirn (55 strikeouts, nine starts and a 4-0 record); freshman David Hagen (six starts and a 2-0 record); 6-foot-6, 245 pound Gavin Van Kempen (eight starts and a 2-0 record); Chase Meyer (6-1 record); and senior Reese Bassinger (five saves and a 3-0 record) have become an effective nucleus on the mound.

Of the five conference series that remain, the Mountaineers will face Cincinnati, Texas Tech and Kansas at home in Granville.

Hagen

Bassinger