No. 12 WVU Baseball (27-9,12-6) is set to “welcome” its arch-rival Pitt (24-14, 7-11) for the 2026 edition of the Backyard Brawl. Both teams are coming off back-to-back wins, setting up the hate-fueled match-up nicely. Read more: No. 12 WVU Baseball preps for 2026 edition of Backyard Brawl.
The Mountaineers have won eight of the past 10 meetings against the Panthers, but fell in heartbreaking fashion in the most recent battle. Pitt stormed back to steal a 10-9 victory in the Steel City on May 6, 2025.
Pitt is searching for its first win in Morgantown in more than a decade. The last time the Panthers walked out of Kendrick Family Ballpark victorious was on April 12, 2016.
Where the Mountaineers stand
WVU jumped three spots to No. 12 in Monday’s D1 Baseball rankings. The feat is tied for the program’s highest ranking in the D1 poll, alongside March 2026 and May 2023.
The rise comes courtesy of another 3-1 week which featured a neutral-site win over Penn State, and a Big 12 series victory. WVU took the final two games of the weekend against Houston.
Related: WVU Track & Field’s school record, Mountaineer Showcase (week in review)
The Mountaineers scored seven runs in each respective game, proving its offensive capabilities once more. Base-running was also a highlight, with WVU stealing 10 total bags in the two victories (five each). Saturday featured two injuries scares by way of Maxx Yehl and Gavin Kelly leaving the game. Kelly got an at-bat Sunday, but statuses are unknown at this time.
WVU also nestled into second place in the Big 12 standings, moving past UCF. The Knights lost the final two games of their weekend outing.
Related: WVU Baseball is building a true contender (column)
Three weekend series remain in the regular season, but thoughts on Cincinnati will have to wait because all Mountaineer eyes are set on Tuesday’s affair.
About the opponent
Pitt first fielded an official team in 1869, with longtime student newspaper The Owl calling the program’s debut outing the “first game of consequence” played at the university.
Postseason success is limited despite the 157-year history, with three NCAA Tournament appearances (1959, 1965, 1995) and no conference title since 1995. The Panthers’ only conference tournament triumph happened in ’95, with a regular season championship the season prior.
Turning the clock to the present, and Pitt is 24-14 in 2026 under head coach Mike Bell, now in his eighth season.
The Panthers are 185-188 since Bell took the reins before the 2019 campaign.
Pitt is coming off a series win against Virginia Tech, taking the final two games of the weekend. The team is led offensively through consistency, with six players batting +.300 thus far in 2026.
Leading the pack is Lorenzo Carrier (.378), who tops the team in home runs (14), RBI (55), and total bases (102). Carrier slugs .803, too. The Panthers are simply a team with power hitters aplenty, averaging two homes a game (77 total).
It is a potent offense all-around, averaging 9.3 runs per game, with Pitt outscoring opponents 353-239 through 38 games.
Overall, stats and match-up notes go out the window any time these two programs share a space together. This rings true across every sport, hence why it bears the “brawl” name like football, basketball, etc.
Prepare for entertainment.
Tune in
Tuesday’s action gets underway at 6:30 p.m. from Kendrick Family Ballpark. Most forecasts are calling for a mild, yet ideal evening for the highly-anticipated rivalry. Temperatures seem to hover around the mid-60s at first pitch, dipping to the high-50s for the late innings.
Expect another large crowd, as last year’s contest in Morgantown shattered the program’s single-game attendance record.
Related: Midpoint WVU Baseball attendance check reveals impressive crowd average
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