Troy and West Virginia met for the first time ever in the College World Series on Friday, June 12 in Omaha. West Virginia struck first with Armani Guzman stealing home to take a 1-0 lead, and Troy answered later before the game moved on in a tight, high-stakes
The College World Series opener in Omaha didn’t wait long to deliver a moment you only see once in a while—Armani Guzman’s straight steal of home.
West Virginia and Troy faced off for the first time ever on Friday. June 12. with first pitch set for 2 p.m. ET at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. The game came with bracket stakes immediately attached: Saturday’s winner advances in the winner’s side of the CWS bracket. while the loser moves into an elimination game where it will need a win to keep its season alive.
Troy and West Virginia arrived at the CWS from very different paths. No. 16 national seed West Virginia reached the super regional round with a resounding best-of-three sweep of Cal Poly in Morgantown. winning by a combined score of 29-3. That super regional romp followed a dramatic run through the Morgantown Regional that ended with West Virginia winning back-to-back games against Kentucky decided by a combined three runs.
Troy. meanwhile. barely got into the NCAA tournament. earning the final at-large berth after going 32-29 in the regular season against a challenging schedule. After losing to Miami in their opening game of the Gainesville Regional. the Trojans won six straight. including back-to-back victories against Florida. the No. 8 national seed. Coach Skylar Meade’s team swept Little Rock in the Troy Super Regional to earn a CWS berth. It was the first time in Troy program history it had advanced past the regional round of the NCAA tournament.
The game’s first score came in a way that changed the feel of the at-bats. With two outs, Armani Guzman stole home from third base to give West Virginia a 1-0 lead over Troy. It was the first player with a straight steal of home in the CWS since 2000. Guzman’s steal was also part of a larger season-long surge—his 39th steal of the year. which set a single-season program record. Earlier in the inning. Guzman first reached after a fielding error on a ground ball and later advanced from second to third while the Troy catcher was throwing to first for the first out.
Troy answered quickly once it got its turn. Not long after falling behind, the Trojans tied the game.
With a runner on second base, Jabe Boroff ripped a single into left field to bring Sean Darnell home. Darnell had recorded a two-out double in the previous at-bat. Boroff advanced to second during the throw from left field to home.
Houston Markham singled in the next at-bat. but Boroff was held at third after Armani Guzman threw an “absolute laser” from right field. In the end. Troy scored one run—Aaron Piasecki grounded out to second to end the inning with two runners left on base. Troy’s first College World Series time to the plate otherwise produced no runs. Josh Pyne was hit by a pitch to get on. but Jimmy Janicki lined out to short to end the top half of the inning.
West Virginia’s CWS moment carried extra weight off the field, too. The Mountaineers are in their first-ever College World Series appearance in the program’s second season under head coach Steve Sabins. The 39-year-old Sabins previously served as an assistant coach with the Mountaineers from 2016-24 and took over the program in 2024 after longtime coach Randy Mazey retired.
Sabins has compiled an 89-31 record overall, including a 45-15 mark this season. In both seasons under Sabins, West Virginia advanced to at least the super regional stage. In the hours before Friday’s opener, Sabins was named the Mike Martin National Coach of the Year.
Troy entered the series riding momentum as well, with a six-game win streak heading into the CWS.
For viewers tracking every pitch, ESPN is set to broadcast Friday’s game between Troy and West Virginia. Streaming options include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login, and Fubo, which carries ESPN’s family of networks and offers a free trial.
The central numbers around the matchup also centered on pitching and control. West Virginia ranks seventh among Division I teams in team ERA this year. and the game’s prediction put the Mountaineers in a stronger position heading into Friday. Lines via BetMGM as of Friday. June 12 listed West Virginia with a -1.5 spread. an over/under of 10.5. and a moneyline of West Virginia -300 and Troy +225. with a prediction of West Virginia 6. Troy 3.
As the opener unfolded, the storyline felt instant and personal: Guzman’s steal of home made the first run unforgettable, and Troy’s reply tightened the game right away—proof that in the College World Series, the next swing can erase the last one.
West Virginia Troy College World Series CWS opener Omaha Charles Schwab Field Armani Guzman Steve Sabins Skylar Meade live updates
Stealing home is such a crazy move, WV always plays wild.
So the bracket stuff matters like right away? I thought CWS was just best of 3 always. Also Troy was the underdog but they “answered later” so does that mean they won? The article cut off on me.
I don’t get how you can just straight steal home like that unless the catcher messed up. Like was Troy’s pitcher just tipping pitches or something? Either way that’s a brutal way to start, WV got momentum and never let go (or maybe they did lol).
Troy barely got in at 32-29 and then made noise?? Sounds like the NCAA tourney is basically random. West Virginia sweeping and then stealing home… yeah I’m guessing WV has been coached to do that all season. But also it says Charles Schwab Field… is that the Omaha stadium? Not sure why they keep saying the same game info.