After a dominating 11-2 win against Marshall on Tuesday, the West Virginia baseball team boasts a record of 10-7 this season.
Despite their winning record, they have dealt with injuries, such as star shortstop JJ Wetherholt, who has been dealing with a grade-one hamstring he sustained in the Mountaineers’ opening series against Stetson.
As the West Virginia baseball team gears up for their three-game series against Ohio State starting Friday, it’s worth examining the current stat leaders shaping their season.
Batting Average
To be eligible, a player must have had two plate appearances per game and played in 75% of the team’s games. For example, Logan Sauve’s .317 and Wetherholt’s .308 would not qualify. However, it doesn’t matter as Sam White, who will be mentioned a couple of times in this article, leads the team with a .323 batting average.
Runs Scored
Although he does not meet the criteria to qualify for averages, Sauve leads the team with 15 runs scored, despite only playing in 12 games. Sauve would’ve also led the team in on-base percentage and is tied with Ben Lumsden and Spencer Barnett for walks with 10.
Hits
Ellis Garcia and White lead the team in hits with 20. The next closest player is Lumsden with 18. Garcia and Lumsden both have a team-leading four doubles, while Reed Chumley is the lone Mountaineer to have hit a triple.
Home Runs
Grant Hussey, who was recently injured made his return to pinch-hit against the Thundering Herd and leads the team with four home runs. Hussey finished second on the team in home runs last season with 14, behind Wetherholt’s 16 and also leads the team with a .658 slugging percentage. Lumsden, Sauve and White are all tied for second with three homers apiece.
Runs Batted In
Lumsden and White, who have played in all of the Mountaineers’ games lead the team with 14 RBIs each. On top of that, they also are tied for the lead in total bases, with 31.
Stolen Bases
WVU center fielder Skylar King has the most stolen bases on the team with eight on nine attempts. King has played in 16 games, starting 15. He got off to a hot start at the plate but has recently struggled, including going 0-5 against Marshall on Tuesday. Garcia is second with six stolen bases on six attempts.
Earned Run Average
A pitcher must have pitched an inning per game to qualify for averages. That being said, David Hagaman has the lowest eligible ERA, 2.55. He’s pitched 17.2 innings this season so far and also leads the team in opponents batting average with .190 amongst qualifying arms.
Aidan Major
West Virginia’s ace Aidan Major leads the Mountaineers’ pitching staff in pretty much every other stat. He’s pitched the most innings with 26, starting four games, has the most wins with a 3-0 record and has the lowest eligible WHIP at .96. Major is just behind Hagaman in opponents batting average at .198.
WVU hosts Ohio State over the weekend with the first pitch on Friday set for 6:30 p.m. EST. The series will be streamed on ESPN+.
