Preview: UCF Knights at West Virginia Mountaineers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Interstat) — A pivotal Big 12 Conference series concludes Sunday afternoon when the West Virginia Mountaineers host the UCF Knights.

The teams have split the first two games of the set. West Virginia (21-6) evened the series with an 11-10 victory Saturday, rallying after UCF (19-9) took the opener 5-0 on Friday.

Sunday’s rubber match features two of the league’s top offenses. The Mountaineers boast the conference’s best overall record, while the Knights have won seven of their last ten.

A key matchup will be UCF outfielder John Smith against West Virginia shortstop Matthew Ineich. Smith has been on a tear, driving in 17 runs over his last ten games, including a 3-for-5, four-RBI performance in Saturday’s loss. For the series, he is 5-for-9 with five RBIs.

Ineich provided the decisive blow in Saturday’s win, a three-run home run. He looks to build on that momentum after a quiet start to the series.

On the mound, both teams’ bullpens were heavily used in Saturday’s back-and-forth contest, which could factor into Sunday’s decisions. UCF’s Mateo Gray struggled, allowing five earned runs over 6 1/3 innings Saturday, while West Virginia relievers Carson Estridge and JT Huether provided critical scoreless outings late.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, a high-scoring affair is again projected, with a narrow 8-7 victory for the visiting Knights.

Following Sunday’s game, West Virginia will prepare for a midweek rematch with in-state rival Marshall on Tuesday. UCF returns to Florida to host Stetson on Tuesday before resuming Big 12 play next weekend at Kansas.