West Virginia’s baseball team plays its first College World Series game on Friday, June 12, taking on Troy at 2 p.m. ET at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. The Mountaineers enter as the No. 16 national seed with a 45-15 record and a first-time trip to Omaha, bui
OMAHA, Neb. — West Virginia’s College World Series debut is set in a single, unforgiving moment: Friday, June 12, against Troy at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, and the bracket has already placed the Mountaineers in a high-stakes pocket of the tournament.
The Mountaineers enter as the No. 16 national seed and find themselves on the side with Troy, No. 5 North Carolina, and Ole Miss. The path forward is immediate. The winner of West Virginia-Troy will play the winner of the Tar Heels and Rebels on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, while the losers will play on Sunday at 2 p.m.
This game won’t be tucked away. It will air on ESPN with Mike Monaco, Eduardo Perez, Ben McDonald, and Taylor McGregor on the call. Fans can also follow the action on the Mountaineers Sports Network with Andrew Caridi and Jake Weghorst on all radio affiliates. as well as the Varsity Network. the WVU Gameday App. and WVUSports.com.
West Virginia carries a 45-15 overall record and finished second in the Big 12 with a 21-9 mark. It is also the first College World Series appearance in program history—after falling just short in Super Regionals in 2024 and 2025. That history matters here. For a program that has waited, the wait is finally ending at Omaha.
The Mountaineers’ momentum is built on recognition and performance. 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. along with 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.
Yehl, Kelly, and Cole were also recently named All-Americans. Yehl landed on the first team by Perfect Game.
On the offensive side, Kelly leads the team with a .384 batting average, 17 home runs, 21 doubles, 57 RBI, and 66 runs scored. Guzman is tops in the Big 12 with 38 stolen bases, tied for the most in a single season in program history with current St. Louis Cardinal Victor Scott II.
The pitching numbers are equally sharp. Yehl leads the Big 12 with a 2.10 ERA while striking out 105 batters in 90.0 innings. Cole has a 2.85 ERA, going 10-1 with 106 strikeouts in 94.2 innings. Korn carries a 3.07 ERA and leads the Big 12 with a 1.05 WHIP.
Troy arrives with its own first-time Omaha moment. The Trojans are 38-30 overall and are making their debut in the College World Series as well. They earned their spot by winning the Gainesville Regional and sweeping Little Rock in the Super Regional.
Troy’s lineup is led by catcher Jimmy Janicki, named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. Janicki is hitting .341 with 19 home runs and 85 RBI. On the mound, Benjamin Stubbs has 91.1 innings pitched and a 4.93 ERA, going 6-3.
The matchup sets up a direct test: West Virginia’s awards-loaded lineup and Big 12-leading pitching figures against a Troy team that has already shown it can win in both postseason rounds—once through the Gainesville Regional and then in a sweep over Little Rock. On Friday, all of that becomes a single bracket decision at 2 p.m. ET, and for West Virginia, a first trip to Omaha turns into a chance to keep the story going.
West Virginia baseball College World Series Troy Charles Schwab Field ESPN Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl Gavin Kelly Chansen Cole Ian Korn