No. 2 seed WVU Baseball (37-13), rested up after a double bye, starts its conference tournament run against No. 11 seed Kansas State (30-26, 11-19). The Mountaineers swept KSU in Morgantown less than a month ago, but stakes are higher this time around. Read more: No. 2 seed WVU starts Big 12 tourney run, set to face Kansas State.
Despite WVU entering the contest as a heavy favorite, and has the upper hand this season, history favors Kansas State in this situation. The Wildcats knocked out the Mountaineers in the 2022 and 2024 Big 12 tournaments.
The past goes out the window when the first pitch is dealt in Surprise, Arizona, for the quarterfinal bout. It is one of four games on Thursday’s slate.
Where the Mountaineers stand
WVU is coming off a series win to close out the regular season, taking two of three games against TCU. KSU just toppled the Horned Frogs in their second round matchup on Wednesday.
Related: Baylor, Kansas State survive Day 2 of Big 12 Baseball Tournament
The storylines leading into the game put a lot of weight on the Mountaineers’ shoulders. After all, WVU is a top-10 team in the country, aiming for its first Big 12 tournament title, and hoping to impress enough for an NCAA Regional hosting bid.
The shoulders are of giants, though, as WVU possesses the recently-awarded Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Maxx Yehl, and three other players on the conference’s honor list.
WVU has had four days to prepare for a three-game dash to the finish. The Mountaineers, however, cannot overlook this scrappy KSU squad.
About the opponent
Kansas State is getting hot at the right time, taking down both higher seeds the team has played in Arizona this week. The Wildcats got the best of No. 10 Utah and No. 7 TCU in back-to-back nights.
The success is thanks heavily in part to the offense, which has cranked nine runs out in each outing.
It started with Tuesday’s resilient win against the Utes, rallying from a 3-0 deficit early before a four-run eighth inning broke a 5-5 stalemate. KSU looked even better Wednesday, wasting little time to secure a 7-0 lead before the bottom of the fifth.
Dee Kennedy has served as a true playmaker this week, batting .500 with four hits. Kyan Lodice is impressing at the plate as well, picking up walks when he cannot nab a hit.
On the mound, KSU pitchers have combined for 17 strikeouts and allowed an average of 4.5 runs per game in the tourney.
On another note, the Wildcats need to run the table to earn a third consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament. Chances are slim given the field, but if they play like they have the past two nights, KSU has a shot to ruin more brackets.
Based on feelings alone, it does not seem like the same Kansas State WVU faced at the start of May, when the Mountaineers blew off steam from a horrible week prior.
Related: West Virginia rolls past KSU to complete sweep
WVU outscored KSU 29-7 across three games. Stay tuned to see if the Mountaineers can repeat their success against the Wildcats for a fourth time in 2026.
Tune in
It is win or go home time for every remaining team in the 2026 Big 12 Baseball Tournament.
WVU and Kansas State battle in the third game of Thursday’s quadruple-header. The winner advances to one of the two semifinal contests.
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 WVU Baseball. ESPN2 is broadcasting all four of Thursday’s games, starting at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. MT.
Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation for on-site tournament coverage from staff writer Logan Powell, and the staff as a whole for more WVU Athletics coverage.
