OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.— It’s merely a three-block bus ride from the West Virginia baseball team’s hotel to Bricktown Ballpark.
Yet during that brief trip Saturday evening, something crucial happened: Freshman Ryan Bergert learned he’d be making his first college start.
Short notice turned out to be the correct play.
Bergert dazzled over five scoreless innings, and fellow freshman Zach Ottinger kept the zeroes coming in his longest relief outing of the season.
Their combined one-hitter — aided by yet another Brandon White diving catch — carried fourth-seeded West Virginia through the Big 12 tournament semifinals with a 2-0 victory over regular-season champ Texas Tech.