West Virginia

No. 17 West Virginia Clinches Series Over UCF in a Crazy Game 2

Published

8 months ago

April 27, 2025

No. 17 West Virginia Clinches Series Over UCF in a Crazy Game 2

ORLANDO – The No. 17 West Virginia Mountaineers (36-5 ,15-3) outslugged the UCF Knights (23-19, 6-14) Saturday night for the 15-10 win.

West Virginia captured a large lead in the top of the first inning after singles from junior Skylar King and senior Kyle West and junior Sam White worked a one-out walk to load the bases before freshman Gavin Kelley dropped a two-RBI single in shallow left-centerfield and senior Grant Hussey drove an RBI double to right field. Then, senior Brodie Kresser laid a bunt down the first base line all the way to the bag for an RBI single before sophomore Spencer Barnett capped a five run first with a sacrifice fly to center for the 5-0 lead.

UCF answered in the bottom of the frame. West Virginia starting pitcher Gavin Van Kempen had a rough outing. The junior walked consecutive batters to start the inning, then sophomore Andrew Williamson delivered an RBI single to put the Knights on the board and senior Andrew Sundean lifted a three-run home run over the left field wall to pull UCF within one 5-4.

The Knights took the lead in the fourth when senior Matt Prevesk hit a leadoff double, a single from sophomore Antonio Jimenez scored Prevesk and Sundean ripped an RBI double down the left field line for the 6-5 lead.

Kelley tied the game in the fifth with a sacrifice RBI to centerfield, but in the bottom of the inning with the bases loaded, senior reliver Reese Bassinger walked in the go-ahead run.

West Virginia knotted the game in the seventh after West beat the throw on an infield single to first. Sophomore Armani Guzman entered the game as a pinch-runner and proceeded to steal second. Then with one out, White hit a ground ball over to first and after redshirt junior reliver covered the bag for the out, he threw the ball on the ground towards the mound and Guzman came into to score.

UCF reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning following singles from junior DeAmez Ross and Jimenez to place runners at the corners before Williams put the ball in play for the sacrifice RBI and an 8-7 lead.

In the eighth, West Virginia regained the lead, putting four runs on the board. An error from junior second baseman Edian Espinal put Hussey at first, Kresser followed with a single, then King ripped a ground ball down the third base line into the left field corner for a two-RBI double. Guzman laid down a fielder’s choice RBI bunt and Logan Sauve put the ball in play to King for the 11-8 lead.

The Knights pulled back within a run in the bottom the frame after Espinal reached on an error at third, redshirt junior Dylan King received a one-out walk and Prevesk singled to load the bases. West Virginia junior reliever Carson Estridge walked in a run before Jimenez hit a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the WVU lead to one, 11-10.

West Virginia broke the game open in the ninth after Kelly worked a walk, Hussey slapped a single through the right side, Kresser dropped a fly ball that dropped in shallow centerfield for an RBI single before junior Benjamin Lumsden blasted a three-run home run over the right field wall into the parking lot for a four-run ninth and a 15-10 lead.

Estridge kept the Knights off the board in the ninth as the Mountaineers take game two with the 15-10 decision.

The Mountaineers will look for the series sweep Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.

West Virginia

West Virginia First Foundation lauds Wheeling police for crisis intervention success

Published

7 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

19 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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