Mountaineers Handle Wildcats for Series Sweep

West Virginia continues to build momentum heading into postseason play with a 5-1 decision over Kansas State

Granville, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers finished out the regular season, completing the series sweep over the Kansas State Wildcats 5-1 Saturday afternoon. The win increased West Virginia's Big 12 Conference win total to 14, a program record. 

"I just told them, in 2017 when we got an at-large bid to the regional, it was something the program hadn’t done in a long, long time. And, in 2019, when we hosted the regional, it’s the first time this program has ever done it, in the history of the program in that format. And, this year, we won 14 games in the Big 12 that's the first time in the history of the program that we’ve done that, so the mark of a good program is you keep doing things that have never been done before and you keep climbing the latter, and there is still some things yet to do that we can accomplish that have never been done before," said West Virginia head coach Randy Mazey. "We’ve never won the conference tournament, we’ve never won a regional and played in a super-regional so there’s plenty of season left to try and accomplish some things that have never been accomplished." 

Austin Davis sliding into home in the bottom of the first inning / Christopher Hall - Sports Illustrated: West Virginia

Austin Davis led off the bottom half of the first taking a pitch to the foot and was awarded first base before Victor Scott perfectly laid down a bunt, and regardless of the errant throw, Scott beat it and Austin Davis took third. 

Scott took a big lead off first and was caught in a rundown, but Davis seized the opportunity to take home. 

"I wanted to steal the base and have McGwire up there with second and third with one out, but anytime you get a lead early in the game it's to your advantage. 

Kaelen Culpepper tied the game at one with a solo blast in the second. 

In the third, Tevin Tucker produced his fourth hit of the series, then Austin Davis drove a line drive to the wall in left-centerfield for an RBI triple before J.J. Wetherholt extended his four-game hitting streak to five with an RBI single to right field, pushing the lead to three, 3-0. 

West Virginia freshman starting pitcher Aidan Major delivering a pitch in the second inning.  / Christopher Hall - Sports Illustrated: West Virginia

West Virginia starting freshman pitcher Aidan Major went five innings, only allowing the solo home run and gave up five hits while striking out five heading to the sixth but walked consecutive batters to begin the inning before Mazey turned the game over to Noah Short. 

Short would go two innings before Trey Braithwaite took over in the eighth. The pair combined for four innings allowing two hits and no runs, while freshman Grant Hussey added a couple of insurance runs in the eighth with an opposite field two-run home run as the Mountaineers finish off Kansas State 5-1. 

West Virginia reliever Noah Short.  / Christopher Hall - Sports Illustrated: West Virginia

West Virginia awaits Sunday's results around the Big 12 Conference before determining the final seeding and opponent of the conference tournament beginning Wednesday, May 25 with the first game scheduled for 10:00 am EST. 

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