West Virginia baseball enters Top 25 rankings, set to host Backyard Brawl

West Virginia baseball just got a little extra motivation headed into Week 10 of the NCAA Baseball season -- not that they particularly needed it before their next game.

The Mountaineers (22-13) entered the D1Baseball Top 25 for the first time this season on Monday, clocking in at No. 22 in the latest poll. They ascend to the spot after completing a clean weekend sweep over then-No. 17 UCF, who dropped from the Top 25 following a winless week. WVU is now 11-4 in their last 15 outings, including 6-1 since first-team All-American JJ Wetherholt returned to the lineup during the Kansas series.

The team will carry the momentum from their new ranking and last weekend’s sweep into a match-up that naturally carries high emotional stakes, as WVU prepares to host Pittsburgh on Tuesday in the first edition of this year’s Backyard Brawl. Pittsburgh enters the rivalry contest having won their most recent game against No. 7 Duke, but they lost 2-of-3 on the weekend to hand the Blue Devils the series. They now sit 14-18 overall on the season.

First pitch from Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown on Tuesday is set for 6:30 pm. The game will be broadcast live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with radio coverage from the Mountaineer Sports Network radio affiliates. Audio will also be available on The Varsity Network, the WVU Gameday App, and WVUSports.com.