West Virginia baseball started their 2025 season flying high, but their first Big 12 series of the season brought them back to Earth.
After an 18-1 start to the season that included a win in Stillwater over Oklahoma State to start perfect in conference play, the Mountaineers dropped their first series of the year as they hosted Arizona in what was the first full conference series of 2025 for WVU.
The Mountaineers struggled to find their usual hot bats and were plagued by crucial injuries late into the weekend, causing them to stumble multiple times throughout a weekend series for the first time this season.
GAME 1
The Mountaineers put together a great comeback after going down 4-0 against Arizona early, and the game took nearly double the standard amount of innings to determine a winner. Unfortunately, the WVU comeback fell just short as the Wildcats finally scored two runs in the 16th inning to win the ballgame with a final score of 6-4 on Friday.
Taking more than five hours to complete the game, the Wildcats were finally able to squeeze across two runs in the top of the 16th inning after a drought to secure a win in the Big 12 matchup -- WVU had a chance to respond in the bottom of the 16th, but were not able to get any momentum rolling in their half of the inning.
Relief pitching was great for the Mountaineers. WVU pitchers did not allow a run after the second inning until the two winning runs in the 16th inning. Chase Meyer was asked by head coach Steve Sabins to fill a lot of innings, and that is exactly what he did. Meyer, the reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, had a season-high five innings pitched last night. In five innings, Meyer struck out five, walked only one batter, and gave up two hits and two runs. Until the 16th inning, Meyer has gone several relief innings in extra innings without allowing a run.
GAME 2
WVU evened the series against the Arizona Wildcats at one game apiece on Saturday. After a 6-4 loss in 16 innings on Friday, the Mountaineers got back to their typical explosive offensive ways to force a rubber match on Sunday.
After two innings of play, WVU sensed danger as Arizona got out to a 2-0 lead. But WVU responded in the bottom of the third with a two RBI double from slugger Sam White to tie the game. The game did not stay tied for long, as the Wildcats retook the lead in the top of the third with a solo home run off of starter Gavin Van Kempen.
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It was another bullpen day for WVU as Gavin Van Kempen only went 3.2 innings, but Reese Bassinger was the only pitcher that coach Steve Sabins needed in relief. Bassinger earned the win, his second of the season. Bassinger now is 2-0 with three saves and a 1.89 ERA on the season. In conjunction with Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Chase Meyer, Bassinger has been as good and as reliable as they come in the bullpen for WVU.
An offensive explosion gives WVU their second conference win in three games
Bassinger’s final line-- 5.1 innings pitched, eight strikeouts, one walk, and one hit allowed. The senior pitcher did not allow a run in his 5+ innings of work, which is something difficult to do against an Arizona team led by Brendan Summerhill who is hitting .418 with 24 RBIs in 22 games.
After two innings of play, Arizona got out to a 2-0 lead. WVU responded in the bottom of the third with a two-out two RBI double from slugger Sam White tying the game at two. However, the game did not stay tied for long, the Wildcats retook the lead in the top of the third with a solo home run off of starter Gavin Van Kempen.
Then came the fourth inning and the seven runs that came along with it for WVU. Starting off the scoring was Jace Rinehart, who remains dialed in at the plate, with a solo home run to tie the game again at 3-3. According to the WVU Baseball Analytics’ X account, Rinehart’s home run was registered with a 110 mph exit velocity and traveled 409 feet.
The Mountaineers offense was nowhere close to being done scoring yet. Kresser’s glove is not the only thing that brings an impact to the field, the junior shortstop had a clutch two-run single making it a 5-3 game in the fourth.
With two RBIs already, White still had more runs to drive in during the Saturday game. White ripped a double with a 106 mph exit velocity, according to the WVU Baseball Analytics’ X account. White’s double plated three more runs and made it an 8-3 ballgame.
To cap off the inning, Kyle West contributed another double scoring the seventh run of the inning and making it a 9-3 game. From there, the Mountaineers added two more runs later in the game, but had already put the nail in the coffin for the Wildcats.
GAME 3
The Arizona Wildcats escaped from Morgantown with a the series win over WVU powered by an 11-4 win in the third game of the series.
WVU struggled at the plate for the second time in the weekend -- something that hasn't happened often in 2025. The Mountaineers stranded six base runners in the first three innings of action and that came back to haunt them. In a chippy match against the Wildcats, WVU failed to drive in runners on base and left scoring opportunities on the field.
For WVU though, the story was the injury bug. All-Big 12 Preseason catcher Logan Sauve was removed from the game Saturday. WVU fans speculated that Coach Sabins made this decision to give Sauve some rest after the 16-inning game on Friday. This theory was later proved wrong when Ryan Decker of Gold and Blue Nation reported that Sauve was not included in the lineup for the rubber match due to a shoulder injury sustained on Saturday and Sabins was keeping him out to evaluate the injury.
Mountaineer fans were feeling great when Sam White, who is in the middle of a great season for WVU, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to draw WVU closer to Arizona cutting the deficit from three runs to just one run. Unfortunately, things change very fast.
As White was celebrating his massive home run, he jumped up to give an “arm five” to a teammate and after the contact fell to the ground in pain. White immediately grabbed at his shoulder and was seen in serious pain heading into the dugout.
The situation only got worse from there. While WVU was still up to bat in the inning, on-site reporter Anjelica Trinone reported that White was screaming in pain as athletic trainers were examining his injury in the dugout. Moments later. White was seen on the ESPN+ broadcast with a sling on and was removed from the game. Decker reported that there were no postgame updates on Sauve or White after Sunday’s game.
One of the few bright spots for WVU on Sunday was the great performance by true freshman Gavin Kelly. Kelly has appeared in several games as a left fielder or hitting in the DH spot but with the concern for Sauve’s health, Kelly got the start behind the dish and showcased his defensive skills.
Before the game on Sunday, Kelly had mainly made an impact at the plate this season with a .326 average, .890 OPS, and 13 RBIs in 2025. On Sunday, Kelly displayed his defensive skills nailing two would-be base runners trying to steal second. The true freshman catcher finished going 1-4 at the plate, with one run scored, one walk, and one stolen base to go along with his great defensive game.
Tensions were high and both teams were chippy during the series finale. Arizona’s Adonys Guzman exchanges words with someone on the WVU team, prompting the home plate umpire to issue warnings to both teams in the top of the second inning.
After White’s home run blast in the third, White returned the favor and had words with Arizona’s catcher Guzman. But when it rains it pours, and during the 6six-run offensive outburst for the Wildcats in the eighth inning, players in the Arizona dugout were seen mocking WVU’s extra-base hit celebration.
The Mountaineers will look to bounce back against in-state competition Marshall University in a one-game nonconference game on Tuesday night and Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown before traveling to Provo, Utah for a three-game conference series against BYU Thursday through Sunday.