West Virginia

Bullpen falters for Mountaineers in 11-4 loss to Arizona – WV MetroNews

Published

9 months ago

March 23, 2025

Bullpen falters for Mountaineers in 11-4 loss to Arizona – WV MetroNews

GRANVILLE, W.Va. — While winning 19 of their first 21 games this season, the Mountaineers have either been on the good side of many lopsided scores or they found the key hit or the key shutdown inning from their bullpen to secure victories.

In the rubber game of their three-game series Sunday against Arizona, WVU could not get timely outs in relief as the Mountaineers fell to the Wildcats, 11-4. The Mountaineers (19-3, 2-2 Big 12) lost their first series of the year.

“I think it is the first time ever that maybe we have experienced a little bit of adversity or things hadn’t gone our way,” said WVU head coach Steve Sabins. “We had bases loaded multiple times and hit some balls really hard. We had a chance for a grand slam in the first, [Michael] Perazza line drive double play.”

“It is a long season. Just taking everything with a grain of salt, trying to win every pitch by pitch,” said WVU senior Kyle West. “Eventually win enough pitches and you will win innings and you’ll win games. That being said, the Big 12 is a tough conference. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. It has been proven. Just stay present in each moment and you’ll give yourself a chance to win.”

West Virginia fell behind 3-0 in the third inning after starting pitcher Carson Estridge surrendered a solo home run to Adonys Garcia in the second inning and a two-run homer to Maddox Mihalakis in the third. After Garcia’s home run, both teams were warned by umpires after crosstalk between the two dugouts.

“I wasn’t a huge fan. I think something had gone on in the first or second inning where there was a little bit of back-and-forth. After Adonis Guzman hit the home run, he stood there for a little while and then I think talked on his way around the bases. So our guys kind of chirped back a little bit. I thought it was instigated by Arizona today,” Sabins said.

“But I think both teams were passionate in a rubber match and an opportunity to win the game. I wasn’t too worried about it. I just thought in that moment, I didn’t believe that we should probably have received a warning just because it was clearly one side. But I think early in the game, we had chirped at Arizona a little bit. So you can’t blame the umpires ever. They were doing basically their best job to make sure the game doesn’t get out of hand.”

The Mountaineers gained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Sam White’s two-run home run in the third inning and Jace Rinehart’s two-run double in the fourth put the Mountaineers ahead 4-3.

“If I think about the moment and how big it is too much, I think it gets to me. So every time I go up to the plate, I do the same thing I do every time,” Rinehart said.

While White’s home run put the Mountaineers on the scoreboard, he did not return to the game in the fourth inning and was seen wearing a sling. Sabins did not have an immediate medical update on White following the game.

“He’s a huge part of our locker room and our morale,” West said. “Obviously, he plays a huge role at second base and hitting third every day. From a locker room standpoint, I think us as a team, we’ll do everything we can to make sure he stays up and he’s with us all the time.”

Catcher Logan Sauve did not play a day after he was injured in game two of the series.

“Yesterday he dove at home plate and landed on his shoulder. It was really tender this morning,” Sabins said. “We checked in it see if he could potentially play today and we didn’t think it was a good idea to put him in there today.”

Estridge left the game with the lead after pitching five innings. He allowed three runs and struck out six batters.

“It just was competitive the whole time,” Sabins said. “He gave us a chance to win the game.”

Leading 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning, Mason White’s two-run home run gave Arizona (18-5, 5-1 Big 12) a lead they would not relinquish. Arizona scored four more runs in the eighth and two in the ninth inning to close the game with eight unanswered runs.

WVU’s bullpen, shortened by a 16-inning game on Friday night, cycled through eight pitchers in the final four innings.

“Big impact, it changes what we do. But everyone we threw today is good enough to win the ball game. It just didn’t go our way,” Sabins said.

“I just felt like this whole weekend, it was right within our grasp. Friday, obviously we played 16 innings. We had a lot of opportunities, guys on third and less than two out. You had some men in scoring position Friday. A big win on Saturday and then we can’t quite close the deal on Sunday.”

Tyler Hutson fell to 1-1 on the season with the loss. He surrendered Mason White’s home run in the eighth inning.

Garcia went 3-for-5 with two home runs for Arizona.

West Virginia will host Marshall Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

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West Virginia

E-News | Downtown Dash planned Dec. 13

Published

6 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Join the Main Street Morgantown family-friendly holiday shopping event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 13) in Downtown Morgantown.

The event will feature a district-wide scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes and the opportunity to explore holiday pop-up markets by Hoot and Howl, The Co-Op and Apothecary Ale House.

While exploring downtown shops, participants who spot DASH the Dog can collect stamps. Each stamp brings participants closer to the chance of winning prizes from downtown merchants such as gift cards and goods. To qualify for prizes, completed Downtown Dash Guides with five or more stamps must be turned into Hoot and Howl, The Co-Op, Apothecary Ale House or at Breezeline’s play-to-win tent on Courthouse Square.

As a break from shopping, parents and their little ones can visit Kids Craft, Cookies & Cocoa Central at the WARD Building to enjoy a complimentary hot cocoa and cookie bar and children’s crafts provided by Hotel Morgan sponsored by Main Street Morgantown and Breezeline.

Visitors can also visit the beautiful 25-foot-tall holiday tree on display at Courthouse Square, a collaboration between the City of Morgantown, Monongalia County and Main Street Morgantown.

Sponsored by Breezeline, the Downtown Dash celebrates the holiday season, promotes walking and shopping throughout the downtown district, and supports local businesses by driving foot traffic directly to storefronts.

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West Virginia

West Virginia First Foundation lauds Wheeling police for crisis intervention success

Published

19 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

1 day 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.