Friday, February 13
Statesboro, Ga.
6:30 PM
West Virginia University
at
Georgia Southern
Mountaineers Set to Open 2026 Season at Georgia Southern
February 12, 2026 11:14 AM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team opens the 2026 season with three games at Georgia Southern, Feb. 13-15, from J.I. Clements Stadium. The series gets started on Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Fans can watch all three games on ESPN+ and follow with live stats on wvusports.com.
The Mountaineers are coming off a historic season where they set a new program record with 44 wins, won the Big 12 regular season title for the second time in three years, and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second consecutive season.
Heading into the 2026 season, WVU was picked third in the Big 12 Coaches Poll, the highest predicted finish since joining the Big 12. Additionally, the Mountaineers clocked in at No. 21 in the Baseball America Top 25 and No. 27 in the NCBWA Preseason Top 30.
Sophomore Chansen Cole will get the ball on opening day for the Mountaineers. The right-hander transferred to WVU this season after a standout year at Division II Newberry College where he went 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 87.2 innings.
Redshirt-junior Maxx Yehl returns to the mound on Saturday after missing the entire 2025 season while junior Dawson Montesa will start on Sunday after going 8-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 72.1 innings en route to being named a Division II All-American at Adelphi University a season ago.
Pitching Probables (2025 Stats)
RHP Chansen Cole (7-5, 3.39 ERA, 97 K, 21 BB, 87.2 IP (at Newberry)) vs. LHP Carter DeGondea (4-1, 3.91 ERA, 34 K, 21 BB, 50.2 IP)
LHP Maxx Yehl (Did not pitch in 2025) vs. LHP Thomas Burke (0-1, 5.46 ERA, 25 K, 24 BB, 28.0 IP)
RHP Dawson Montesa (8-1, 1.99 ERA, 105 K, 24 BB, 72.1 IP (at Adelphi)) vs. LHP Chase Davis (1-3, 7.40 ERA, 13 K, 13 BB, 20.2 IP (at South Alabama))
The Mountaineers return 19 players from last year's squad, including All-Big 12 Freshman team member Gavin Kelly and Clemson Regional Most Outstanding Player Armani Guzman. Returning pitchers include Preseason All-Big 12 honoree Chase Meyer as well as seniors Carson Estridge, Reese Bassinger, Ben McDougal.
Transfers will once again play a big role on the Mountaineers this year as 13 players with college experience join the fray including catcher/outfielder Matthew Graveline (Ohio State, shortstop Matt Ineich (Ohio), outfielder Brock Wills (UNCW), outfielder Sean Smith (Georgia Southern), infielder Tyrus Hall (Bossier Parrish CC), catcher Creed Erdos (James Madison), and outfielder Paul Schoenfeld (CSU-Mesa). In addition to Cole and Montesa, four other pitchers join WVU this year as well – Ian Korn (Seton Hill), Andrew Middleton (UMass), Joshua Surigao (Hawaii), and Bryson Thacker (Tennessee). Twelve freshmen also join the Mountaineers this season.
Led by 27th year head coach Rodney Hennon, Georgia Southern was picked seventh of 14 teams in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll. In 2025, the Eagles went 28-31 and 13-17 in conference play.
Catcher Sean White is GSU's returning leading hitter after hitting .288 with eight home runs and 44 RBI in 2025. Carter DeGondea will get the start on opening day after going 4-1 with a 3.72 ERA last year.
Fans can watch all three games on ESPN+ and follow with live stats on wvusports.com.
The Mountaineers are coming off a historic season where they set a new program record with 44 wins, won the Big 12 regular season title for the second time in three years, and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second consecutive season.
Heading into the 2026 season, WVU was picked third in the Big 12 Coaches Poll, the highest predicted finish since joining the Big 12. Additionally, the Mountaineers clocked in at No. 21 in the Baseball America Top 25 and No. 27 in the NCBWA Preseason Top 30.
Sophomore Chansen Cole will get the ball on opening day for the Mountaineers. The right-hander transferred to WVU this season after a standout year at Division II Newberry College where he went 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 87.2 innings.
Redshirt-junior Maxx Yehl returns to the mound on Saturday after missing the entire 2025 season while junior Dawson Montesa will start on Sunday after going 8-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 72.1 innings en route to being named a Division II All-American at Adelphi University a season ago.
Pitching Probables (2025 Stats)
RHP Chansen Cole (7-5, 3.39 ERA, 97 K, 21 BB, 87.2 IP (at Newberry)) vs. LHP Carter DeGondea (4-1, 3.91 ERA, 34 K, 21 BB, 50.2 IP)
LHP Maxx Yehl (Did not pitch in 2025) vs. LHP Thomas Burke (0-1, 5.46 ERA, 25 K, 24 BB, 28.0 IP)
RHP Dawson Montesa (8-1, 1.99 ERA, 105 K, 24 BB, 72.1 IP (at Adelphi)) vs. LHP Chase Davis (1-3, 7.40 ERA, 13 K, 13 BB, 20.2 IP (at South Alabama))
The Mountaineers return 19 players from last year's squad, including All-Big 12 Freshman team member Gavin Kelly and Clemson Regional Most Outstanding Player Armani Guzman. Returning pitchers include Preseason All-Big 12 honoree Chase Meyer as well as seniors Carson Estridge, Reese Bassinger, Ben McDougal.
Transfers will once again play a big role on the Mountaineers this year as 13 players with college experience join the fray including catcher/outfielder Matthew Graveline (Ohio State, shortstop Matt Ineich (Ohio), outfielder Brock Wills (UNCW), outfielder Sean Smith (Georgia Southern), infielder Tyrus Hall (Bossier Parrish CC), catcher Creed Erdos (James Madison), and outfielder Paul Schoenfeld (CSU-Mesa). In addition to Cole and Montesa, four other pitchers join WVU this year as well – Ian Korn (Seton Hill), Andrew Middleton (UMass), Joshua Surigao (Hawaii), and Bryson Thacker (Tennessee). Twelve freshmen also join the Mountaineers this season.
Led by 27th year head coach Rodney Hennon, Georgia Southern was picked seventh of 14 teams in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll. In 2025, the Eagles went 28-31 and 13-17 in conference play.
Catcher Sean White is GSU's returning leading hitter after hitting .288 with eight home runs and 44 RBI in 2025. Carter DeGondea will get the start on opening day after going 4-1 with a 3.72 ERA last year.
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