No. 13 WVU Baseball (19-5, 7-2) caps off its current road trip with a one-off against Big 12 opponent Arizona (9-18, 2-7) Tuesday. The Mountaineers are coming off back-to-back wins to secure a crucial conference series, also in the Grand Canyon State. Tuesday serves as the final stop before WVU turns its focus to the top seed in the Big 12, UCF. Read more: WVU Baseball set to conclude road trip against struggling Arizona.Â
D1 Baseball moved WVU up four spots in its latest rankings, posted Monday. It comes after a 3-1 week with wins over Marshall and No. 22 Arizona State.
The Mountaineers’ next foe ended WVU’s Big 12 Tournament title hopes in a lopsided 12-1 result in Arlington, Texas, last postseason. The Wildcats have won four of the past five against WVU.
Where the Mountaineers stand
WVU turned its luck around after getting trounced by ASU in the series opener, 14-4. A 13-7 win Saturday and a 9-5 clincher Sunday showcased the Mountaineers’ potential.
Related: Game 1 recap
Related: Game 2 recap
Related: Game 3 recap
The old gold and blue combined for 26 runs against the Sun Devils, bolstering collective confidence in its offense.
Two of the top five batters in the Big 12 represent the Mountaineers, with Gavin Kelly in third (.431) and Paul Schoenfeld in fifth (.427). The success at the plate stretches beyond that dynamic duo, as four of the seven other players with 20+ starts this season also eclipse a .300 batting average.
The pitching staff, on the other hand, is coming off a less than desirable weekend (for the most part). WVU cranked through eight arms in the series-opening loss, with starter Dawson Montesa allowing six earned runs in 3.1 innings. The Mountaineers combined to give up 12 free bases in the outing, with nine walks and three hit by pitch.
Maxx Yehl got the nod Saturday, minimizing damage in his seven inning shift. WVU closed the weekend out with Chancen Cole and David Perez limiting ASU to five runs, doing enough for the series win.
Overall, WVU found a way to turn the weekend around after the team’s worst game of the year on Friday. This type of response can propel the Mountaineers when it matters most later down the road.
About the opponent
The next challenge, also in the desert, comes against another former powerhouse program. Unlike their Sun Devil counterpart, the reigning Big 12 Tournament champs are struggling mightily in 2026.
Founded in 1904, Arizona Baseball boasts four College World Series titles and four second place finishes in its 19 appearances. The Wildcats were in the mix less than a year ago, earning a trip to Omaha, but look nothing like that team as of late March 2026.
Now in head coach Chip Hale’s fifth season at the helm, Arizona is amidst an attempt to overcome a 1-8 start to the year, and a 2-7 record in Big 12 action.
Since Hale took over, UA is 161-113 overall, with four NCAA Tournament berths and two conference tournament titles to boot.
This year’s squad is fronted offensively by Tony Lira, who leads the team in batting average (.364), runs (20), and total bases (62). He is also tied for the team lead in doubles (7) and home runs (5).
Luc Fladda is the Wildcats’ ace pitcher, posting a 3.82 ERA and disciplined on the mound, only walking three batters thus far in 2026.
Chances are, Fladda sits out this game due to its midweek nature. Expect a glorified bullpen strategy from both squads, barring any bold moves.
Tune in
WVU and Arizona square off in the uncommon one-off conference bout Tuesday, with first pitch slated for 9 p.m. EST.
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