The Smoking Musket

Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure… ... Continue Reading

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports Joel and Jordan continue their summer series with an in-depth look the Kansas Jayhawks who, under Lance Leipold, have an opportunity to position themselves among the top of the new Big 12. Listen to this episode and more on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major platforms. Don’t forget to… ... Continue Reading

Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in… ... Continue Reading

Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in… ... Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Best Virginia A revamped Best Virginia team sets its sights on a $1 million prize as they begin their TBT run against the Brotherly Love Pro Am Foundation this afternoon in Pittsburgh. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game. Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know… ... Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Best Virginia Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure… ... Continue Reading

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure… ... Continue Reading

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure… ... Continue Reading

Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to… ... Continue Reading

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports Joel and Jordan break down the Pitt Panthers, a team coming off their most disappointing season under Narduzzi. How will the Mountaineers fare in their travel to the Burgh this year? Listen to this episode and more on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major platforms. Don’t forget to follow… ... Continue Reading

Photo by Andy Astfalck/BSR Agency/Getty Images Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be… ... Continue Reading

Good morning! This is the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup. Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in… ... Continue Reading

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Summer Deep Dive Series is back folks! Joel and Jordan get after it breaking down a Penn State team that might just be the best team on WVU’s schedule this year. Listen to this episode and more on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major… ... Continue Reading

The guys are back chatting about WVU-related news over the last few months and getting ready to kick off the summer series of deep dives. Listen to this episode and more on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major platforms. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @smokingmusket and @West_By_Pod to stay updated on… ... Continue Reading

Jeffrey Camarati-USA TODAY Sports It’s a must-win tonight for the Mountaineers as they try to force a third game in the Super Regional series. Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here but, for the uninitiated, we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and… ... Continue Reading

LET’S GOOO! The Mountaineer bats got hot in the top half of the sixth inning as Reed Chumley launched a 2-run shot to left-center after Sam White reached on an error to begin the frame, tying the game at 4-4. Two batters later, Kyle West went yard for the second time this evening with a… ... Continue Reading

WHAT A PLAY! Down 4-1 in the 4th inning, Kyle West ripped a fastball into the gap between right and centerfield sending Brodie Kresser home from first base. Vance Honeycutt’s relay throw beat him by a mile, but Kresser was able to his hand under the tag for West Virginia’s second run of the evening.West… ... Continue Reading

The Road to Omaha for the Mountaineers runs through Chapel Hill

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here but, for the uninitiated, we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, and don’t be a troll.

WHEN/WHERE

Date: Friday, June 7, 2024

First Pitch: 6:00 PM ET

Where: Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images

WATCH/LISTEN

Channel: ESPN

Announcers: Mike Monaco and Kyle Peterson

Online Streaming: ESPN with a valid cable or ESPN+ subscription

Radio: Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG (Radio Affiliates) | WVU Gameday App (Apple | Android)

Radio Announcers: Andrew Caridi and Jake Weghorst

Betting Odds: North Carolina -2.5, 11.5 total runs via DraftKings Sportsbook

Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

STARTING PITCHERS

West Virginia: Derek Clark (8-2, 2.82 ERA)

North Carolina: Shea Sprague (3-1, 3.76 ERA)

THE ENEMY

Where are they from? Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Series History: West Virginia and UNC will meet this evening for the first time in over a decade, marking the 10th game in the series that dates back to 1914. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series, 7-2. The Mountaineers took a 5-1 win in their last meeting with North Carolina on March 19, 2014.

Record: 45-14 (22-8 ACC)

Head Coach: Scott Forbes (4th Season)

Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images

PREGAME READING & UPDATES

Follow along with us on Twitter/X @smokingmusket for running commentary.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Find a warm, comfortable spot, grab a favorite beverage or threeve, and join in on the running commentary, random observations, silly images, gifs, snark, wit, bitches, complaints, moans, groans, cheers, celebration and jubilation in the comments section below.

And, as always...

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If Lil’ Wayne is right when he said that “Real G’s move in silence like lasagna”, does that make Darian DeVries a Real G? Has Nelson Hernandez wrote the online blueprint for all future WVU coaches that don’t have a past WV connection? Should any bad NBA head coach be a reason no one should… ... Continue Reading

The Mountaineers will conclude spring practices with the Gold-Blue game on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know to watch/listen live.

How to watch the 2024 West Virginia Gold-Blue Spring Game

Time: 12:00PM ET

Location: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia

Channel: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Online Streaming: ONLY AVAILABLE ON ESPN+

TV Crew: Nick Farrell (play-by-play), Rasheed Marshall (analysis) and Anjelica Trinone (sideline)

Radio: Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield (Radio Affiliates) | WVU Gameday App (Apple | Android). We will also include the stream in our game thread, which will go live at Noon.

Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

Broadcast Information:

Tune in on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ to catch the live broadcast of the game. Nick Farrell will be on the call, while Rasheed Marshall will provide analysis. Anjelica Trinone will report from the sidelines.

Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning will man their usual roles for the radio broadcast.

Additional Festivities:

This year the Gold-Blue Spring Game Kickoff Concert will feature Morgantown’s own Huey Mack. The concert will take place from 10:30AM to 11:30PM on the east side of the stadium, between the Light Blue and Teal lots. Admission is free to the public.

For those unfamiliar with Huey Mack:

Along with the kickoff concert, the Almost Heaven Village fan experience area will offer fans the opportunity to pick up an exclusive schedule poster, enjoy food trucks, inflatables, a DJ, yard games, photo opportunities, balloon artistry and face painting, along with appearances from the WVU Spirit Squads. Almost Heaven Village will be open three hours prior to kickoff (9 a.m.) and will close 30 minutes prior to kickoff (11:30 a.m.).

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