MORGANTOWN — West Virginia baseball is off to a hot start this season after winning its third-straight series, picking up the first two games against Kennesaw State. The Mountaineers are 8-2 on the season and are ranked in the top 25.

WVU has only lost two games, and it wasn’t like they were blowouts. The Mountaineers had a chance to sweep Liberty in the final game, with runners in position in the ninth, and lost to the Owls on an eighth-inning homer. Ohio State transfer Matthew Graveline also had a double to start the ninth, so the tying run was there. It’s just the last two games of the series, WVU’s offense slacks a little, or the pitching loses its touch. Still, an impressive start.

WVU has a one-day rest from its last game against Kennesaw State until it has its next series, with an opportunity to sweep. Radford comes to Morgantown for the Mountaineers’ first series at home, which is a two-game midweek series. The first game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on March 3 and will be streamed on ESPN+. Wednesday’s game has the same start time and TV broadcast.

The Highlanders are 6-4 on the season, and lost a three-game series against Bryant. Radford won the first game of the series.

The pitching staff was torched in the final two games. Radford allowed 27 runs, and the first game was only seven innings. It’s still early in the season, but still, that’s a lot of runs.

One of WVU’s strengths is its offense. The Mountaineers have yet to be shut out this season and have scored 46 runs combined in the last four games, which included the six-run loss to Kennesaw State. WVU averages a little over nine runs per game. If Radford’s pitching is anything like it was against Bryant, the Mountaineers should have a field day.

It’ll be more of a two-game series for WVU to rebound on the mound. The starting pitching against the Owls was excellent. Maxx Yehl didn’t allow a run, Dawson Montesa struck out 11 and Chansen Cole pitched five scoreless when he was on the mound. WVU’s bullpen took a hit in the final game. After Yehl dominated, the bullpen allowed seven runs, blowing a six-run lead. Radford doesn’t have the most talented offense, so it should be an opportunity to get back on track. Transfer outfielder Devin Parks leads the team with a .342 batting average. He also has a homer and 10 RBIs.

This is only the second weekday game. During the weekend series, head coach Steve Sabins has rotated between Yehl, Montesa and Cole, but they’ve all pitched this weekend, so Sabins will have to start someone new.

In WVU’s first midweek game, David Hagen pitched. He had his ups and downs, but he didn’t allow a run.

“Hagen was good,” Sabins said. “We got high hopes for the guy. Extremely intelligent. He is hard-working. He’s been consistent, so he has all the makings of a starting pitcher.”

There’s still an opening for the second game of the series, which could reveal WVU’s fifth starter for this season. Whoever it is, they should have some run support, especially if this midweek series is anything like WVU’s last midweek home game, where the Mountaineers tacked on a season-high 19 runs.

With Radford struggling, losing its last two games, WVU should be in a prime spot to bounce back after losing the final game against Kennesaw State, which would be the Mountaineers’ fourth series win on the young season.