The No. 16 West Virginia Mountaineers (37-6) return home this weekend for a pivotal three-game Big 12 baseball series against the Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-26), running Friday through Sunday at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
The Mountaineers are looking to bounce back after following a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to in-state rival Marshall. With three Big 12 series left to play, West Virginia aims to stay atop the standings and secure just its second regular-season conference title in program history
The Red Raiders, on the other hand, enter this series on a two-game losing streak after falling to University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in their midweek matchup, including a 7–4 defeat in their most recent game. Texas Tech hopes to get back into the win column on Friday. Despite their struggles this season, the Red Raiders have historically fared well against the Mountaineers, holding a 22–18 advantage in the all-time series. They have won four consecutive games against WVU, including a 3–1 victory in their latest encounter.
The Mountaineers will hope to rely on their strong pitching, which currently ranks No. 10 in the nation in ERA with 3.72 and No. 22 in the nation in WHIP with 1.30. Griffin Kirn, a redshirt senior, has proven to be a reliable starter for the team, pitching at least four innings in the last five games in which he has appeared. He currently leads the team in innings pitched with 56 and has a 3.38 ERA.
Meanwhile, the Red Raiders' offense has shown flashes but has remained inconsistent throughout the season. Sophomore Logan Hughes leads the team with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs.
The Red Raiders are looking to end the skid and extend their winning streak against West Virginia to five straight games, while West Virginia is aiming to maintain control at the top of the conference standings.
U92 The Moose will provide live coverage of the full series, with Tanner Mountz on play-by-play and Joey Bray and Alex Silverman handling color commentary from Kendrick Family Ballpark for Game 1. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 2. The pregame show begins at 6 p.m., hosted by Andrew Hartlove, Cody Burton, and Brett Berner. The trio will also return for the postgame show.
The broadcast can be heard locally on 91.7 FM, u92themoose.com, an Alexa At-Home Device, or the RadioFX and TuneIn apps.
Photo courtesy of WVU Athletics.