By: James Gravley | WV Sports Chat
The Mountaineers are headed to Central Florida for a new college baseball event that will bring together several programs with recent NCAA Tournament experience. Instead of opening the year against just one opponent, West Virginia will spend three days competing against different teams in a setting designed to make the start of the season feel like an event.
The tournament will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, giving the players a chance to play baseball somewhere far removed from the winter weather that can make early-season baseball difficult for northern programs.
But the trip isn’t simply about escaping the cold.
It’s about competition.
West Virginia will face Indiana State on the opening day before meeting St. John’s the following morning. The Mountaineers will close their weekend against Michigan. Each game will offer an early test, and each opponent will bring a different challenge.
Full schedule for the Orlando Baseball Classic
Friday, Feb. 26
St. John’s vs. Michigan – 11 am. ET
Indiana State vs. West Virginia – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Pitt – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27
West Virginia vs. St. John’s – 11 a.m.
Pitt vs. Indiana State – 3 p.m.
Michigan vs. UCF – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 28
St. John’s vs. Pitt – 11 a.m.
West Virginia vs. Michigan – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Indiana State – 7 p.m.
Broadcast details will be announced later.
That is part of what makes an early-season tournament valuable.
There is little time to settle in. Pitchers have to find their rhythm. New players have to adjust to college baseball at full speed. Returning players have to take on larger roles. Coaches are still learning which combinations work best.
One weekend can reveal a lot.
For West Virginia, the tournament also provides a chance to introduce a new team to its supporters. Mountaineer fans traveling to Florida will be able to watch the program begin another season while enjoying a destination that offers considerably more than a baseball field.
The setting should make the weekend memorable, but once the first pitch is thrown, the surroundings will disappear.
There will be a pitcher on the mound.
A hitter in the box.
Players waiting for their opportunity.
And a scoreboard that doesn’t care where the game is being played.
That is what makes the Orlando Baseball Classic intriguing. It may be a new event, but the baseball itself will be familiar: three days, strong opponents and an opportunity to establish an identity before the season gets moving.
For West Virginia, the journey begins in Orlando.
Photo: James Gravley | WV Sports Chat
