WVU baseball (8-0) had a great start to their 2025 home slate this week.
The Mountaineers' offense exploded for eight runs during their home opener at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown as they ran away with an 8-4 win over the Ohio Bobcats (1-6). WVU has picked up their eighth straight win to start the 2025 season, marking their best start to a season since 1964, when the Mountaineers started 18-0.
The Mountaineers' offense started quickly, pushing across three runs in the first inning. Utility man Sam White started the scoring outpour with a double to right to score Armani Guzman. Kyle West torched a double to left-center to score one additional run, giving WVU a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Grant Hussey, WVU's program leader in all-time home runs, also hit his 38th collegiate home run in a Mountaineer uniform during the win. According to the WVU Baseball Analytics X account, Hussey’s home run had a measured exit velocity of 104 mph and traveled a distance of 356 feet.
At the time, Hussey’s home run in the bottom of the sixth gave WVU a 6-3 lead. Hussey added another hit on the day and finished 2-3 with RBI and a HBP.
Career home run #️⃣3️⃣8️⃣@Grant_Hussey616 pic.twitter.com/p8pWSLp72X
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) February 26, 2025
Preseason All-Big 12 catcher Logan Sauve also had a great game, going 3-5 with two RBIs and a run. West went 2-3 with one run, two RBIs, and a walk, while Guzman posted a line of 2-4 with two runs and a stolen base.
Eight WVU pitchers were used against Ohio. But despite the heavy pitching rotation, the Mountaineers only allowed five hits and four earned runs. Command issues seems to be a moderate issue with the WVU pitching staff, however, with six walks were issued during the game against the Bobcats.
37 walks have been issued in 71 innings pitched so far for WVU. That is something that Head Coach Steve Sabins surely hopes to see limited, especially when Big 12 conference play begins on March 14.
Freshman Mac Stiffler made his first start for his collegiate career. The young pitcher pitched solidly, recording a final line of 3.1 innings with two earned runs allowed, two hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. Tyler Hutson also looked good coming out of the bullpen. The right-handed reliever recorded a line of two innings pitched, zero runs allowed, one hit, zero walks, and one strikeout.
The Mountaineers return to action on Friday, heading to Kannapolis, North Carolina, to play in a four-game series against Queens University (2-6). WVU Baseball has a great opportunity to win their third consecutive series. This will also be WVU’s third series against Atlantic Sun Conference opponents in as many weekends. Starting with Game One on Friday, the four-game set will be played one game per day from Friday through Monday. All games are scheduled to be aired on ESPN+.