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WVU baseball to play Arizona Diamondbacks

By Matthew Peaslee

Dec 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks team president Derrick Hall (left), managing general partner Ken Kendrick (center) and general manager Dave Stewart during a press conference at Chase Field . Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks team president Derrick Hall (left), managing general partner Ken Kendrick (center) and general manager Dave Stewart during a press conference at Chase Field . Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The West Virginia baseball program has sent hundreds of players to the professional level. Now, the current Mountaineers will have a chance to take on some major leaguers.

On Feb. 29, the WVU baseball team will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball.

"“We are excited to be playing an exhibition game against the Diamondbacks,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “Our players and coaching staff are excited, and it’s a great opportunity for our team to be on the same field as Major League players, and to see exactly the level of baseball they are striving to achieve.”"

This is simply an exhibition, for both teams, and it’s not out of the ordinary. Most MLB teams take on a college-level team during their spring training schedules. Still, for many players, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play against professionals.

While current Diamondbacks stars like Paul Goldschmidt and newly-acquired Zack Geinke may not play against the Mountaineers in this game, it will still be a test for the WVU baseball players.

Also, the Mountaineers will be playing in sparkling Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. It is highly regarded as one of the best baseball facilities in the country and, in 2011, it was named the Ballpark of the Year by Ballpark Digest.

This is certainly a game that the WVU baseball team will circle on its calendar, but it’s not going to be the end-all-be-all of their season. The Mountaineers’ game against the Diamondbacks is the fourth contest of an 11-day, eight game roadtrip for the Mountaineers that begins with three games at UNLV, Feb. 26-28, and concludes with a four-game series at Hawaii from March 3-6.

The Diamondbacks will open up their Cactus League spring training schedule on March 2 against the Colorado Rockies, the team which shares Salt River Fields at Talking Stick as a winter home.

The Mountaineers could beat the Diamondbacks, but it really wouldn’t matter. Still, having the bragging rights is certainly a confidence-booster for the team.

In 2009, Manatee Community College beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-4. That was on the heels of an 89-loss year for the Pirates. The Diamondbacks are now in a similar ship, having lost 83 games in 2015, finishing with their fourth-consecutive non-winning season.

Getting this game scheduled was likely the brainchild of Arizona owner Ken Kendrick, who is a native of Princeton, W.Va. and a WVU grad.

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