WVU’s Wells says the sizzle continues with Mountaineer baseball
There’s something very cool happening within WVU athletics these days.
It’s the sizzle around the Mountaineer baseball program.
In case you haven’t noticed, former WVU pitcher Alek Manoah is an absolute star pitching for MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays. He’s third in American League earned run average at 1.62. He’s fourth in WAR (wins above replacement) at 1.8.
Ex-Wheeling Park and WVU pitcher Michael Grove got a start this month with the Los Angeles Dodgers. John Means, another former Mountaineer standout, is a Baltimore Orioles ace who threw a no-hitter, but unfortunately was injured just two starts into this season. (He recently, though, agreed to a $5,925,000 two-year contract with the O’s.)
It’s led to sizzle around this season’s WVU team, which opens play in the Big 12 tournament in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday as the sixth seed. The Mountaineers, which finished 33-20, play No. 3 Oklahoma at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time.
“This season has been a continuation of the positive momentum that’s existed in the Big 12/Randy Mazey period,” said Matt Wells, WVU’s Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs.
“The move to the Big 12; the building of and opening of Mon County Ballpark; the regional in 2017; hosting the regional in 2019; to Alek Manoah to Michael Grove. It’s just been a continuation of this positive era.”
WVU received more good news on Tuesday when the Mountaineers’ fifth-year senior right-handed pitcher Trey Braithwaite and senior outfielder Austin Davis were named to the 2022 All-Big 12 First Team, while six others also earned all-conference recognition.
Wells is ecstatic. He points out this season’s team had the most Big 12 wins (14) ever. He points out the Mountaineers won two of three on the road from TCU – the regular season champion. He points out WVU swept two Big 12 teams for the first time.
“Also,” Wells said, “we’re entering the league tournament with a good at-large resume for the NCAA tournament. It would be our third regional in the last five years if we make it.”
The excitement led to fans in the stands.
“We sold 657 season tickets,” Wells said. “On the season we had nearly 53,000, with a total per-game average of 2,290.”
The numbers for season tickets sold, total attendance (the exact number was 52,671) and per-game average were all WVU records.
Indeed, WVU baseball games are becoming destination events.
“It’s been a terrific year,” Wells said. “And the team has a good shot at a NCAA tournament. Heck, it could get hot in Arlington.”
Which would continue that positive era even more.
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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.
