West Virginia Series --- SWEEP!

Now here's a candidate for national player of the year/Golden Spikes:

"Sophomore JJ Wetherholt is enjoying the best season in Mountaineer history as he currently leads the country with a .466 batting average while also tallying 15 home runs, 21 doubles, 56 RBI, 64 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases. He is coming off his third Big 12 Player of the Week performance and has also been named to the Golden Spikes Watchlist, Bobby Bragan Watchlist, and was recently invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Training Camp this summer."



Mountaineers Head to Texas for Final Regular-Season Series - West Virginia University Athletics

 

"Junior Ben Hampton and graduate student Blaine Traxel have been steady presences for the Mountaineers on the mound, each making 13 starts. Traxel is 7-4 with a 3.23 ERA and 68 strikeouts while Hampton is 5-2 with a 4.04 ERA and 62 strikeouts.

[2 good starting pitchers]


In the bullpen, junior Carlson Reed has a 1.13 ERA with seven saves. Redshirt-freshman David Hagaman has a 2.54 ERA while sophomore Aidan Major has 47 strikeouts in 38.2 innings."

[a true closer and a few other good relievers]


Mountaineers Head to Texas for Final Regular-Season Series - West Virginia University Athletics

 

Ben Hampton
LHP
6'1"
205 lbs
5-2
4.04 ERA
1.40 WHIP
62 Strikeouts
26 Walks

Was All Big 12 Hon. Mention last year.
Tore up the Cape Cod Summer League.

4 pitch - pitcher
Fastball sits in the high 80s.
Not an overpowering heat thrower.
Attacks the zone.
Mixes his pitches well.


"Another player Mazey highlighted was left-handed pitcher Ben Hampton, who had the best ERA (4.66) among the Mountaineers’ qualified starters last season, and also tallied 90 strikeouts in 83 innings. While his ERA was far from stellar, a strong summer in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League could skyrocket Hampton into the conversation as one of the better starters in the conference. Hampton pitched to a 2.31 ERA across 42.2 innings in Massachusetts.

He said he added a changeup to his repertoire over the summer, while also focusing on locating his pitches better."

“That was something that the pitching coach out in the Cape really helped me with,” Hampton said. “Just improving my mentality on the mound, going after guys, being aggressive, getting ahead and attacking them with all my pitches.”

Ben Hampton - Baseball - West Virginia University Athletics
Ben Hampton Class of 2020 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA
West Virginia Baseball Ready to Grow After Heartbreaking End to 2022 Season

 

Blaine Traxel
RHP
5'10"
200 lbs
3.23 ERA
1.09 WHIP
68 Strikeouts
19 Walks

Side-arm hurler
Grad transfer from Cal State Northridge ("C-SUN")
Good control--doesn't walk many batters
Side-arm Fastball sits in the 80s.
Plenty of tough looks and weird movement coming from his side-arm delivery.
Also throws a slider and a curve.
Pitches deep into the game, and has even thrown several complete games over his college career.
Argues with the coach to keep him in the game; really, really wants to throw a complete game every game.

[This makes me wonder why we didn't get our side-armer Cobb to come back. Cobb had one more year of eligibility, I think.]



At C-SUN:
"2022 Season (Senior)
Traxel served as a Friday starter in his senior season ... Earned All-Big West First Team honors for the first time in his career ... Led the Big West in innings pitched (105) while he ranked fifth in strikeouts (86), sixth in ERA (3.00) and seventh in wins (7) ... Made 19 total appearances including 14 starts ... His 105 innings pitched were the most by a Matador in 19 seasons ... Posted two complete games as well as a shutout, all in Big West play ... Went 3-2 with 2.45 ERA and 56 strikeouts in Big West play ... Registered nine quality starts ... Earned his first win of the season with seven shutout innings vs. Pacific (2/25/22) ... Defeated No. 2 Stanford by working seven innings, striking out seven (3/4/22) ... Worked seven innings, allowing three runs in a win over McNeese State (3/13/22) ... Tossed three innings to pick up a save vs. Long Beach State (3/26/22) ... Threw his first career shutout, fanning eight at UC Riverside (4/14/22) ... Allowed two runs over eight innings at Hawai'i (5/12/22) ... Tossed over 140 pitches in nine shutout innings vs. UC San Diego (5/26/22) ... Moved up to eighth in CSUN history in career strikeouts (214) and ninth in games pitched (75)."


Blaine Traxel - Baseball - West Virginia University Athletics
Blaine Traxel - 2022 - Baseball - CSUN Athletics
https://www.wboy.com/video/watch-blaine-traxel-reacts-to-his-7th-win-of-the-season/8645644/

 

This is a solid team. Hitting, starting pitching (2 of them anyway), bullpen.

 

Chop
Reading these reports makes me nervous
But thank you for them

 

I'm glad we've never gone with the cammie unis. I've yet to see one that looks good.

 

If the pitching developed this year like the hitting and fielding, Horns would be no.1 seed.

 

We’re down .6-0 in the 3rd. What the hell.

 

In deed!!!

 

Team rounding into shape

 

Having to watch off-and-on

WOOOHOO!!

6-0 very early baby! Neers go to bullpen in the 2nd F inning!!

 

Campbell picked off 1st.

Brown got 2 strikes. Then lo and behold jacks it out. 8-0.

 

Now slacker Gordon has easily retired the first two Mountaineers.

Make it 3 on a grounder to Jack.

 

Gordon was a little shaky his last 2 outings but he is sharp tonite.

 

Now 8-0. Holy ****!

 

9 more outs to get!

 

Maybe save some runs for Friday?

 

Gordons PC very low thru 6.

 

Well Gordon sucked for a batter. Hit him.

Then groundout, pop out, pop out. Thomas mad all the plays.

 

G-wagon finally gets on base the hard way.

 

Well gentlemen and all you guys, that’s 3 Homers for PB.

11-0.

 

PB running a little hot tonite with his 3rd dinger. Now 11-0 horns and PB has driven in 8 of those. He parked that last one in their bullpen.

 

Going to the 8th. 6 more outs to get.

 

Oh hell Lummus is in.

 

Wow, did not expect this beatdown but diggin' it!!!

Hope the Horns wore down the Neer bullpen or at least put a good dent in it for the rest of the series!

 

OU not helping us theyre taking an *** kicking from OkST.

 

The RPI should improve though.

 

Well he used 32 pitches and gave up a run but Lummus is thru the 8th. Its 11-1 horns with 3 more outs to get.