If Saturday’s win over Ball State was a true test, Sunday’s matchup against Kentucky is a term paper. West Virginia will play another elimination game Sunday, this time against No. 1 Kentucky, the host of the Lexington Regional.
No. 2 WVU vs. No. 1 Kentucky elimination game information
- Location: Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, Kentucky
- All-time series: WVU is 2-11 against Kentucky.
- Last meeting: Kentucky shut out WVU 6-0 in a neutral-site game in 2010.
- West Virginia record: 40-19
- Kentucky record: 37-19
Elimination Game
- Date: Sunday, June 4, 2023
- Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- TV/stream: ESPNU
- Radio: Mountaineer Sports Network
- WVU probable starter: TBD
- Kentucky probable starter: TBD
Matchup preview
Kentucky and West Virginia meet in an elimination game after both teams started the tournament 1-1. No. 3 Indiana delivered losses to both schools.
While their 16-14 record may not represent a typical top-16 seed, the Wildcats – who are hosting the Regional – entered the NCAA Tournament with the second-best RPI in the country. Head coach Nick Mingione lead his team to a fourth place finish in the SEC East standings with one of the toughest schedules in the country.
Jackson Gray and Hunter Gilliam lead the charge offensively for the Wildcats. Gray leads the team in batting average (.363) and triples (6), while Gilliam boasts a .330 average with a team-high 11 homers. The Wildcats are hitting .296 as a team.
Wildcat-ace Zack Lee is unavailable after throwing seven innings Saturday against Indiana.
Including the first two games of the Regional, Kentucky is 26-7 at Kentucky Proud Park this year.
WVU collected its 40th win for just the second time in program history Saturday with its win over Ball State. A win Sunday would mark the first time West Virginia eclipsed 40 wins.
JJ Wetherholt, Logan Sauve, Dayne Leonard and Grant Hussey all homered in Saturday’s elimination game. Leonard is 5-for-9 in the Lexington Regional.
Freshmen Carson Estridge (3-1, 4.91 ERA) and Robby Porco (4-1, 7.86 ERA) are yet to appear in a Regional game, and a start on Sunday is on the table for each.
