MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The hope of a career playing baseball had West Virginia pitcher Alek Manoah chomping at the bit to get better this offseason.
The junior right-hander will be on the mound for the Mountaineers as they open the season Friday at Kennesaw State. Manoah is considered the ace of the staff, but it wasn’t easy for him as a sophomore in 2018 when he went 3-5 in eight starts and 23 appearances.
A 6-foot-6, 260-pounder, velocity was never the issue. Manoah’s biggest problem was command — he walked 28 batters, hit 15 others and threw seven wild pitches.