WVU vs. – West Virginia opens its Big 12 tournament semifinal with a late-night fight in the desert against Arizona State, leaning on ace Maxx Yehl’s sharp win over Kansas State and expecting Chansen Cole to take the mound again. Game time is Friday, May 22nd at 11 p.m.
When the last out finally came in Thursday night’s 4-2 win over Kansas State. West Virginia didn’t just survive its quarterfinal—it bought itself one step closer to the Big 12 tournament championship. The Mountaineers are now one game away from the title game. and they’ll chase it Friday night at 11 p.m. ET against Arizona State in Surprise, AZ.
The setup has a clear edge: West Virginia got 6.1 innings of quality from its ace. Maxx Yehl. then Ian Korn finished with 2.2 clean innings to set the tone. But Arizona State arrives after a 10-2 rout of Cincinnati. a game where the Sun Devils collected 12 hits while Cincinnati committed four errors.
The matchup itself is tight on paper, but the market has West Virginia clearly favored. West Virginia enters at 38-13 overall (21-9 in Big 12 play), while Arizona State is 37-18 (19-11). Still, the moneyline reads like the moment belongs to the Mountaineers: West Virginia is -160, and Arizona State is +124. Run line and over/under odds aren’t listed as of 8:30 this morning. and odds can refresh and change over time.
Game information for the semifinal makes it easy to follow from wherever you are. The game is at Surprise, AZ—Surprise Stadium (10,714). TV/Streaming is on ESPN+. Radio is through the Mountaineers Sports Network, with affiliates and frequencies listed below:
Beckley: 97.9 or 100.7
Bluefield: 104.5
Charleston: 100.9. 1300 (AM). 1340 (AM). or 1410 (AM)
Chester. VA: 92.7
Chester. PA: 103.3
Clarksburg: 104.9
Colliers: 94.9
Cumberland. MD: 100.1. 1230 (AM). or 1390 (AM)
Fairmont: 94.3 or 920 (AM)
Fisher: 101.7. 103.7. OR 690 (AM)
Gocchland. VA: 100.5
Hinton: 102.3
Huntington: 102.3
Keyser: 1390 (AM) or 100.1
Kingwood: 96.7
Logan: 101.9 or 1290 (AM)
Martinsburg: 106.5 or 740 (AM)
Morgantown: 100.9 OR 95.7
Moundsville: 97.7 or 1370 (AM)
Mullens: 92.7
New Martinsville: 93.1 or 99.5
Parkersburg: 94.7. 103.1. or 1050 (AM)
Pittsburgh: 98.7. 910 (AM). 107.5. or 1480 (AM)
Philadelphia: 740 (AM)
Richmond. VA: 107.7 or 820 (AM)
Ronceverte: 103.1
Ripley: 98.3
Spencer: 104.7 or 1400 (AM)
St. Mary’s: 92.9 or 630 (AM)
Summersville: 92.5
Sutton: 1490 (AM)
Sutton/Craigsville: 92.1
Sutton/Gassaway/Flatwoods: 96.5
Sutton/Summersville: 97.1
Weirton: 94.9 or 1430 (AM)
Wheeling: 98.1 or 1600 (AM).
The pitching picture is the swing point. The expected starting pitcher for WVU is Chansen Cole. West Virginia’s head coach Steve Sabins called it a “luxury” to start Cole game two, and the implication is clear: Cole gets the ball tonight.
Cole has already seen this opponent before. He gave up one run in 5.1 innings against Arizona State earlier this season.
For Arizona State, West Virginia’s earlier season meetings matter too. West Virginia took two of three from the Sun Devils earlier this season when the two met in Tempe.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineers’ quick road to this semifinal win is baked into their pitching choices. Even after relying on their ace in the quarterfinal. they were able to pivot quickly with Ian Korn in relief—an adjustment that makes this late-night matchup feel less like a coin flip and more like a team playing within its strengths.
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WVU vs Arizona State Big 12 tournament semifinal ESPN+ live Mountaineers Sports Network Chansen Cole Maxx Yehl Ian Korn Surprise Stadium odds -160 +124