WVU Baseball Preview: The Mountaineers’ Outfield is Brimming With Offensive Potential

This story is part of a series previewing the West Virginia baseball team this week ahead of the Mountaineers’ season-opener against Georgia State on Friday. WVSN will publish previews of WVU’s outfield, infield and pitching staff this week.

Despite losing left fielder Braden Zarbnisky to the pros after last season, West Virginia’s outfield has the potential to be very, very good in 2021.

First, even with Zarbnisky gone the Mountaineers will return their two other full-time starters in junior Austin Davis and sophomore Victor Scott. Those two, plus the addition of grad transfer Hudson Byorick give WVU’s outfield heaps of potential this season.

Davis started all 16 games in right field for WVU last season and was putting together the start of what looked to be a breakout season at the plate for the Orlando native. Davis hit .322 with four doubles, a triple, 10 RBI and six stolen bases in 2020. He quickly rose up the Mountaineers’ batting order, solidifying himself as the two-hole hitter by the time the season was shut down.

Scott started the first 15 games of his freshman season in centerfield last year. He suffered an injury that would have held him out for some time, but ended up only missing one game by the time the rest of the season was canceled. A Georgia native, Scott hit .222 with a team-high three triples, one home run, five RBI, four steals and six runs scored.

West Virginia is the third stop in Byorick’s college career after spending two years at Pierce College and two more at Wofford. Byorick raked in his two years at Wofford, hitting .336 with a .456 on-base percentage, 25 doubles and 53 RBI in 78 games. He also had a stellar 32-to-57 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

WVU coach Randy Mazey said Byorick could fit in at any spot in WVU’s lineup.

“We signed him because of his analytics,” Mazey said. “He presents himself as a guy who can hit doubles and homers but when you dig into the analytics, his on-base percentage and his walk-to-strikeout ratio make him valuable really in any spot in the lineup. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a big guy like him who can’t run very well might hit leadoff for us.”

Finally, junior Vince Ippoliti could see some time in the outfield this season. While his main role will be as WVU’s designated hitter and backup catcher, Ippoliti was going to move to left field after Scott’s injury last season, although he only played one game out there before the season’s end. He batted .290 with three doubles and six RBI in 2020.