WVU to host Jacket baseball in first game at new stadium
People are getting excited about baseball in Morgantown, West Virginia these days and have probable cause to do so. In what has been referred to as the “three new eras” of West Virginia University baseball by Assistant Director of Communications Grant Dovey, the program is captivating the area with promise. It underwent its first era three years ago, when the school left the Big East Conference to a new and arguably more competitive Big 12 Conference. Also in 2012, the second “new era” began when former TCU head coach Randy Mazey became WVU’s new head baseball coach, bringing more than 20 years of coaching experience with him.
Mazey lead West Virginia to an overall record of 33-26 in his first year at the helm after having his team picked last in the Big 12 preseason poll. Now, the third “new era” has arrived in the form of new Monongalia County Ballpark, scheduled to open for the 2015 season, at the University Town Centre.
“The opening of the new ballpark is not only exciting for West Virginia University, but also for the North Central West Virginia community and we look forward to ushering in a new era of WVU baseball at Monongalia County Ballpark,” said Director of Athletics and Associate VP for WVU Oliver Luck on West Virginia Illustrated.
To signify the new era, the West Virginia baseball program looked to its roots and asked Waynesburg University to serve as the first opponent for WVU in its inaugural home opener.
West Virginia played its very first game in program history against then Waynesburg College in 1892, when the Mountaineers were not even given that nickname yet.
“I was totally shocked when Oliver Luck first reached out to me about a game between West Virginia and Waynesburg,” said Waynesburg Director of Athletics Larry Marshall. “When I found out about the history of it, I thought it was pretty cool and jumped on the opportunity immediately.”
Mazey shared the same sentiments about the game on West Virginia Illustrated.
“We’re really excited to play Waynesburg. One hundred twenty-two years ago, the very first game WVU ever played was against Waynesburg,” said Mazey. “In the new era with the new facility, we’re going to renew that old rivalry so to speak by playing Waynesburg in that first game. There is a lot of nostalgia and we’re going to try and bring some alumni back and show the people that we’re making progress.”
During its first season, records show that the 1892 West Virginia team went 3-3, and played against local athletic clubs and high schools during its early years.
Mountaineer baseball has come a long way since that time, as the new ballpark will include 2,500 fixed seats to go along with hillside and club seating, as well as a synthetic playing surface to accommodate severe weather and heavy use, with the exception of a clay pitchers mound. All of this stands at a projected budget of $21 million.
“I look at it and our guys look at it as an opportunity to play on a state-of-the-art complex,” said Waynesburg head coach Mike Humiston. “I think it will be an eye opener for our guys. Its going to be an opportunity for us to not only see what Division I baseball is about, but that we have to go in there with the mindset of competing.”
“We’ve had some problems with rain and bad weather in the past, so the turf field should help with field conditions moving forward,” said Dovey. “I think this will be a very good environment also for Waynesburg. We play in front of a lot of fans on the road, and at home, and this gives Waynesburg the chance to experience that.”
As for the game itself, Dovey believes that in baseball, anything can happen and any team can win on any given day.
“Baseball is always competitive. South Carolina brought in a D-III school to open their stadium in a similar way and got beat,” said Dovey. “Every program has difference makers. All it takes is one dominant pitcher to shut down the game. At that point, we will be four weeks into the schedule so [Waynesburg] will have that time to get amped up for this game.”
For Humiston, it’s going to be about adjusting to the talent on the field and sticking to the fundamentals.
“Some people are asking ‘how are we going to adjust to 90-plus [mile per hour] fastballs,'” said Humiston. “It’s easier to adjust to speed than to off-speed stuff, so we will just tell our guys to start earlier and not try to swing any harder. Just see it, hit it, and run like crazy. It will definitely be different than what we typically see from other teams on our schedule, but I think it’s going to be fun.”
The 1892 rematch will take place March 17, serving as West Virginia’s 23rd game of the year and the first at Monongalia County
Ballpark at the University Town Centre. For the Jackets, the contest will mark their first time playing since returning from their spring break trip to the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational.