The No.16 West Virginia Mountaineers and the Troy Trojans are facing off in the College World Series on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in an elimination game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. The Mountaineers (45-16) defeated Troy (39-31) in their opening game before falling to North Carolina on Sunday. Here is our gameday preview, prediction, and odds to get you ready for first pitch.
West Virginia vs Troy Game Odds
The Mountaineers are a 2.5-run favorite with an over/under of 12.5 runs. West Virginia scored just two runs in their last game while Troy scored 12.
Players to Watch
Gavin Kelly, West Virginia (UTL): I know I picked Kelly as my player to watch against North Carolina, and he finished going 1 for 4, picking up his first hit in Omaha. He leads West Virginia in all major hitting categories, and the Mountaineers need him to have a big game against Troy.
Troy Janicki, Troy (C): No surprise here, as Janicki is not just the best player Troy has but the best player the Sun Belt has to offer. Troy was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year and was also an All-American. He has already gone deep in both games Troy has played so far.
Key Storyline: Offensive Firepower
One thing Troy can do is hit the cover off the ball. This postseason, they have scored at least five runs in every single game and have put up double digits five times. Between Troy Janicki, Blake Cavill and others, they have the bats to compete with anyone, and Ole Miss found that out the hard way.
While West Virginia doesn’t have the home run power that Troy has, they do have several solid hitters in their lineup as well. They have five guys in their lineup batting over the .300 mark, and it also helps that both teams are going to be without their aces in this one.
Prediction: West Virginia 7, Troy 6
I expect no shortage of runs scored in this one as both pitching units come in a little taxed after playing two games already. Neither team is particularly deep, which should give both offenses an opportunity to light up the scoreboard.
In the end, I think West Virginia already has a small advantage in the bullpen, which could be the difference in the game. It’s going to be a close battle, and the over will hit, but this West Virginia team is as tough as nails, and that loss on Sunday only fueled their fire.
