The West Virginia Mountaineers were in "win or go home" mode for the second time in three weeks as they faced off against the Troy Trojans in an elimination game on Tuesday at the College World Series. WVU had dropped their first game at the event on Sunday to UNC, subjecting themselves to the loser's bracket. Now, they needed a second win over Troy after narrowly edging out a two-run win in their first meeting.
It's tough to beat a team twice in one week, at least when it's the caliber of team that makes it to Omaha. But the Mountaineers already had experience this offseason playing with their season on the line, and perhaps that's why things came so easily for the Mountaineers as they ran away to a 12-0 shutout win to eliminate the Trojans and advance one step further in the College World Series.
🎶 CUE COUNTRY ROADS!!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/LJUPjuQ12w
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) June 16, 2026
West Virginia would be dominant in all facets on the game, allowing Troy to record just four hits and no runs, with a combined pitching staff of Dawson Montesa, Ben McDougal, Reese Bassinger, and Carson Estridge recording 13 strikeouts on the mound. At the plate, the Mountaineers recorded 14 hits and recorded two doubles and a Gavin Kelly home run that drove home himself and two additional base runners to break open a 2-0 game in the sixth inning.
The work is only beginning for the West Virginia Mountaineers
With the win, the Mountaineers will officially be among the final four teams in college baseball still playing. But there is still plenty of work to be done for the Mountaineers, who will have to face UNC again if they want to advance to the College World Series.
The Mountaineers will face the Tar Heels on Wednesday, and they'll have to win that game to keep playing. But then they'll have to knock UNC off a second time on Thursday, going 2-for-3 against the Tar Heels in Omaha. UNC, meanwhile, has worked through only four pitchers during their two games so far, and defeated West Virginia by three runs on Sunday.
But WVU baseball is no stranger to this situation, having pulled off three consecutive wins in elimination games during the Morgantown Regional, knocking off Wake Forest and Kentucky in the same day before bouncing the Wildcats from the tournament the following night. Now, the Mountaineers will look to call upon a bit more of that magic to earn a shot to play for the ultimate prize.
Add us as a preferred source on Google