No. 15 WVU Baseball (24-8, 10-5) returns to action Wednesday to face one of its rivals, Penn State (10-23, 4-11). The neutral-site matchup will be played at Meritus Park in Hagerstown, Maryland, which sits approximately 2.5 hours away from both campuses. WVU and PSU were scheduled to play in March, but inclement weather derailed those plans. Read more: No. 15 WVU Baseball, Penn State to square off on neutral grounds.Â
Action gets underway from the home of the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Where the Mountaineers stand
The Mountaineers are coming off a solid week, winning three of its four games. The run-rule win over Marshall and series victory at Texas Tech was good enough to shift ranks. WVU clocks in at No. 15 in this week’s D1 Baseball top 25, up two spots from the week before.
WVU is also tied with UCF for second place in the Big 12, now trailing Kansas in the standings.
Before WVU plays host to Houston with Big 12 positioning on the line, it must face a flailing Nittany Lions squad. It is a program the Mountaineers have struggled against, losing eight of 14 matchups since 2011, but PSU is having a down year.
Gavin Kelly enters Wednesday’s tilt as the reigning offensive leader for WVU, as he has all season long. He leads the team in hits (56), RBI (33), doubles (16), and tied for home runs (5).
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Standouts from the series win against Texas Tech include Sean Smith and Tyrus Hall. The duo got it done through doubles and stolen bases. Paul Schoenfeld also picked up a triple in game three.
Pitching had a field day Sunday as well, but Wednesday is shaping up to be the usual midweek bullpen game.
Despite Penn State’s record, any win over a Big 10 team looks nice on a resume, even more so when it is a rival.
About the opponent
Penn State has fielded a team annually since 1893. Well over a century of history resides within the threads of blue and white, including several bursts of success.
The Nittany Lions boast five College World Series appearances and a regular season conference championship in 1996. Postseason success stalled at the turn of the millennium, with no NCAA Tournament appearances since 2000.
PSU is in its third year under head coach Mike Gambino. The Nittany Lions are 72-70 since he took over the program, including a 10-23 record thus far in 2026.
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Bats are a bit cold this season for PSU, with Michael Anderson (.380) being the only player averaging +.300. Compare that to WVU’s five batters swinging above the threshold.
Anderson is a home run machine, to his credit, going yard 15 times in 33 games. All together, the Arkansas transfer has a team-leading 40 RBI and carries the offense on his back.
Bryce Molinaro is another key producer for the Nittany Lions, with a .958 OPS and 26 RBI.
Expect a bullpen game from Penn State’s pitching staff, too.
Tune in
Action from Meritus Park in downtown Hagerstown, Maryland, is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Forecasts are calling for a beautiful evening with sunshine and temperatures in the low 80s.
The ballpark opened in 2024 and can hold over 4,000 fans at full-capacity. Do not be shocked if it fills up, given the magnitude of both brands and programs.
Tune in to 100.9 FM The Torch or any of its nine affiliate stations across the John Fredericks Media Network for play-by-play coverage of the game. ESPN+ will carry the TV broadcast.
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