Major Key in WVU Regional Victory

Sophomore Aidan Major was the story of yesterday's WVU elimination game.

It's difficult to make the jump from perennial starting high school pitcher to sitting in the bullpen, patiently waiting for the phone to ring.

For WVU sophomore right-hander Aidan Major, it took some trial and error to find the most advantageous spot in the rotation for his skill. Last season and into the beginning of this one, head coach Randy Mazey called on Major to start, come in at relief, and close. He was all over the board, and struggling to find the best way to contribute.

When Major started coming in three to four innings into a no-to-low pressure Mountaineer situation, he found that he had more control over the pitches he was throwing. It became easier to anticipate the Big 12 batters he faced. The starters had compiled a low-stress situation, but trouble was brewing. The relief spot fit perfectly. Mazey started running Major for five-six innings, and he excelled.

“What he did today, is what he’s done a bunch this year - come in when the starter gets in a little bit of trouble,” Mazey said during yesterday's Ball State postgame. “He’s got a history of being a starting pitcher, so he can get into a pretty deep pitch count. Bringing him in the third or fourth and expecting him to finish the game is something he is capable of doing.”

Aidan Major gets the Mountaineers out of the inning / Julia Mellett - Sports Illustrated: FanNation - Mountaineers Now

Major, a fastball/slider/changeup guy, moved up through the ranks. He compiled a 3-2 record with a pair of saves entering yesterday's elimination game against Ball State. When he took over for starter Ben Hampton in the fourth inning, the Mountaineers had a 7-5 lead. Major found himself ahead in the counts. He excelled during his five innings of work, collecting a career-high eight strikeouts and no walks through 16 batters; he only allowed a single Ball State Cardinal base hit, essentially quelling the Cardinal equalizer effort.

“Today all three [pitches] were working,” Major said. “I was able to go [with] any of the three in any count, whether I was up, down... even, it didn’t matter. Starting ahead [in the count] was what really helped me. Being able to show the slider and changeup early in counts, then show the fastball late, it’s kind of what we tried to do all year.”

Aidan Major keeps the Cardinals at bay / Julia Mellett - Sports Illustrated: FanNation - Mountaineers Now

Major became the story of a win that the Mountaineers desperately needed. The sophomore earned his fourth season win with the 13-5 final, marking one of his best college outings.

"To West Virginia's credit, that relief pitcher they brought in, Aidan Major, he was fantastic," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said after the loss. "He has a power slider. Our guys were having trouble laying off of it. His fastball was running in the low-90s, up to 93. I just thought he did a really good job. Our guys just didn't have the answer to that."

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