No. 9 West Virginia closes the regular season this weekend with a pivotal three-game Big 12 series against TCU at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers (35-12, 19-8 Big 12) enter the weekend riding a seven-game winning streak after sweeping then-No. 7 Kansas on the road, the first ranked road sweep in program history. WVU sits one game behind the league-leading Jayhawks entering the final weekend of the regular season.
The series also features one of the nation’s top pitching matchups.
West Virginia enters the weekend with the No. 1 team ERA in the Big 12 at 4.00 and ranks among the conference leaders in WHIP, strikeouts and hits allowed per nine innings. The Mountaineers are expected to roll out graduate right-hander Ian Korn on Thursday, left-hander Maxx Yehl on Friday and sophomore right-hander Chansen Cole on Saturday.
Yehl has emerged as one of the Big 12’s top arms, posting a 7-1 record with a 2.04 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. He enters the weekend leading the conference in ERA and recently tossed a complete-game victory at No. 7 Kansas.
Korn has quietly been just as effective, going 4-0 with a 2.96 ERA while ranking second in the Big 12 in strikeout-to-walk ratio and first in WHIP. Cole has anchored the back end of the rotation with an 8-1 record and 2.71 ERA, giving WVU one of the deepest weekend staffs in the conference.
TCU (32-18, 16-11 Big 12) counters with a talented rotation of Tommy LaPour, Lance Davis and Zack James.
Davis has been the Frogs’ most consistent starter, posting a 4.18 ERA with 45 strikeouts across 71 innings, while James enters the weekend unbeaten at 6-0 with a 3.49 ERA. TCU’s lineup is powered by Cole Cramer, who leads the team with a .322 batting average, and projected first-round MLB Draft pick Sawyer Strosnider, who has blasted a team-high 13 home runs this season.
Offensively, the Mountaineers continue to lean on one of the most balanced lineups in the Big 12. Sophomore Gavin Kelly enters the weekend batting .391 with 72 hits and a .696 slugging percentage, while Armani Guzman leads the conference with 30 stolen bases. Paul Schoenfeld has added another dynamic element with 21 stolen bases and a league-best four triples.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday before the series finale at 1 p.m. Saturday in Morgantown.
Probable pitchers
WVU
Thursday: Ian Korn, Gr., RHP (4-0, 2.96 ERA, 44K)
Friday: Maxx Yehl, r-Jr., LHP (7-1, 2.04 ERA, 79K)
Saturday: Chansen Cole, So., RHP (8-1, 2.71 ERA, 69K)
TCU
Thursday: Tommy LaPour, Jr., RHP (1-1, 6.30 ERA, 10K)
Friday: Lance Davis, r-Fr., RHP (4-3, 4.18 ERA, 45K)
Saturday: Zack James, So., RHP (6-0, 3.49 ERA, 44K)