West Virginia

WVU sweeps Utah and extends winning streak to 7 games, 14-4 – WV MetroNews

Published

8 months ago

April 5, 2025

WVU sweeps Utah and extends winning streak to 7 games, 14-4 – WV MetroNews

GRANVILLE, W.Va. — With their fifth victory in five days, the WVU baseball team completed a series sweep and a doubleheader sweep of Utah on a soggy Saturday, taking the nightcap 14-4 in 8 innings. With inclement weather in the forecast for Sunday, a doubleheader was scheduled. Following Friday night’s 6-3, series-opening win, the Mountaineers played three games in a span of just over 24 hours.

“The game requires attention to detail and focus,” said WVU head coach Steve Sabins. “We really started talking about it at BYU after the Thursday night game. We went up 4-0 and lost that game. We really emphasized the fact that you have to play nine innings. Today, it was kind of the running joke that we needed to play 18 innings hard, 18 innings all day today and don’t give away an inning.

West Virginia won Saturday’s opener, 6-4 to secure the series victory.

In Saturday’s second game, West Virginia (27-4, 7-3 Big 12) pounded out 17 hits. Sabins used the exact same batting order for both ends of the doubleheader.

“That was the first time this season that we had the same lineup — order, positions, everything. I was a little uncomfortable with that. Usually in a doubleheader, you want a little bit of a fresh dynamic, a little something new, some fresh legs.”

Eight Mountaineers had at least one base hit in game two. Spencer Barnett led the way, going 4-for-4 and he drove in a pair of runs.

“He has been so invaluable for our team. He handles it really good. He hasn’t been in the lineup everyday and he still gets a little [ticked] at me every time. Every time I talk to him about it, it is a process and he has to evolve. He’s going to get more and more opportunities.”

Skylar King went 2-for-4 while driving in a game-best four runs.

“I try to treat each plate appearance as one battle. I just try to win the battle in that moment,” King said.

After collecting three hits in Saturday’s opener, Brodie Kresser added three more hits in Game 2. North Marion High School alumnus Jace Rinehart went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.

“I think for me it started last night,” Rinehart said. “With a quick turnaround, it was important for me to heal my body and go to sleep as soon as possible to get ready for today because we had 18 innings.”

Parkersburg South graduate Grant Hussey also went 2-for-4 and he hit his second home run in as many days.

Jack Kartsonas retired ten batters in relief of starting pitcher Carson Estridge. Kartsonas struck out six while allowing just one run.

“Today was a great sign,” Sabins said of Kartsonas. “He held his velo for 3.1 innings. His breaking ball was as good as it has been and he had the changeup.”

Bridgeport High School graduate Ben McDougal retired the side in order in the eighth inning.

Utah fell to 13-16 (2-10 Big 12).

The Mountaineers have won seven consecutive games and five in a row in Big 12 play. West Virginia will host Penn State Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. before returning to conference play next weekend at Houston.

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West Virginia

West Virginia First Foundation lauds Wheeling police for crisis intervention success

Published

9 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

West Virginia First Foundation lauds Wheeling police for crisis intervention success

WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Virginia First Foundation visited the Wheeling Police Department to commend its efforts in addressing the area’s mental health and opioid crisis.

Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger presented to the WVFF board, highlighting the department’s progress.

Schwertfeger attributed a 14% decrease in Group A crimes from 2024 to 2025 to the department’s crisis intervention program.

“Just another great partnership,” he said. “More collaboration in this area that we are very proud of and we want to keep the momentum going,.”

WVFF Executive Director Jonathan Board praised the program’s success.

“This in particular, the CIT program, that isn’t just in the ether, but is showing success – actual scientific success about de-escalation, about bringing together services providers and to boots on the ground and first responders, this is vitally important to not only this region but the entire state,” Board said.

The visit was part of WVFF’s ‘Hold the Line’ tour across the state.

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West Virginia

Where West Virginia’s Decommits in the 2026 Recruiting Class Signed & What Happened

Published

22 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Where West Virginia’s Decommits in the 2026 Recruiting Class Signed & What Happened

Now that you know about West Virginia’s 2026 recruiting class, I figured it’d be a good time to give a little insight into those who were once committed to the Mountaineers and landed elsewhere.

What happened, and where did they go?

QB Brodie McWhorter (Mississippi State)

McWhorter committed to Neal Brown and his coaching staff, but reopened his recruitment when the coaching change was made. Rich Rodriguez did recruit him at the beginning, holding several conversations with him before backing off and pursuing Jyron Hughley and Legend Bey. Hughley committed, Bey committed to Ohio State (signed with Tennessee), while WVU added two more quarterbacks in Wyatt Brown and John Johnson III.

RB Jett Walker (Texas)

Walker fit the bill for what Rodriguez wanted in the backfield. A big, physical presence who could absorb contact and hammer it in between the tackles. With multiple backs committed and feeling good about a few others, WVU didn’t feel pressed to hold onto him. Walker flipped to Minnesota and then flipped to Texas just three weeks later

WR Jeffar Jean-Noel (Georgia Tech)

Jean-Noel was the second recruit to commit to Rodriguez in the 2026 class, but reopened his recruitment in mid-April. He then considered Purdue, Pitt, Kentucky, UCF, and Florida State before landing at Georgia Tech.

OL Justyn Lyles (Marshall)

The Mountaineers had a number of offensive line commits, and with the late additions of Kevin Brown and Aidan Woods, and their chances of securing Jonas Muya, Lyles took a visit to Marshall and flipped his commitment.

LB Caleb Gordon (North Carolina)

Gordon’s commitment to WVU was very brief. As a matter of fact, it was the shortest of the bunch, announcing his pledge on November 24th and then flipping to NC State on the first day of the early signing period (December 3rd).

LB Daiveon Taylor (Kent State)

Taylor was the first commit in the class; however, it was so early that he was committed to Neal Brown’s staff, announcing his decision in April of 2024. He backed off that pledge the very day Brown was fired (December 1st) and eventually signed with Kent State.

CB Emari Peterson (unsigned)

Peterson decommitted from WVU just days before signing day, likely due to the Mountaineers zeroing in on a pair of JUCO corners in Rayshawn Reynolds and Da’Mun Allen. He will sign in February and currently has offers from Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, FIU, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Liberty, LSU, South Florida, Southern Miss, Texas A&M, Toledo, Wake Forest, and a few others.

S Aaron Edwards (committed to Tulsa)

West Virginia chose to part ways with Edwards and ultimately replaced his spot with fellow JUCO safety Da’Mare Williams.

S Jaylon Jones (undecided)

Jones decommitted in late October and did not sign during the early signing period. He will likely choose between Central Michigan, Hawai’i, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas State.

S Taj Powell (Louisville)

Taj is the brother of former Mountaineer basketball guard Jonathan Powell, who is now at North Carolina. He decommitted the day after West Virginia lost to Ohio and flipped to Louisville that same day.

West Virginia

West Virginia National Guard member killed in DC laid to rest

Published

1 day ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

West Virginia National Guard member killed in DC laid to rest

A West Virginia National Guard member who was fatally shot last month in the nation’s capital was laid to rest with full military honors in a private ceremony.

Spc. Sarah Beckstrom’s funeral took place Tuesday at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement.

“The ceremony was deeply moving and reflected the strength, grace, and love of a remarkable young woman and the family and friends who surrounded her,” Morrisey said.

Beckstrom graduated with honors from Webster County High School in 2023 and joined the National Guard several weeks later. She served in the 863rd Military Police Company.

Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe were ambushed as they patrolled a subway station three blocks from the White House on Nov. 26. She died the next day.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot during the confrontation, has been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty.

Morrisey has said Wolfe, who remains in a hospital in Washington, is slowly healing and his family expects he will be in acute care for another few weeks.

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