Rick Wagener on WVU Baseball’s historic Omaha journey
June 13, 2026
OMAHA NE — Former West Virginia University baseball standout and longtime donor Rick Wagener finally arrived in Omaha after flight delays, just in time to soak in the Mountaineers’ landmark appearance in the College World Series. In an exclusive interview with WV Sports Nation, Wagener shared his excitement, personal history with the program, and optimism for its future....
If you want to find the real party during the 2026 College World Series, Rocco’s Pizza and Cantina is the spot. While the games were going on at the ballpark, fans inside Rocco’s were turning the Jell-O shot challenge into its own full-blown competition. Every colorful little cup bought went toward your team’s total on the big leaderboard, and things got competitive fast.
The West Virginia Mountaineers jumped out early and showed their fight late, rallying for a hard-fought 7-5 victory over the Troy Trojans in the opening game of the 2026 College World Series Friday. Chansen Cole delivered a strong start, while Armani Guzman, Sean Smith, and Tyrus Hall provided key hits as WVU overcame multiple lead changes to earn the win in their first-ever MCWS contest. In a back-and-forth thriller, the Mountaineers used timely hitting and clutch relief pitching from Ian Korn to secure the Game 1 victory and set a strong tone for the series.
