The West Virginia Mountaineers now know their opponent for the quarterfinal round of the 2025 Big 12 Baseball Championship tournament. WVU (40-13, 19-9) will face long-time foe Cincinnati (32-23, 16-14), at 1:30 p.m. at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. With the Mountaineers and Bearcats scheduled for a Big 12 quarterfinal bout, let’s dive into the matchup. Read more: PREVIEW: Mountaineers, Bearcats Scheduled for Big 12 Quarterfinal Bout below.
Setting the Scene
West Virginia and Cincinnati will meet on Thursday afternoon to duke it out for the fourth time this season. In April, the Bearcats visited Morgantown for a three-game series with the Mountaineers at Kendrick Family Ballpark. WVU dominated that series, sweeping the weekend. Following that series, the Mountaineers have struggled to regain momentum, as the once-ranked team dropped nine of its final 15 contests. UC performed better in the same stretch, winning 10 of its final 15 regular-season games.
Cincinnati set up Thursday’s matchup with a first-round victory over Texas Tech on Wednesday, as the Bearcats claimed a 6-5 decision. WVU earned a first-round bye by winning the regular-season Big 12 title and the top seed in the tournament. The Mountaineers have had four days off after Kansas swept them. But despite the lengthy break, they have yet to name a starting pitcher for Thursday’s contest. Cincinnati will be in the middle of its pitching rotation for the quarterfinal showdown.
Related: What West Virginia Baseball Needs in Arlington
Recent history suggests that WVU might struggle. Never mind the end-of-season woes from the 2025 Mountaineers; the team has yet to win a single game in the Big 12 tournament since it moved to Globe Life Field in 2022. WVU is 0-6 all-time at the venue, going two-and-out in the past three seasons. This is the first season of the single-elimination format, so the skidding Mountaineers have no room for error.
Players to Watch
For West Virginia, the Mountaineers could use a high-powered offensive performance from the dynamic duo of Sam White and Kyle West. Both White and West top the roster in the batting average category this season (.352) and are frontrunners in several other hitting categories. This section could be dedicated to almost any roster member for WVU, as the Mountaineers are due for a breakout performance by someone. Pitching has been in a lull, bats have been rather quiet recently, and something has to give sooner or later.
Related: West Virginia Set to Play Cincinnati
Kerrington Cross is the no-brainer pick to keep eyes and ears on in tomorrow’s game. The Bearcats’ star infielder earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors on Tuesday and has been the team’s sparkplug all season. Cross didn’t have a great game on day one in Arlington, going 0-for-4 with a run scored. His only time reaching base came on a Texas Tech error.
Cross also had a tough series in Morgantown. He went just 2-for-11 against West Virginia, so the pressure is on for him to produce here.
Tune In
Thursday’s Big 12 quarterfinal between the Mountaineers and the Bearcats is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. start, dependent on the prior game’s finishing time. All Big 12 Baseball Championship games will be streamed on ESPN+. WVU radio coverage will be provided, as always, by 100.9 FM The Torch and its nine affiliate stations.
