Mountaineers open – West Virginia opens NCAA Regional play on Friday, May 29, facing Binghamton at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The No. 1 seed enters with a 39-14 record, led by Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl, while Binghamton arrives with a 31-20 mark after winning the Americ
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The first day of NCAA Regional baseball arrives with a simple, heavy question: can West Virginia turn its home field into momentum?
On Friday, May 29, the West Virginia University baseball team begins Regional play against Binghamton at Kendrick Family Ballpark. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
The stakes are clear from the seeds alone. The Mountaineers enter as the No. 1 seed in the region and the No. 16 national seed. Binghamton comes in as the No. 4 seed.
Friday’s schedule begins earlier for the rest of the bracket. No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 3 Kentucky will play the first game of the day on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
For fans trying to catch every pitch. the West Virginia–Binghamton matchup will air on ESPN+ with Tom Hart and Jensen Lewis on the call. It can also be heard on the Mountaineers Sports Network with Andrew Caridi and Jake Weghorst across all radio affiliates. as well as through the Varsity Network. the WVU Gameday App. and WVUSports.com.
West Virginia arrives with a 39-14 overall record and finished second in the Big 12 with a 21-9 mark. It’s the 17th regional appearance in program history and the second time reaching that stage under second-year head coach Steve Sabins.
The run has become its own kind of rhythm for this team. It’s the sixth regional appearance in the last nine seasons, with West Virginia also reaching in 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024. It is the first time the Mountaineers have made four consecutive regional appearances since 1961-64. and it’s also the first time hosting since 2019.
On the field, recognition has clustered around a handful of names. Redshirt junior Maxx Yehl was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. Sophomore Chansen Cole and graduate student Ian Korn joined Yehl on the All-Big 12 First Team, alongside sophomore catcher Gavin Kelly. Senior outfielder Paul Schoenfeld earned a spot on the second team. while graduate student Reese Bassinger. senior Carson Estridge. junior Armani Guzman. sophomore Matt Ineich. and graduate student Sean Smith were given honorable mention.
Kelly is pacing the offense with a .379 batting average, 13 home runs, and 48 RBI. Ineich leads WVU with 55 runs scored, Schoenfeld has 17 doubles, and Guzman tops the Big 12 with 30 stolen bases.
The pitching matchup inside the game is built around Yehl’s production. He leads the Big 12 with a 2.16 ERA and has struck out 95 batters in 79.1 innings. Cole has a 3.04 ERA, going 8-1 with 83 strikeouts in 80.0 innings. Korn has a 2.57 ERA and leads the Big 12 with a 0.98 WHIP.
Binghamton brings its own momentum to Morgantown. The Bearcats are 31-20 overall and won the America East regular-season title with a 17-7 mark before winning the conference tournament for the second consecutive season.
The All-Conference selections reflect that balance. Catcher Tommy Popoff, second baseman Sean Sweeney, and outfielder Matt Bolton were named to the America East All-Conference First Team. Starting pitchers Conner Griffin and Jackson Mitchell. third baseman Tim Hennig. and outfielder Braylen Gonzalez earned spots on the second team. while starting pitcher Mason Holloway was named to the All-Rookie Team. Head coach Tim Sinicki was named America East Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his career.
At the plate, Bolton leads with a .349 batting average. Popoff and Grant Hunter have a team-high seven home runs. On the mound, Griffin has 57.1 innings pitched, is 3-3 with a 4.87 ERA, and has a team-high 62 strikeouts.
The path after Friday depends on what happens next. The winner of the West Virginia–Binghamton game will advance in the winner’s bracket and play on Saturday at 5 p.m., while the loser will play at noon on Saturday.
West Virginia baseball WVU baseball NCAA Regional Binghamton Kendrick Family Ballpark Maxx Yehl Gavin Kelly Chansen Cole Ian Korn Morgantown