LAWRENCE, Kan. (April 5, 2024) – In a back-and-forth game, the West Virginia University baseball team came out on top over Kansas, 11-10, Friday evening at Hoglund Ballpark. The Mountaineers improve to 17-12 overall and 6-4 in the Big 12 while the Jayhawks fall to 15-12 and 7-6 in conference play.
Sidelined due to injury since the opening weekend, junior JJ Wetherholt made his return and went 3-for-4 with two RBI and the go-ahead double in the ninth inning. Juniors Brodie Kresser and Kyle West each hit home runs while freshman Spencer Barnett added three hits and two RBI.
After a scoreless first inning, each team hit solo home runs in the second with West hitting his fifth home run of the season for the Mountaineers.
Kansas scored a run in both the third and fourth before West Virginia evened up the game with two runs in the fifth, getting an RBI single from sophomore Sam White and run-scoring double from senior Reed Chumley.
The Jayhawks jumped back in front with two runs in both the fifth and sixth, but the Mountaineers answered with six runs in the seventh to retake the lead. The first five batters for WVU reached base in the inning with junior Grant Hussey driving in two with a single and West knocking in one more. Barnett followed with a two-run single to put the Mountaineers in front before Wetherholt hit a sacrifice fly.
Once again, Kansas answered, this time with three runs in the eighth to take a 10-9 lead.
In the ninth, Kresser turned around a 98-mph fastball and sent it over the left-field wall for his second home run of the season to knot things up at 10 apiece. Barnett then singled before Wetherholt produced the game-winning run with a double down the left-field line.
The Jayhawks did not go quietly in the ninth as they put two runners on, but graduate student Hambleton Oliver came out of the pen to get a strikeout before a dazzling play by sophomore Ellis Garcia at third and Hussey at first ended the game.
The two teams will be back on Saturday for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Sidelined due to injury since the opening weekend, junior JJ Wetherholt made his return and went 3-for-4 with two RBI and the go-ahead double in the ninth inning. Juniors Brodie Kresser and Kyle West each hit home runs while freshman Spencer Barnett added three hits and two RBI.
After a scoreless first inning, each team hit solo home runs in the second with West hitting his fifth home run of the season for the Mountaineers.
Kansas scored a run in both the third and fourth before West Virginia evened up the game with two runs in the fifth, getting an RBI single from sophomore Sam White and run-scoring double from senior Reed Chumley.
The Jayhawks jumped back in front with two runs in both the fifth and sixth, but the Mountaineers answered with six runs in the seventh to retake the lead. The first five batters for WVU reached base in the inning with junior Grant Hussey driving in two with a single and West knocking in one more. Barnett followed with a two-run single to put the Mountaineers in front before Wetherholt hit a sacrifice fly.
Once again, Kansas answered, this time with three runs in the eighth to take a 10-9 lead.
In the ninth, Kresser turned around a 98-mph fastball and sent it over the left-field wall for his second home run of the season to knot things up at 10 apiece. Barnett then singled before Wetherholt produced the game-winning run with a double down the left-field line.
The Jayhawks did not go quietly in the ninth as they put two runners on, but graduate student Hambleton Oliver came out of the pen to get a strikeout before a dazzling play by sophomore Ellis Garcia at third and Hussey at first ended the game.
The two teams will be back on Saturday for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
