No. 17 WVU (17-4, 5-1) travels to Tempe, Arizona, to face No. 22 Arizona State (19-6, 4-2) in the upcoming weekend series. The Mountaineers take a six-game winning streak into the house of the Sun Devils in a key conference battle. Read more: Top 25 matchup in the desert: WVU Baseball vs. Arizona State.Â
Both squads are coming off midweek non-conference victories, and sit in first and third place in the Big 12 ranks, respectively.
WVU is aiming to bolster its spot at the top for another week, while ASU tries to make up ground and challenge the Mountaineers for the lead.
Two of the top three hitters in the conference step into the batter’s box for this one, too, in case fans need another reason to tune in.
Where the Mountaineers stand
Momentum from the series sweep against BYU carried over to Tuesday, with WVU blanking Marshall in a 3-0 affair. WVU pitchers combined to allow just one hit from the Thundering Herd.
WVU got its work done in the early innings, scoring one run in each of the first three Tuesday. An RBI groundout scored the first run, followed by RBI singles in the second and third, respectively.
While not responsible for an RBI, Paul Schoenfeld collected two more hits in Huntington, nestling the transfer as a top-three batter in the Big 12.
Related: Former Mountaineers now in the MLB
The level of competition jumps dramatically over the next two weeks, which will test the Mountaineers. The remaining road trip consists of the three games against ASU and a one-off date at longtime powerhouse Arizona. Returning home does not get any easier, with current second place team UCF coming to Morgantown.
In the meantime, WVU focuses in on the Sun Devils.
About the opponent
They are one of the cornerstones of college baseball. The Arizona State Sun Devils, who first fielded a team in 1959, quickly found the pinnacle of the sport.
ASU boasts five College World Series championships, including its first that came just six years after the program’s inception. To add, the Sun Devils have finished runner-up in the championship five times, and made 22* overall appearances in the CWS.
Turning the page to 2026, ASU is fronted by fifth-year head coach Willie Bloomquist. The former ASU player is 145-111 as head coach of the team he once suited up for.
Bloomquist’s 2026 squad is led by an electric offensive attack. The Sun Devils average 8.6 runs per game, coming from a roster that has combined for 48 home runs in 25 games.
Landon Hairston is the best hitter in the Big 12 right now. The sophomore is batting .458 and slugging .917, with 11 home runs and 11 doubles. In addition, the Arizona native is responsible for 34 RBI in 44 at-bats.
Nuu Contrades bats .400 as well, serving as the other headlining hitter.
Overall, ASU touts a roster with nine of 11 players with the proper playing time batting +.300. If counting every Sun Devil who has stepped in the batter’s box this year, 13 of 19 surpass the threshold.
On the pitching side, Cole Carlon is ASU’s de facto ace. Starting in all six of his appearances, Carlon holds a 3.19 ERA and a 2-1 record. Pay mind to the bullpen, too, as Taylor Penn is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in relief.
Tune in
The upcoming weekend series is undoubtedly WVU’s biggest test of the year thus far, and one of the toughest series the team may see all season.
It is shaping up to be a heavyweight bout between two top 25 teams with plenty to prove. It features a WVU team which is 10-3 on the road, entering the massive Phoenix Municipal Stadium, where ASU is 15-1 on the year.
First pitch times (EST) are listed below:
- Friday 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday 9:30 p.m.
- Sunday 8 p.m.
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 all series long. ESPN+ carries the TV broadcast for all three contests.
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