THE SHOTGUN THROWDOWN: West Virginia baseball wins Backyard Brawl series

Welcome, By-Godders, to The Shotgun Throwdown, WVU’s best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor, and daily distractions.

BACKYARD BRAWL

The West Virginia baseball team defeated Pittsburgh in this season’s final game of the Backyard Brawl series, 9-1. The Mountaineers lost the first matchup in March, won the second game in extra innings in April, and won the final game at home this week.

Outfielders Victor Scott II and Braden Barry each had a home run and three resulting RBIs. Freshman pitcher Aidan Major had eight strikeouts and recorded 18 outs in just 84 pitches. The right-hander also had six scoreless and hitless frames.

WVU returns to Big 12 Conference action on the road this weekend, when it faces #21 Oklahoma.

TBT UPDATE

Best Virginia, the West Virginia men’s basketball alumni team, has announced that it will keep both of its coaches from last summer. The head coach will again be former Mountaineer guard James Long. Long is currently the head coach at WVU Tech, where he has gone 62-21 in three seasons.

WEST VIRGINIA ROUNDUP

• West Virginia baseball coach Randy Mazey knows how important rivalry games are to WVU fans. He also likes how the Backyard Brawl series gives his players the opportunity to play at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• The West Virginia football team will be relying on transfers Mike Lockhart and Tirek Austin-Cave to provide depth for the defense this fall.

AROUND THE BIG 12

• Did you know that the Iowa State men’s basketball team was the first to succeed with a team full of high-level transfers?

AROUND THE NCAA

• Alabama football coach Nick Saban is denying that the Crimson Tide violated NCAA rules by recruiting former Louisville wide receiver Tyler Harrell before he entered the transfer portal.

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