Pitchers on high alert against power offenses in Big 12 tournament

MORGANTOWN — If West Virginia’s pitching staff tossed and turned a little in their hotel rooms in Arlington, Texas, it would be hard to blame them.

Oklahoma’s offense seems to give off that type of worrisome vibe.

The Sooners will likely have six hitters in their starting lineup all batting .336 or higher when they meet the Mountaineers at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the Big 12 tournament at Globe Life Field, the home of the Texas Rangers.

Just going back to the two school’s first meeting of the season, the Sooners (33-20) took two-of-three from WVU (33-20), outscoring the Mountaineers 40-17 in the process.

“You just have to go in the same way you do every day and prepare the same way,” WVU pitcher Aidan Major said. “You have to have faith in your defense. They’ve made plays all year. As long as you go in and execute the game plan and trust in your guys, you should still come out on top.”

Over their last five Big 12 series, the Sooners averaged 11.7 runs per game and scored 13 or more seven times, including 24 in one game against Kansas.

That’s ho-hum, though, compared to the 30 runs TCU put up in one game against Kansas or the fact that Texas smacked 110 home runs as a team or that Texas Tech is averaging nine runs per game for the season, which is 10th in the country.

Big 12 pitchers have taken the brunt force of all of that, and for the first time since 1999, no Big 12 team finished with an ERA lower than 4.00.

So, if you’re tuning in to see your average, well-played 4-3 type of game, the Big 12 tournament may not be for you.

“There’s going to be some high-scoring games down there, once you get deep into the pitching staffs,” WVU head coach Randy Mazey said. “College baseball this year is super offensive, because of COVID-19, the draft being a five-round draft (in 2020) and then a 20-round draft (in 2021). There are way more older kids in college baseball right now than has ever happened. Kids that normally wouldn’t be in college baseball are in college baseball. The talent is at an all-time high.”

The Sooners went 11-4 in their final five Big 12 series, including taking two-of-three from No. 11 Texas Tech to end the regular season.

West Virginia, too, ended the regular season on a positive note, sweeping Kansas State, while outscoring the Wildcats 35-9 in the process.

“We can put up runs and we can hit, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for us,” WVU outfielder Austin Davis said. “It’s going to be high-scoring for the Mountaineers, I know that.”

The difference may be in the stadium itself. Globe Life Field is a retractable dome with deeper dimensions than most college fields.

“I think that field is going to suit us pretty well,” Mazey said. “It’s a big field with big gaps. Speed is going to play a factor in some games down there more so than power. You’d like to think that’s an advantage for the Mountaineers.”

The tournament is double-elimination format and the winner of the WVU-Oklahoma game will face the winner of the Texas Tech-Kansas State game, while the losers of those first-round games will meet in an elimination game Thursday.

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