Top Five Games for Mountaineer Athletics in April

The West Virginia baseball team will be highlighting many of the sports headlines this month, as the team is almost midway through their season, but there are other WVU teams that are hoping to make headlines, too. Some of these teams are heading into postseason play, while others are making headlines in their offseason. See which matchups are the top games for these Mountaineer teams in April.

Honorable Mention: Women’s Tennis in the Big 12 Championship (April 26-29)

The West Virginia women’s tennis team makes their first appearance on the list as an honorable mention. WVU will face tough competition in the Big 12 Championship later this season. Four teams in the conference are currently ranked nationally. The Mountaineers will face three of these four teams this month before the Big 12 Championship. Lyn Yuen Choo and Paula Goetz have been leading the Mountaineers. This season they currently have 7-3 and 5-1 singles records, respectively.

5. Baseball vs Penn State (April 10)

For the second year in a row, the Mountaineers will take on the Nittany Lions in Pittsburgh. The game will again be played at PNC Park, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In last season’s edition of this neutral site game, catcher Chase Illig led the Mountaineers to a 4-2 victory over Penn State. WVU also split the regular season series with PSU last year, 1-1. This season’s matchup at PNC Park in Pittsburgh will be the second of two games with Penn State in April.

Geoff Coyle/WV Illustrated

4. Baseball at Marshall (April 24)

WVU will also play a neutral site game in the state capital this month against their in-state rival Marshall. For the fourth year in a row, the two will face off at Appalachian Power Park, home of the West Virginia Power. The Herd is making Charleston their second home this season. Marshall has scheduled 12 games in Charleston this season, compared to just six games that will be played in Huntington. This matchup will be the only game the Mountaineers will play in Charleston this season, so it is a great opportunity for WVU fans in the southern part of the state to see the team in action. This is the first of two games between WVU and Marshall this season. The second will be played in Morgantown. The Mountaineers hope to continue their four game win streak against the Herd, including 14-7 and 8-4 victories last season.

3. Gymnastics in the NCAA Regional Championship (April 7)

The WVU gymnastics team is looking to make a run in the NCAA Tournament this month. The team will start its journey in the Regional Championship. The Mountaineers will be joined by #5 Florida, #8 Washington, #17 Arizona State, Penn State, and New Hampshire in their Regional Championship. The Mountaineers have been very solid on vault this season, and if they can boost their floor exercise and balance beam scores, they could potentially make their way to the National Semifinals and the Super Six (National Finals) in the NCAA Tournament.

2. Football – Gold-Blue Spring Game (April 7)

The anticipation for Will Grier’s senior season boosts this intrasquad scrimmage to second on the list. Mountaineer fans will get a preview of the 2018 WVU football team this week in the annual Gold-Blue Spring Game. The game is a great opportunity for fans to see where the team is in their offseason progress, and more importantly, it gives the coaching staff that same opportunity, so that they can make additional adjustments accordingly as the season approaches.

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The Mountaineers won’t be back on the field in front of fans again until the season opener against Tennessee in September. WVU fans planning to attend the Gold-Blue Spring Game can enjoy a weekend full of sports in Morgantown, as the WVU baseball team will also be hosting UNLV in a three game series over the weekend. Combo tickets for both the Gold-Blue Spring Game and Saturday’s baseball game against UNLV are also available for fans to purchase for just $15.

1. Baseball vs Pittsburgh (April 11)

Topping off the list is the baseball edition of the Backyard Brawl. A rainy week in Morgantown led to the rescheduling of this matchup, which was originally scheduled to take place last week. Now the Mountaineers are set to host their biggest rival on April 11. WVU is heading into April with a big win over #7 Texas Tech, although the Mountaineers lost two games in this series in Lubbock. Sophomore Kevin Brophy has been leading the way offensively for WVU this season. Brophy currently leads the team with six home runs and 14 RBIs. The Mountaineers currently have a three game winning streak on the Pitt, including two matchups last season where WVU won 8-4 in Pittsburgh and 2-0 in Morgantown.