AP Sports Preview

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Interstat) — West Virginia hosts Wake Forest in a Sunday afternoon baseball matchup at Monongalia County Ballpark, with both teams looking to build momentum as the postseason approaches.

The Mountaineers (40-15) enter on a sour note after a 11-9 loss at Kentucky on Saturday. West Virginia’s Gavin Kelly had a standout performance in that game, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. The catcher has been a steady presence at the plate, collecting hits in six of his last eight games, including a home run and two RBIs in a 4-2 win over Kansas State on May 21.

Wake Forest (39-20) bounced back from a 6-5 loss to Kentucky on Friday with a 12-3 win at Binghamton on Saturday. Demon Deacons pitcher Cam Bagwell threw five shutout innings, allowing no hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts. Bagwell has been effective recently, posting a 2.45 ERA over his past two starts, though he struggled in a 3-7 loss at Duke on May 16, yielding two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

The Demon Deacons’ offense was sparked Saturday by Javar Williams, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and Blake Schaaf, who had four hits and two RBIs.

West Virginia’s lineup features Kelly, who also homered in a 7-3 win over Arizona State on May 22. Third baseman Tyrus Hall contributed two RBIs in the loss to Kentucky.

The Mountaineers have won seven of their last 10 games, while Wake Forest is 5-5 in its past 10.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-6 victory for West Virginia.

Weather forecast calls for temperatures in the low 70s with partly cloudy skies. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT.