WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY BASEBALL
AUSTIN DAVIS
Baseball is back in Morgantown with a new-look Mountaineer roster and a strong focus on returning to the top of the Big 12 standings. Led again by coach Randy Mazey, the squad features some exciting newcomers with plenty of potential, mixed in with some veteran, breakout candidates all over the diamond. Together, the group hopes to begin its journey in February and finish it in June in the NCAA Tournament. Timely hitting and aggressive baserunning have become Mountaineer staples in recent years, as has continued success on the mound. All of those will be key again for WVU to compete against some of the nation’s best that appear on the 2022 slate. BEN HAMPTON
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WVUSPORTS.COM
To help get ready for the new campaign, here are 22 notes about the ‘22 Mountaineers:
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West Virginia begins its 127th season of baseball on Feb. 18 against Central Michigan in Conway, South Carolina.
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Randy Mazey begins his 10th season at the helm in Morgantown. The veteran skipper is 263-208 with the Mountaineers and owns 450 career wins as a head coach.
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Mazey has led West Virginia to a .500-or-better record in eight of his nine seasons on campus.
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The Mountaineers’ 53-game schedule features nine opponents that reached the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
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New this season is an updated name for the home of the Mountaineers. Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark took on Rick and Jay Wagener’s namesake on Aug. 30, 2021, following a major gift donation to the program. Rick Wagener was a standout pitcher at WVU from 1968-71.
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WVU is set to play 23 games at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark this spring. The squad has never had a losing record in the facility’s seven-year history.
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WVU returns 16 lettermen from last season’s squad, including four everyday starters.
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Senior outfielder Austin Davis was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection last season, while sophomore left-handed pitcher Ben Hampton and infielder Mikey Kluska appeared on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team in 2021.
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Additionally, Hampton was named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game/Rawlings after finishing his debut season with a 4-3 record and 4.83 ERA in 54 innings of work.
