The West Virginia University baseball team is gearing up to start its NCAA Regional campaign on Friday, May 30, against Kentucky, with the game scheduled for noon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. The Mountaineers earned the No. 2 seed in this regional, while the Wildcats come in as the No. 3 seed.
This regional is particularly notable as it features multiple teams that advanced to the Super Regionals in 2024 – including WVU, Clemson (the host and No. 11 national seed), and Kentucky. The Wildcats made headlines by reaching the College World Series for the first time in their history.
The matchup between West Virginia and Kentucky will be broadcast on ESPNU, featuring Eric Frede and Lance Cormier on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Mountaineer Sports Network with Jake Weghorst via various radio affiliates, the Varsity Network, the WVU Gameday App, and WVUSports.com.
Heading into regional play, the Mountaineers boast an impressive overall record of 41-14 and recently concluded their Big 12 campaign with a 19-9 record, securing their second Big 12 title in three years and marking their first outright championship. This appearance marks the 17th time in program history they have reached the regionals and is a testament to the potential of first-year head coach.
Among the players, junior catcher and redshirt senior pitcher were named to the All-Big 12 first team, while senior outfielder and a graduate pitcher earned second-team accolades. Notably, witness the emergence of new talent – a freshman player making the All-Freshman team, along with several others receiving honorable mentions.
Leading the Mountaineers offensively is West, who has a .354 batting average, 10 home runs, and 50 RBIs, closely followed by Rinehart, who has 20 doubles and 41 RBIs. On the pitching side, Kirn holds the highest strikeout total for the team with 92 strikeouts, complemented by a solid ERA of 3.32.
In contrast, Kentucky enters with a record of 29-24, trying to build momentum in the postseason. Infielder Tyler Bell stands out as their only All-SEC representative and is enjoying a productive season.
The outcome of Friday’s faceoff will determine who advances in the winner’s bracket to play on Saturday at 6 p.m., while the losing team will have to regroup for an early noon game on the same day.
As the Mountaineers embark on this journey, they carry not only impressive statistics but also the spirit of perseverance, primed for what could be a thrilling postseason run.