History in Tucson: WVU advances to a Super Regional – The Gold and Blue Nation Podcast
For the first time in program history, the WVU baseball team will play beyond the opening stage of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Mountaineers go 3-0 in the Tucson Regional, and advance to a Super Regional for the first time ever.Ryan Decker and Anjelica Trinone were in Tucson for the three-day tournament. In the wee hours of the night, they react to West Virginia's historic weekend, give insight into the events of the past few days, and bring post-game comments from the Mountaineers themselves.Gold and Blue Nation is the local leader for Mountaineer sports news, producing comprehensive coverage on TV and online. Download the free Gold and Blue Nation appviayour preferredapp store so you’re never more than a touch away from our award-winning WVU sports reporting, highlights, and archived shows.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Randy Mazey’s West Virginia University baseball team will make the trip out to the Arizona desert for its latest NCAA Tournament appearance. The Mountaineers are the No. 3 seed in the Tucson (Arizona) Regional, and will play in the NCAA Tournament west of the Mississippi River.
WVU opens up this round of college baseball’s postseason against two-seeded Dallas Baptist, a program the Mountaineers have never faced before, Friday afternoon.
Here is everything you need to know about West Virginia’s NCAA Tournament opener against DBU.
No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 2 Dallas Baptist game information
- Date: May 31
- Location: Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Arizona
- Time:3:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN2
- Stream:ESPN+
- WVU overall record: 33-22 (19-12 Big 12)
- WVU neutral site record: 2-2
- Dallas Baptist overall record: 44-13 (17-7 CUSA)
- Dallas Baptist neutral site record: 5-1
- All-time series: This will be the first-ever meeting between WVU and DBU
- Last meeting: N/A
- WVU probable starter: LHP Derek Clark (7-2, 3.05 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 73 K, 20 BB)
- Dallas Baptist probable starter: RHP Ryan Johnson (11-2, 1.98 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 147, 12 BB)
- WVU’s Friday record: 10-5
- WVU’s all-time NCAA Tournament record: 12-28
No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 2 Dallas Baptist game preview
The 2024 Mountaineer baseball team making the NCAA Tournament is historic in three ways. Firstly, this is the first time since the 1960s that the program will play in the national tournament two years in a row. Secondly, this is the first time in program history the Mountaineers have made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years without winning a conference tournament championship to punch their ticket. And lastly, this will be the final NCAA Tournament run for Randy Mazey, who retires at the end of this season.
West Virginia, the three seed in the Tucson Regional, is paired with two-seeded Dallas Baptist in its opening game. Host Arizona and fourth-seeded Grand Canyon join the Mountaineers and Patriots.
Dallas Baptist enters the NCAA Tournament having won four games in a row and 11 of its last 12 since May 5. DBU finished second in the Conference USA regular-season standings, and swept its way to a conference tournament title last weekend. The Patriots have won at least 40 games for the 11th time in the last 13 completed seasons, dating back to the start of the 2011 season. DBU is making its 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
DBU led Conference USA in pitching with a 3.94 team ERA, gave up roughly 100 fewer hits than any other team in the conference, and held opposing hitters to the lowest batting average (.232) of any team in the league. At the plate, Dallas Baptist hits for a .298 average as a team. The Patriots are 15th in the nation in home runs with 111, and 17th nationally in doubles with 128. DBU hits well, pitches well, and fields at a high level, as well, sporting a 0.982 fielding percentage, which is the second-best in the nation.
Five players on the DBU roster have hit at least 10 home runs this year, led by sophom*ore catcher Grant Jay with 21. Infielders Chayton Krauss and Michael Dattalo pace the team with a .352 batting average. DBU has four hitters with an OPS over 1.000. 6-foot 6-inch junior right-hander Ryan Johnson leads the way for Dallas Baptist on the mound. He is 11-2 this season with a 1.98 ERA, tied for the second-best in the nation. His 147 strikeouts are the third-most in the country.
Johnson is the No. 58 prospect in this summer’s MLB Draft, according to MLB.com. WVU start shortstop JJ Wetherholt is the No. 8 prospect.
West Virginia has hit a program-record 87 home runs this season. The Mountaineers, overall, have taken a step back offensively compared to last season, though they played much of this year at anything but full strength. Conversely, Mazey’s club continues to find results on the mound, despite battling injuries. West Virginia ranks 11th nationally, and first in the Big 12, in shutouts with five. Derek Clark, who pitched a Power-5-Conference-best three complete games this season, has helped steady things on the mound for WVU.
Clark enters the national tournament well-rested after not appearing in the Big 12 Tournament.
Nine active players on this year’s WVU roster appeared in one of the three games in last year’s NCAA Regional.
“I think West Virginia is a really good three seed that is certainly capable of winning a regional,” D1Baseball analyst Aaron Fitt said.
