WVU baseball remains atop Big 12 following third straight conference sweep

West Virginia baseball is having what could end up being a historic season in 2025. The Mountaineers currently sit with 34 wins, which they achieved by Easter Sunday -- a huge accomplishment for the program.

The Mountaineers now hold an impressive 11-game winning streak against Big 12 opponents and a series sweep this past weekend over Cincinnati has the Mountaineers sitting in the driver's seat in the Big 12 Conference as we enter the homestretch of the 2025 regular season.

Game One: WVU 3, Cincinnati 2

Game One against Cincinnati last Thursday was all about two former Big 12 Pitchers of the Week, Griffin Kirn and Chase Meyer. Thursday’s game witnessed another gem from starter Kirn, who earned Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors a few weeks ago for his dominant performance. Kirn went 5.2 innings pitched (2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, and 6 Ks) before giving way to another former Big 12 Pitcher of the Week in Meyer. Meyer recorded the last 10 outs, going 3.1 innings pitched (0 R, 1 H, 2 BBs, and 5 Ks).

Meyer not allowing a hit through the last 10 outs was vital for the Mountaineers, as the WVU offense was only able to manufacture three runs. West Virginia native Jace “Rhino” Rinehart did most of the damage offensively for the Mountaineers in Game One. Rinehart finished with 2-3 (one double) with two RBIs. Rhino’s RBI double in the bottom of the sixth plated the winning run, thanks to Meyer’s relief efforts.

Two nice plays were made in the field for WVU during the matchup. Chase Swain made a great throw to toss a runner out at home plate -- the would-be scoring run would have made it a 3-2 game in favor of the Bearcats if Swain had not made the play. Later in the game, Meyer helped his own cause by fielding his position before starting a 1-6-3 double play to get the Mountaineers out of the eighth inning with the lead.

Game Two: WVU 6, Cincinnati 4

11 hits and three home runs propelled WVU to the win on Friday for Game Two of the series. Reigning Big 12 Player of the Week Logan Sauve, Rinehart, and program home-run leader Grant Hussey, all sent hits out of the ballpark on Friday. The final lines for the three home run hitters were-- Sauve 1-4 (1 RBI), Rinehart 3-4 (2 RBIs and 2 Rs), and Hussey 1-3 (2 RBIs and 1 R).

Getting the start on the mound was Gavin Van Kempen. Although he was not able to go deep into the game, he gave Sabins four innings of one-run baseball (4 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 BB, and 3 K). Reese Bassinger was huge on the mound as well, earning the win and getting out of a jam with two runners on base in the fifth. Bassinger final line read 4 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 BB, and 4 K. Carson Estridge, who has gotten some starts in the 2025 season, came in to get the save working a perfect ninth inning (1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, and 1 K).

True freshman Gavin Kelly has found ways to make a positive impact for the Mountaineers. For Friday’s game, it was showcased in his glove. Getting the start at second base, Kelly made a diving stop to get an out at first during the second inning.

Game Three: WVU 10, Cincinnati 5

Saturday’s game consisted of another offensive explosion from the Mountaineers, as they scored10 runs scored on 13 hits. Sauve, Rinehart, Sam White, Swain, and Brodie Kresser all recorded a multi-hit game. Sauve hit another home run on Saturday to tie him with the team lead in home runs (7, tied with Rinehart). The Mountaineers used four-run fifth and sixth innings to boost them to their 13th conference win.

On the bump for WVU, Jack Kartsonas (1.78 ERA) got his second start of the season and pitched very well. Kartsonas’ final line: 6 IP, 1 R (O ER), 1 H, 3 BB, and 7 Ks. He even helped his own cause, fielding a comebacker to the mound to retire the leadoff hitter in the third inning. Senior pitcher Tyler Hudson threw 1.2 innings of zero runs, hits, and walks. Hudson also added three strikeouts.

WVU will travel to UCF for their conference series this coming weekend. The Mountaineers will hope to continue their 11-game winning streak against conference opponents.