GRANVILLE, W.Va. — History has a funny way of repeating itself.
It certainly did Friday for West Virginia senior Ben Lumsden.
A part-time player for the Mountaineers in 2025, Lumsden saved his best for last in the postseason a year ago by accounting for half of his eight hits, including one of two home runs, as well as seven of 15 RBI across 18 at bats in five NCAA Tournament games.
This year, Lumsden had started 10 games and played in 28 ahead of West Virginia’s regional opener against Binghamton at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
The left-handed Lumsden got the start in right field against the Bearcats and made the most of it, reaching base in all four plate appearances, including a towering three-run home run to right field in a five-run fourth inning that helped the Mountaineers create separation in their 10-1 victory.
“To be in this program, you can either crash out and be miserable and you probably won’t be here very long or you can recognize you have to work while you wait and your time is coming back around, and when it does, you have to be prepared for it,” WVU coach Steve Sabins said.
The result gives West Virginia (40-14) its second straight season with at least 40 wins and moves the Mountaineers into a winner’s bracket matchup at 5 p.m. Saturday against Kentucky, which edged Wake Forest earlier Friday, 6-5.
Binghamton (31-21) will battle the Demon Deacons at noon Saturday in an elimination contest.
The Bearcats scored their only run to lead 1-0 in the second inning. It came on a fielder’s choice to third base off the bat of Zachary Anderson, and after Tyrus Hall had trouble getting the ball out his glove, he threw home to catcher Gavin Kelly, who applied the tag on Zack Kent just after he’d touched the plate. Kent had led off that inning with a double, but hard contact off Mountaineer starting pitcher Chansen Cole was few and far between otherwise.
“What I like most about him is he seemed very comfortable with who he was,” Binghamton coach Tim Sinicki said. “He knows what his strengths are, pitched to those strengths and never deviated from them. A lot of credit to that young man. He pitched a heck of a ballgame for them.”
Bearcats’ starting pitcher Conner Griffin was sharp through two innings, and despite issuing three base-on-balls in the third, he escaped unscathed thanks in large part to picking off Lumsden at first base for the second out of that frame.
After Cole retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, WVU seized control of the matchup.
Sean Smith was hit by a 2-2 Griffin offering to start that inning and Matthew Graveline followed by belting his sixth home run this season — a 412-foot shot to center that left the home team with a 2-1 lead and ignited a crowd that didn’t have much to cheer about up until then.
“That was the turning point,” Sabins said. “That was the, ‘we’re the big boys and the Mountaineers are here to stay.’ That was as big of a home run as we’ve had this season.”
“As soon as they got things going, you could hear the excitement, and then it was a true home-field advantage,” Sinicki said.
Armani Guzman followed with a double and after Griffin issued his fourth walk of the outing to Brodie Kresser, Binghamton called on Jackson Mitchell to pitch.
The first batter Mitchell faced was Lumsden, who more than made up for being picked off the previous inning by blasting a full count pitch over the right field wall for a three-run home run and a 5-1 lead.
“We send the lineup out a few hours before every game. I was in a similar situation last year, so I prepare the same,” Lumsden said. “If you’re in there, you’re in there, and if you’re not, you may be at some point in the game.”
Sabins took time to soak in the moment, as did Guzman before crossing the plate.
“You saw real joy on his face for his teammate,” Sabins said of Guzman. “They’re roommates and have been through a lot together. They’re always pulling for each other, so that was really fun.”
West Virginia’s four-run advantage was threatened in the top of the fifth when the Bearcats loaded the bases on the strength of an error and two singles.
But Cole, who never appeared rattled, dug in and struck out Sean Sweeney to end that inning.
“We talk a lot about a pitching staff about knowing your identity before you even touch the mound,” Cole said. “For me, that’s filling up the bottom of the zone with sinkers and letting the guys behind me make plays. I’m my best whenever I’m throwing sinkers at the bottom of the zone and that’s what I did today.”
Cole retired the middle of the Binghamton lineup in order in the sixth and the Mountaineers put to rest any thought of a Bearcat rally in the bottom of that inning.
With Jake Dally on the mound after spelling Mitchell, Lumsden singled to center and Tyrus Hall followed with a double to right that put two in scoring position.
Two batters later, Gavin Kelly roped a double to that gap in left-center that plated a pair and left the Mountaineers with a six-run advantage.
Later in that inning, after Dally hit consecutive batters to load the bases, Guzman cleared them with a double to left that made it 10-1.
“Credit to them of taking advantage of our miscues. That’s a really sound ball club that’s dangerous top to bottom and can beat you in a lot of ways,” Sinicki said.
David Hagen came on for Cole to start the seventh and after issuing a leadoff walk to Steven Kraus, the right-handed pitcher retired the other nine batters he faced to finish the game.
Lumsden and Guzman each finished with two hits and three RBI.
Cole improved to 9-1 with a stellar outing in which he struck out 10, scattered four hits and did not issue a walk.
Hagen struck out three without allowing a hit.
“Fired up for David Hagen. He consistently gets better,” Sabins said. “He was 90-92 [miles per hour] with plus off speed offerings, and for him to be able to save some of our bullpen is critical. As you do that and get better, he will continue to find himself in leverage situations moving forward.”
Griffin’s outing lasted three innings and he allowed four runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
The Mountaineers are 7-0 in regional play across the last three seasons.