One step forward, one step back

That began at Charlotte back in February, where the Mountaineers took the first two of a four-game series and appeared ready to capture the set on the road. However, it lots a pair of one-run decisions to split the quad, and then repeated that on its next road venture to Western Kentucky, going 2-2 against the Hilltoppers.

Against Ohio State, WVU took the opener of a three-game home series, then lost the next two, getting blasted 26-11 in the finale. The next weekend, it was no-hit at Oklahoma, but then bounced back to win two and take the series over the league-leading Sooners. Seven consecutive league wins followed, including two seeps, but just as the momentum was building to a crescendo, Texas Tech reversed the broom to hoover the Mountaineers on their road trip to Lubbock.

What to make of it all?

Some of it is “just baseball”, the phrase that covers the day-to-day changes in the sport that aren’t as present in most other team sports. But how good is this team? Is it a big-hitting bunch that occasionally has an off day, or is it the squad that has left 299 runners on base this year? Is it a team that can put together enough effective pitching to get through a weekend series (the slogs of postseason tournaments are another matter entirely), or is it one that has a 5.67 team ERA in conference play and a 1.59 WHIP against Big 12 opponents?

As always, it’s important to take the long view. Just as the seven-game league winning streak shouldn’t have been taken as an indicator that the Mountaineers were going to cruise to the regular season title, so too should the negative results in Lubbock be taken in context. WVU is still positioned to forge a good finish in the regular season, and if it doesn’t win the title that doesn’t mean that it’s been a failure, even if there though those unable to understand that losses at the end of the season don’t always define a team.

The good news is that West Virginia’s remaining schedule is manageable, and the Mountaineers still have an RPI that would put it comfortably in the NCAAs. Of course, it needs to win more games, and that starts with remaining non-conference contests against Pitt and Penn State. League series against Baylor (RPI 123). Cincinnati (87) Kansas State (34) and TCU (38) aren’t easy by any stretch, but if the Mountaineers can produce at the plate more consistently with runners on and piece together a pitching rotation that doesn’t get blown up early, it certainly has the chance to be playing in the final week of May.

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It won’t help this year, but perhaps there is some help on the way for beleaguered Big 12 umpires. The conference has announced that it will use TrackMan technology for the 2024 baseball season in its evaluation and training of umpires.

The TrackMan system uses patented Optically Enhanced Radar Tracking (OERT) to deliver accurate results from a single, small system, which is used by all Big 12 schools and over 250 colleges around the country. This system will help in the evaluation of ball and strike calls in both the regular season and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship.

What remains to be seen, of course, is if those umpires that don’t improve with reviews and training will be removed from conference employment.

“TrackMan provides every Big 12 program with the most robust tracking solution to help with player development, scouting and recruiting,” Trackman senior manager for baseball and softball James Snikeris said. “We are excited to now work directly with the Big 12 conference to provide in-game data to help train and educate umpires. This partnership illustrates the Big 12 Conference commitment to improve the game experience for the student athletes, coaches, and fans. TrackMan is proud to be the exclusive ball tracking provider for one of the top college conferences.”

TrackMan’s stadium tracking unit and portable practice unit are used by all 30 teams in Major League Baseball, the top levels of the amateur game, collegiate summer leagues and is embedded in more than 500 stadiums around the globe.