Mountaineers welcome Texas Tech for final home series

Ben Hampton throws a pitch in the second inning against Kansas (Photo Ryan Decker/Gold and Blue Nation)

Red Raiders come to Morgantown with three of Big 12's best hitters

by: Adam Grossman, WVU Athletics

Posted: May 11, 2023 / 05:40 PM EDT

Updated: May 11, 2023 / 05:40 PM EDT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 12 West Virginia baseball team returns to Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark this weekend for a series with Texas Tech. First pitch on Friday and Saturday are both set for 4 p.m. while Sunday will start at 1 p.m. with graduation and Senior Day festivities taking place before the game.

All three games will be available to stream on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and can also be heard on the Mountaineer Sports Network baseball radio network, including the flagship station 100.9 Jack FM in Morgantown, and on the Varsity Network app. Andrew Caridi will bring you all the play-by-action.

The Mountaineers are coming off a 9-8 midweek victory over Pitt on Wednesday to improve to 37-12 on the season. In the Big 12, WVU is 13-5 and holds a two-game lead over Oklahoma State and Kansas State with six games remaining.

Sophomore JJ Wetherholt took over as the nation’s leading hitter with a .470 batting average, surpassing probable No. 1 draft pick Dylan Crews of LSU. He hit his 14th home run of the season against the Panthers while also stealing his 34th base. He was also just invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp this summer.

Junior Ben Hampton will get the start on Friday after throwing 6.0 innings of one-run ball last week against Oklahoma. He is also just two strikeouts away from reaching 200 for his career in less than three full seasons.

With senior day on Sunday, the Mountaineers will honor two Mountaineers exhausting their college eligibility – Blaine Traxel and Kevin Dowdell, while also recognizing four players that have earned their degrees this past fall, winter, or spring – Dowdell, Dayne Leonard, Jake Carr, and Noah Short.

Texas Tech enters the weekend with a 34-16 overall record and 9-9 mark in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders have one of the best offenses in the country as they are top 10 in hitting, scoring, doubles, OBP, walks, and sacrifice flies.

Kevin Bazell leads the team with a .383 batting average while Gavin Kash leads the Big 12 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI.

Mason Molina has made 12 starts and owns a 4-2 record with a 4.22 ERA and 73 strikeouts

Brandon Beckel has four save and a 1.57 ERA in 17 relief appearances.