Following yet another breathtaking performance Tuesday night against Penn State, one in which the sophomore standout boasted five RBI’s on a grand slam and triple just three games after returning from injury, JJ Wetherholt deserves his flowers for the excitement surrounding WVU baseball.
“I can’t imagine there’s been a better time in the history of West Virginia baseball with atmosphere. We’re winning games, people are having fun, and it’s just been electric these last couple of weeks,” said head coach Randy Mazey. “There’s no other way to put it, it’s just enjoyable to come to the ballpark every time we play.”
From his freshman season, the growth has been exponential, and freakishly terrifying for those wondering what’s left to come with two seasons of eligibility remaining in his collegiate tenure. In his initial season, Wetherholt hit .308, with five homers, 39 RBI’s, and 64 hits. This year, in 18 less games, he has put up eye popping numbers, batting 0.459 with nine home runs, 44 RBI’s, and 68 hits, not to mention a 0.777 slugging percentage.
“I think just getting more reps, tweaking a little bit of stuff mechanically, and overall, the mental side of things. Just trying to find a way to eliminate the ups and downs and just be more consistent day in and day out,” said Wetherholt.
Again, with a 0.459 batting average, consistency certainly isn’t a problem for the 5’10 second baseman from Mars, Pennsylvania. That average currently sits at second amongst all hitters at the division one level, making headlines not just in the Mountaineer community, but all across the collegiate baseball world..
“Nothing he does surprises us at this point,” said Mazey. “The laws of averages tell you you aren’t able to do what he’s doing, but he’s doing it in spite of that. He just plays with a tremendous amount of confidence, always has, and the guys are rallying around him. It’s a fun group to watch.”
Behind Wetherholt's dominance, the Mountaineers sit atop the Big 12, on pace for potentially their first ever league trophy, and with that, Wetherholt's name has been in the mix with strong consideration as a potential Golden Spikes Award finalist.
“We’ve had some great offensive players here, but we haven’t had anybody that’s captured the attention of the whole community like JJ has. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever coached,” said Mazey.
Teammate and slugger Grant Hussey, who also had a grand slam in Tuesday's victory over Penn State, had high praise for his teammate as well.
“It’s crazy just seeing him out here everyday. He’s one of the best baseball players I’ve ever seen and he’ll continue to be one of the best baseball players probably all of us will ever see.”
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