No. 2 seed WVU (39-13) is one game away from winning its first Big 12 Baseball Tournament title since joining the conference more than a decade ago. The Mountaineers face the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday to try to end the drought. Read more: WVU Baseball: One game from history (CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW).
WVU shocked the Big 12 by going to Lawrence, Kansas, and delivering a sweep over a mighty KU squad. The question is, can the Mountaineers channel the magic one more time?
Both teams won their respective semifinal games Friday by multiple runs each, showcasing top-level talent.
Where the Mountaineers stand
WVU is fresh off a late-night win in the desert, beating an all-around stellar Arizona State program, 7-3. Sean Smith tallied three hits for the second straight game, bolstering the Mountaineers’ offense.
Brodie Kresser, Tyrus Hall, and Armani Guzman rounded out the top producers in the lineup Friday, combining to drive in multiple runs.
Chansen Cole delivered on the mound through five innings, and while relief seemed shaky at times, the bullpen did enough to limit the damage against a high-octane ASU offense.
Related: No. 2 WVU survives against No. 3 ASU, advances to championship game
The Sun Devil fans kept the team in it, flustering the likes of Carson Estridge. That is a perk of playing close to home.
There will be a less hostile crowd this time around by default, considering WVU’s final opponent of the tournament is not a program nestled within an hour of Surprise.
While the crowd may be more tame Saturday, WVU’s competition only gets tougher. Kansas is the cream of the crop in the Big 12, alongside the Mountaineers.
About the opponent
Top-seeded Kansas took care of business in the latter innings to secure a 9-2 victory over Oklahoma State in its semifinal affair.
The Jayhawks led the Cowboys 3-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth, but blew the door open with six runs. Four of the runs came courtesy of Tyson LeBlanc slugging a grand slam. It was LeBlanc’s 21st home run of the season. The star finished the night going 3-4 at the plate with five RBI.
Related: No. 1 Kansas advances to championship after 9-2 semifinal win
It extends the streak of offensive efficiency for KU following its three home losses to the Mountaineers. KU has scored four or more runs in all five games since WVU left town, and seven or more in four of those games.
The other upside for KU, not that it matters when the two squads battle Saturday, is past success. It is a school with a College World Series appearance and one other accolade the Mountaineers cannot boast.
Unlike WVU, Kansas has won the Big 12 Baseball Tournament crown, hoisting the trophy in 2006. Winning a second would be quite the 20-year anniversary gift for the program and its fans alike.
As always mentioned, those sidebars go out the proverbial window when the first pitch is thrown. In the end, it all boils down to nine innings of championship baseball.
Tune in
First pitch from Surprise, Arizona, is set for 7:30 ET/4:30 MT. WVU will try to make history by winning its first Big 12 tournament title, and its first conference tourney championship since the Big East days.
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 2026 Big 12 Baseball Tournament Championship. ESPN2 carries the TV broadcast.
Related: Mountaineer fans showing out at the Big 12 tournament
Staff writer Logan Powell is once again providing on-site coverage of the action here on wvsportsnation.com and the WV Sports Nation app. Live updates are also available on X/Twitter at _wvsportsnation.
Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation for more WVU Athletics coverage.
