Dykhoff’s seventh-inning – Josh Dykhoff hit a three-run home run that ignited a decisive seventh inning, and Kansas beat West Virginia 9-0 on Saturday night to win its first Big 12 baseball championship since 2006.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Josh Dykhoff waited until the seventh inning to make his statement. Then he turned a manageable game into something West Virginia couldn’t climb out of.
Dykhoff launched a three-run home run that was the first of three straight homers in the inning, sending Kansas to a 6-0 lead. Augusto Mungarrieta and Jordan Bach followed with home runs to push the score to 8-0, and Kansas never let up from there.
The final came as Kansas defeated West Virginia 9-0 on Saturday night, capturing the Big 12 baseball championship for the first time since 2006. Kansas was seeded top and ranked 13th entering the game at 42-16. West Virginia entered ninth in the rankings and second in the seed at 39-14.
Kansas got the jump early in this one. Tyson Owens hit a first-inning solo home run that gave the Jayhawks a 1-0 lead.
West Virginia threatened later. In the fifth inning, the Mountaineers loaded the bases with three singles. With one out, Toby Scheidt replaced Mathis Nayral on the mound. Gavin Kelly lifted a fly ball to right field for the second out, and Bach threw out Brodie Kresser at home to end the inning.
Kansas continued to resist after that. In the sixth, West Virginia loaded the bases again with one out, but Scheidt got out of the jam with a pop up to the right side and a grounder to the shortstop.
The Jayhawks added insurance in the sixth inning. Bach drove in a run with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Scheidt earned the win after pitching 1 2/3 innings. He was followed on the mound by Manning West and Boede Rahe.
West Virginia’s Ian Korn (5-1) allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Reese Bassinger allowed four unearned runs in the seventh, while Dawson Montesa gave up the other two runs in Kansas’s big frame.
Up next, the NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Monday. West Virginia has made 16 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, while Kansas has been there six times.
Kansas Jayhawks West Virginia Mountaineers Big 12 baseball championship Josh Dykhoff Tyson Owens Jordan Bach Augusto Mungarrieta