Boston College Athletics
Baseball Prepares For Showdown With West Virginia
April 11, 2002 | Baseball
April 11, 2002
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - In possibly the most important weekend of the season for the Boston College baseball team (15-13, 6-4 BIG EAST), the Eagles will take on West Virginia (17-11, 6-4 BIG EAST) in a BIG EAST doubleheader showdown at 12 p.m. Friday afternoon at Shea Field. Following Friday's games with the Mountaineers, the Eagles will take on Georgetown in a doubleheader, which also kicks off at 12 p.m.
Boston College, West Virginia and Seton Hall are all tied for second in the conference, standing only one game behind Virginia Tech and Connecticut. The Eagles are looking to get back on track after dropping two of three to Seton Hall last weekend, while the Mountaineers just won two of three against conference leader UConn. West Virginia has won six of its last eight games, while Boston College has dropped three of its last four.
On Friday, the Eagles will also be looking to rebound from a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Mountaineers last season in Morgantown, W.V. West Virginia defeated Boston College 8-0 in game one and followed that up with a 8-7 victory in game two.
For Boston College, freshman Chris Lambert has been incredible for head coach Pete Hughes' squad. Lambert enters this weekend's BIG EAST action with a 6-0 overall record and a team-leading 2.41 ERA (minimum of five appearances). Lambert is second on the team, only behind Mark Sullivan (50), in strike outs with 44. In last week's three-game series with Seton Hall, Lambert, Sullivan and freshman Kevin Shepard combined for 30 strikeouts.
In the most recent national statistics released by the NCAA, three Boston College players made the list. Senior right fielder Brian Macchi is tied for fourth in the country in doubles (16), Lambert is 11th in strikeouts per game (11.9) and freshman third baseman Jason Delaney ranks 28th with a .433 batting average.
Breaking Down The Opponent
While West Virginia's team batting has been around the bottom half of the conference standings, its pitching is one of the best. The Mountaineers' pitching staff ranks third in the conference with an ERA of 3.96. What has made their pitching staff so strong is the distance head coach Greg Van Zant has been able to get out of each one. The Mountaineers lead the BIG EAST in several pitching categories, including complete games (nine), opponent batting average (.252) and fewest hits allowed (210).
Leading the Mountaineers' pitching staff is preseason All-BIG EAST selection Billy Biggs. Biggs was ranked by Baseball America as the nation's 25th best senior. The junior, who redshirted the 2000 season following a tear of the meniscus, had an incredible 2001 campaign, as he went 6-2 with a 1.65 ERA and had seven saves as West Virginia's closer. This season, he has moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation. He enters Friday's doubleheader with a 5-3 mark and a 2.73 ERA while striking out 54 batters. Freshman Zac Cline has given has given Van Zant a solid 1-2 punch in his pitching rotation. Cline is 3-1 on the season with a 2.83 ERA in 41.1 innings of work. The only kink in the armor of Cline is that while he has struck out 35 batters he has walked a team leading 23 players.
The West Virginia line-up has been steady all season long for Van Zant. BIG EAST all-preseason selection Tim McCabe gives the Mountaineers a serious threat to do something every time he steps to the plate. McCabe has been hanging around the .340 mark the entire season in batting average. The third baseman is tied for the third on the team in hits (32), first in home runs (six), RBI (20) and slugging percentage (.571). Second baseman Chad Blevins, center fielder Mike Frownfelter, first baseman Kurtis Clinton and McCabe give the Mountaineers a formidable top in the batting lineup. Blevins, Frownfelter and Clinton are all clearly batting over .300 and have combined for 101 hits this season.
Quick Game Facts
, West Virginia leads the all-time series with Boston College, 9-5. All five of the Eagles' wins against the Mountaineers came between the years of 1997 and 1999.
, The Mountaineers have outscored the Eagles, 92-68, in their 14 meetings.
, The men of old gold and blue enter the doubleheader having won six of their last eight games entering Friday's doubleheader, while the men of maroon and gold have lost three of four.
Probable Pitching Rotation
Game One
Jake Marsello (1-1) - Boston College vs. Billy Biggs (5-3) - West Virginia - Seven Inning Game
Game Two
Chris Lambert (6-0) - Boston College vs. Zac Cline (3-1) - West Virginia - Nine Inning Game
