Baseball: WVU Preparing for Doubleheader

By Grant Dovey for WVUsports.com
March 19, 2012 03:38 PM

Dan Dierdorff

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team will host Akron on Tuesday, March 20, for a doubleheader at Hawley Field starting at 1 p.m. The first game will last seven innings, followed by a nine-inning series finale.

The Mountaineers are looking to get back into the win column after winning four in a row last week, before falling in Sunday’s series finale with Manhattan. WVU currently has a 10-11 record, while Akron enters the game with a 5-12 mark.

Coach Greg Van Zant will send junior right-hander Dan Dierdorff (3-0) to the mound. Dierdorff will be making his sixth appearance and third-straight start. In his last two starts against Niagara and Eastern Michigan, Dierdorff has pitched 15.2 innings, allowing six runs and striking out 14. Both previous starts resulted in wins.

Freshman outfielder Bobby Boyd continues to lead the team, batting .321 (18-for-56) with 11 runs, while stealing 9-of-11 bases. Junior shortstop John Polonius has been hot as of late, hitting .313 (20-for-64) with nine runs, one double, one home run and seven RBIs.

Sophomore first baseman Ryan McBroom leads the team with 14 RBIs, a result of six doubles and one home run. Junior outfielder/second baseman Brady Wilson has also had a strong showing, driving in 10 runs on one double, one triple and two home runs.

Akron coach Rick Rembielak will send left-hander Matt Gebacz (0-1) to the mound in game one. Gebacz worked three innings in a start last Wednesday at Jacksonville, allowing three runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. On the season Gebacz has a 13.50 earned-run average in three appearances, having allowed 10 runs on 10 hits in six innings.

Akron is led at the plate by Tyler Begun, who is hitting .306 with five doubles, one triple, one home run and seven RBIs. The Zips are hitting .230 as a team with 31 extra-base hits and 16 stolen bases in 16 games.

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