MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — No. 16 national seed WVU Baseball took down the Cal Poly Mustangs in Game 2 of the 2026 Morgantown Super Regional. The Mountaineers punched their first-ever ticket to the College World Series in Omaha with the victory. Read more: Consistent onslaught propels Mountaineers to Super Regional title, Omaha.
WVU awaits the winner of the Troy Super Regional for its first date in Nebraska on June 12-13. Read more: Consistent onslaught propels Mountaineers to Super Regional title, Omaha.
Another overflowing crowd of rabid Mountaineer fans saw the first three pitchers for Cal Poly get lit up for 3+ hits each. From the record books to the history books, it was a day for the ages at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
“The Mountaineers are going to Omaha,” WVU Baseball Head Coach Steve Sabins said after the game. “135 years in the making.”
Seven WVU players recorded multiple hits, paired with an efficient pitching outing from Maxx Yehl.
Game flow
First dose of action
It all started with Armani Guzman in the box for the first at-bat, since WVU spent Saturday as the “road” team. A nine-pitch battle against Cal Poly ace Carson Turnquist ended in a routine fly-out.
Mountaineer standout Gavin Kelly did not let the Mountaineers remain hitless for long. The two-hole hitter blooped a base hit to centerfield to make the first offensive play of the day.
Both Paul Schoenfeld and Sean Smith went toe-to-toe with Turnquist, but the pitcher snagged back-to-back strikeouts to avoid damage.
The Mustangs took to the plate for the first time in the bottom of the inning, facing the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl. It was not long before an overthrow at first got away from Guzman, allowing CP’s leadoff batter Nate Castellon to reach.
A base hit from Dylan Kordic and a Ryan Tayman sac fly paired together to score the first run of the game, scoring Castellon to make it 1-0 Cal Poly.
Yehl eventually got his first taste of success on the day with an inning-ending strikeout shortly after.
Seven-run second
Matthew Graveline popped a lead-off double, confirmed by review after Cal Poly’s Gavin Spiridonoff slammed into the fence trying to make the diving catch.
Graveline erased the zero in the score column by running home from third. Matt Ineich stole second, allowing the former Ohio State Buckeye to steal home and tie it up at 1-1.
Ben Lumsden blew the door open with a three-run blast for WVU to further unravel Turnquist and make it 4-1. Tyrus Hall launched one 30 feet further on a solo shot to make it 5-1 before Cal Poly even mustered an out in the second. Just like that, the Mustangs replaced Turnquist with Chris Downs, who entered Saturday with a +5 ERA.
Related: Everything changed for WVU Baseball 14 years ago today
Just like that, the Mustangs replaced Turnquist with Chris Downs, who entered Saturday with a +5 ERA. Turnquist ended the day with 1.0 IP/5 ER/2 HR/4 H across 51 pitches.
Guzman stole second, bringing the New Yorker into the program record books by tying the record in the category. Smith knocked in another run and a infield sacrifice from Graveline sent Kelly home.
After a nearly hour-long onslaught, Cal Poly got out of the top of the second after allowing seven runs.
Slowing things down… for one team
Cal Poly went down quickly in the bottom of the inning, with Yehl picking up two strikeouts before a groundout.
The Mountaineers on the other hand, poured it on. Guzman cracked the third WVU homer of the day, a 2-RBI blast to make it 9-1. Kelly showed off his superstardom by beating a play at the plate to tack on another run.
The Mustangs went three up, three down to finish the third.
Lumsden sent his second homer out in the top of the fourth, the Mountaineers’ fourth shot of the day to that point, making it 12-1.
“We’ve stuck with him for a long time because he’s the right guy… he gets it.”
One of many praises from the skipper to the postseason hero.
Outside of a walk, Cal Poly batters had little luck at the plate again, sending the contest to the fifth with the same score. The only play of note in the bottom half of the frame came from WVU nailing an inning-ending double play.
Kelly erupted with WVU’s fifth home run to make it 13-1 on the solo slam.
At this point, the gold and blue faithful gave a hearty golf clap for home runs. They simply wanted to hear Country Roads by that point and onward.
Graveline helped matters by scoring Schoenfeld despite hitting into a double play. WVU commanded a 14-1 lead into B5. Cal Poly tallied two hits before the end of the inning, but left runners stranded and kept the score at 14-1 in favor of the Mountaineers.
Down the stretch
Fans started the wave in the stands while waiting for another reason to cheer, taking the focus away from a game that lost its luster as it went on. The back half of the game was simply there as a formality of the game, delaying the inevitable celebration.
In the meantime, Guzman added to his already impressive day with an RBI single to make it 15-1. Schoenfeld followed behind with a bases-loaded groundout to add another (16-1).
As severe weather loomed in the distance in the sixth, the thunderous strikes of Mountaineer bats continued. The 17th WVU run of the game came on a Lumsden strikeout, but the old gold and blue stole home for a second time.
Through double plays, pitching changes, and personnel substitutions, all eyes watched as the outs dwindled toward glory.
Nick Bonn, the nation’s leader in saves, came in for CP in the eighth, but the damage was already done.
Weather delay
Unfortunately, the weather delay finally hit at 3:08 p.m., prolonging affairs. Whipping winds and heavy downpours ravaged tents on Randy’s Ridge and sent fans to take shelter.
Action returned at 4:45 p.m., making it a one hour, 37 minute delay.
Etched into history
“I think the reason we’re in the position that we’re in is because the kids love each other,” Sabins said.
Coach Sabins put it best by saying it is more about the state and the team chemistry than anything else.
Players said it was a team effort, going beyond the current roster, shouting out players and coaches of years past.
When West Virginia native Ben McDougal took the mound to seal the deal in the ninth inning, it was all but over. Regardless of what happens in Omaha, this team will go down as the greatest in program history.
What’s next
WVU awaits its opponent in Omaha, which will be the winner of the Troy Super Regional (Troy or Little Rock).
WV Sports Nation will be onsite to cover all the action at the College World Series. You can keep up with it all on wvsportsnation.com or the WV Sports Nation app.
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Great coverage JE. You also are now part of WVU Baseball history. You have captured the very nature of the game by stating the players are a family a group of brothers who have built into this team; respect, grit, vision, and humbleness as all Mountaineers have witnessed.
The road home goes through Omaha and the Mountaineer Baseball heroes are prepared to go all the way. It ain’t over until the fat lady sings. Montani Semper Liberi.
Thank you for the kind words, let’s see a WVU run for the ages!