A Regional Final Preview
West Virginia’s baseball squad, seeded No. 16 in the nation, posted a 10‑5 triumph over Wake Forest on Friday, earning a spot in the Morgantown Regional final. The win came before a home crowd eager to see the Mountaineers extend their recent regional success.
Junior right‑hander Dawson Montesa anchored the pitching staff, logging 7.1 innings, striking out seven while allowing five runs, four of them earned. His effort kept the Demon Deacons at bay long enough for the offense to pull ahead.
The offensive onslaught began in the second inning when a wild pitch opened the scoring, and it gathered momentum in the sixth with RBI hits from senior Ben Lumsden, junior Armani Guzman and sophomore Gavin Kelly. Sean Smith contributed a two‑out RBI single in the fifth and later capped the rally with an RBI double that produced the game‑winning run.
Reliever Reese Bassinger closed the game with 1.2 scoreless frames and two strikeouts, preserving the lead. The Mountaineers will now meet Kentucky at 5 p.m. tonight, a contest that could force a winner‑take‑all Game 7 on Monday if the series extends.
This marks the third consecutive regional final appearance for West Virginia, having captured titles in the Tucson Regional (2024) and the Clemson Regional (2025). The team’s recent run underscores a sustained push toward the College World Series.