MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A 10-3 win at Kansas State on Saturday leaves the West Virginia University baseball team on the brink of claiming the program’s second Big 12 regular season championship in three years and their first outright title.
After allowing six runs in the bottom of the ninth Friday in an 8-7 loss to the Wildcats, WVU used a six-run fourth inning on Saturday to take a lead they would not relinquish.
With a 19-5 conference record, the Mountaineers can win the Big 12 title with just one win in their final four league games. WVU and K-State conclude their weekend series Sunday at 2 p.m. The Mountaineers will host Kansas starting on Thursday to cap the regular season. West Virginia can also clinch the championship Sunday if TCU (17-9 Big 12) loses to Cincinnati and Arizona State (17-9 Big 12) loses to Houston.
West Virginia (40-9) tied a program record for victories in a season, a mark they also reached in 1994 and 2023.
North Marion High School graduate Jace Rinehart went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. He has driven in 50 runs on the season. Hedgesville High School graduate Kyle West hit a grand slam in WVU’s six-run fourth inning. West and Rinehart each have eight home runs on the season to lead the team.
Chase Meyer pitched 4.1 innings in his first Big 12 start before yielding to Bridgeport High School graduate Ben McDougal. McDougal earned the win by retiring 14 batters without allowing a run. He surrendered just one hit.
Jack Kartsonas (6-1, 1.84 ERA) is set to take the hill for the Mountaineers in Sunday’s series finale.