MANHATTAN, Kan. (May 10, 2025) – The No. 12 West Virginia University baseball team bounced back from a tough loss in the series opener with a 10-3 victory over Kansas State, Saturday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium. The Mountaineers improve to 40-9 overall and 19-5 in the Big 12 while the Wildcats fall to 29-21 and 15-11 in conference play.
With their 40
th win of the season, the Mountaineers have tied a program record set in 1994 and matched in 2023. It is also the most regular season wins in school history. One more win for the Mountaineers or losses by TCU and Arizona State would clinch the Big 12 title for West Virginia as well.
Senior
Jace Rinehart went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored while
Kyle West hit a grand slam, his eighth home run of the season to tie Rinehart for the team lead.
On the mound, sophomore
Chase Meyer got his first weekend start and went 4.1 innings while allowing three runs and striking out four. Junior
Ben McDougal earned his first win of the season with 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
Kansas State took an early lead with a run in the first before WVU responded with two runs in the second on a groundout and wild pitch. In the home half of the second, the Wildcats answered with two runs of their own to retake the lead.
In the fourth, the Mountaineers put up six runs, all with two outs. Freshman
Gavin Kelly evened up the game with a single before senior
Brodie Kresser put WVU on top with a single of his own. West then delivered the big blow, a grand slam of off KSU's top reliever, to extend the advantage to five runs.
Rinehart padded the lead in the sixth with a two-run double to give him 50 RBI on the season.
It was plenty of cushion for McDougal as he retired the final 11 batters to come to the plate.
The Mountaineers will look to take the series and the conference title on Sunday with first pitch for game three set for 2 p.m. ET.
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