GRANVILLE, W.Va. — Faced with the prospect of winning three consecutive games to run their streak of NCAA Super Regional appearances to three seasons, West Virginia passed the first test Sunday in Game 5 of the Morgantown Regional. The Mountaineers defeated Wake Forest 10-5, extending their season by at least another game.
West Virginia (41-15) advances to play Kentucky (33-21) in the opening game of the championship round Sunday at 5 p.m. UK needs just one win to advance to the super regional round. If WVU wins Sunday evening, the decisive game of the regional will be played on Monday at a time to be determined.
“Things are never easy this time of year,” said WVU head coach Steve Sabins. “You give up a big home run, tie ball game, could have folded. We could have decided that it was a little too tough or that offense was too good or anything else. We just kept coming at them. The offense was tremendous. The offense has been pretty good now for three straight games.”
A day after Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl was unable to complete the first inning due to injury in an 11-9 loss to Kentucky, WVU needed length from their starting pitcher, knowing they would require at least 27 innings from their staff to have a chance at advancing. They received just that from Dawson Montesa.
Montesa made his first start and fourth appearance since the Kansas game on May 10. His 7.1 innings of work represented his longest outing of the season and the most since tossing 7 frames at Texas Tech on April 10. Montesa was a weekend starter throughout much of the season before being replaced in that role by Ian Korn.
“After the first inning with two punchies and a measly flyball, I knew I had my stuff. I knew I just had to battle,” Montesa said.
For the first time in the regional tournament, West Virginia jumped on the scoreboard first. In the bottom of the second inning, Sean Smith and Matthew Graveline led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Smith scored on a wild pitch to give the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Tyrus Hall singled to right field. Graveline scored and Ben Lumdsen followed him to the plate on a fielding error.
Hall brings home ✌️
B2 | Demon Deacons 0, Mountaineers 3 pic.twitter.com/Y23OgIvrwf
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) May 31, 2026
The Demon Deacons pulled one run back in the third inning when Blake Schaaf, who doubled to lead off the inning, scored on a groundout. Wake drew even in the fourth inning when Matt Conte connected for a two-run home run that landed in the WVU bullpen.
Momentum flipped 🔁 https://t.co/6Q1lLxAgVU pic.twitter.com/LrprrkkZSr
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 31, 2026
West Virginia regained the advantage in the bottom of the fifth. Smith’s second single of the game sent Gavin Kelly to the plate, putting the Mountaineers up 4-3. Smith went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in.
Big Sean puts us back in front!
B5 | Demon Deacons 3, Mountaineers 4 pic.twitter.com/Kbf0h6imdL
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) May 31, 2026
West Virginia broke the game wide open in the sixth inning. The Mountaineers sent ten men to the plate in the frame while each of their first six batters reached base. Ben Lumsden’s RBI double scored Matt Ineich and the hits kept coming after that. Lumsden reached base in all four of his plate appearances with three walks and a double.
Armani Guzman and Kelly followed with run-scoring base hits. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Paul Schoenfeld was followed up by an RBI double from Smith, sending WVU’s sixth run to the plate in the inning.
Lumsden comes through!
B6 | Demon Deacons 3, Mountaineers 5 pic.twitter.com/tup9wL8DgZ
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) May 31, 2026
After allowing a home run to Wake Forest’s Andrew Costello to lead off the seventh inning, Montesa retired three of the next four batters. His 114th pitch led to his seventh strikeout. Montesa (4-5) pumped his fist while exiting the mound to cheers of “Dawson! Dawson” from the Mountaineer fans in the crowd of 4,181. Montesa retired one more batter in the eighth inning before Reese Bassinger entered the game. Montesa allowed four hits, five runs, walked four and struck out seven in a 122-pitch performance.
“It is pretty much what I came here for,” Montesa said. “It is a great fanbase. First curtain call, I am pretty sure. That’s pretty cool.”
🗣️ DAWSON! DAWSON! DAWSON!!@montesa_dawson pic.twitter.com/kD6KyR2jQb
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) May 31, 2026
“You could see how simple and pure and excitable Dawson is. It was pretty emotional when he said, ‘I didn’t have the best season or up to my standards’. He has been pretty damn good on a Top 10 team in the country. He has started a lot. You could just tell how much he wants it,” Sabins said.
“Pretty soon, we are going to hear that kid’s name called in the top five rounds and have a chance to pitch in the big leagues for a long time.”
Bassinger picked up the final five outs for West Virginia.
Troy Dressler pitched 5-plus innings for Wake Forest before giving way to the bullpen. He allowed seven runs on nine hits. Dressler walked two and struck out four.
West Virginia outhit Wake Forest, 13-5. In addition to Smith, Kelly and Ineich both had multi-hit games. Six Mountaineers drove in at least one run.
The season ends for the Demon Deacons with a 39-21 record. The Mountaineers and Wildcats will meet in the regional championship round for the second consecutive season. WVU defeated UK in the final of the Clemson Regional last year.
“We’re familiar with that opponent,” Sabins said. “Our team knows how good we are and how good we can play. They have been able to test themselves in these tough spots and bounce back. I think as soon as somebody counts us out the entire season, there has been a Sunday win, there has been a sweep of a series. There’s been winning 12 of 13. There’s been sweeping the No. 1 team on the road. As soon as somebody counts this team out, they have answered.
Sabins offered an injury update on Yehl and he left the door open for a potential role if the regional.
“I think he is feeling pretty good,” Sabins said. “He threw a little bit on the back end of this game and said, ‘I feel fine. I feel way better than I thought’. His shoulder tightened up on him yesterday. I think he was having maybe some muscle spasms, something going on with his shoulder. He is like, ‘I feel pretty good’. I wouldn’t be shocked if we can get this thing to Monday, that that guy could potentially be in a game.”
Steve Sabins on a quick turnaround to face Kentucky at 5 p.m. after defeating Wake Forest, 10-5: pic.twitter.com/nFvKbWGoGy
— Joe Brocato (@joebrowvm) May 31, 2026