West Virginia has been on this path since the day the school moved into the Big 12 and decided it was going to play baseball with the big boys. Here’s a look at how West Virginia got here and why the Mountaineers have staying power as they head into a matchup with North Carolina.
Can Borussia Dortmund finish off the storybook ending? It’s pretty unlikely, especially given the teams’ respective forms this year. While Real Madrid rolled to another LaLiga title in Spain, Dortmund finished fifth in the Bundesliga.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, the issues they showed in the Carolina series have shown up here. New York looks tired and is facing an opponent that can match Igor Shesterkin. The Hurricanes ran out of games; the Panthers obviously won’t have that problem.
Suddenly, the Tucson Regional has swung wide open for West Virginia to win. The Mountaineers didn’t look great at the Big 12 tournament, going two-and-out. But they won Friday, and now they have a rested bullpen to boot.
If you’re not up on Division I baseball, you might see this matchup and think the Mountaineers are facing a small directional school that’s happy to be here. Dallas Baptist is anything but.
Edmonton came up with its best showing of the series so far. The Oil basically flipped Game 3 on its head, overcoming a two-goal deficit to win going away with five unanswered. That’s what Edmonton can do at its best, and seeing it happen should be a confidence boost.
The Gauchos are here for a reason, and it’s because they can really pitch. UCSB came through a solid Big West that produced multiple tournament teams, and the Gauchos rank sixth nationally in ERA. Only Arkansas, Tennessee and East Carolina had a better ERA among tournament teams.
Arkansas returns this year with a No. 5 seed and outstanding pitching. The Razorbacks didn’t just lead the SEC in ERA; they led the nation with a 3.66 ERA as a team. They’ve got the best staff and the best overall pitcher in Hagen Smith, making them a favorite to get back to Omaha.
Kentucky’s hitting and speed has gotten it to this point. The Wildcats are a new baseball power, and they win by taking the extra base and hitting situationally. But the Wildcats’ strength can become their weakness in the wrong matchup, and Indiana State could be the wrong matchup.