West Virginia
Enrollment struggles at WVU Tech Beckley, options considered – WV MetroNews
BECKLEY, W.Va. — The 2025 fall enrollment report presented to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission shows 57,017 students enrolled which is 942 more students than last year.
The student enrollment is not growing at WVU Tech in Beckley, in fact, it shows the most significant decline in enrollment in the last five years at 25 percent. Enrollment has dropped to just more than 1,200 students.
More specifically, enrollment has decreased by 408 students in those five years including 66 fewer students this fall than last fall.
WVU moved WVU Tech from Montgomery to Beckley in 2017. The Montgomery campus had about the same number of students then that the Beckley campus has now.
WVU Tech Dean of Enrollment Kent Gamble said despite enrollment challenges the school’s programs are doing well.
“They’re attractive and students are coming to them,” Gamble said last week on WAJR’s Talk of the Town. “Now, some of the other programs we may need to get out and recruit a little more and do some marketing.”
Gamble said high school enrollments in the area are falling. He said Tech must put more emphasis on the dual credit (enrollment) program involving high school students. He said it’s a positive starting point for any student considering post-secondary education and can be an important confidence builder for first generation students.
“It’s a great introduction because you can say to the students that you can be successful, you can do well in college look how you did in this in course while you were in high school for dual credit,” Gamble said.
WVU Tech officials conducted interviews last week for the next leader of the dual credit program.
“We’re looking for a coordinator for our program, so we’re excited to have some candidates on campus,” Gamble said. “Quality individuals that we think can move that enrollment needle with that program back up to about 500 students where we were in 2021.”
Gamble said WVU Tech hopes to take further advantage of its Metro Tuition Rate to use as an incentive for students outside the state of West Virginia. The rates can save students in Virginia thousands of dollars,” he said.
“We’re very close to the metropolitan areas of Christiansburg, Roanoke, Wytheville, as well as Charlotte and now we have the Metro Program to help us recruit out-of-state students.”
Gamble said they would like to follow the retention and freshman retention rates WVU in Morgantown had had in recent years. While first-time freshman enrollment increased by seven percent across the WVU system, the 2025 retention rate from freshman to sophomore was more than 85 percent.
“We’re also focusing on retention and strengthening retention- that is something the administration would like to do,” Gamble said. “We know we have some work to do in retention and we feel like that will move the enrollment needle.”
Win or go home. That’s what is on the line tonight for West Virginia and Kentucky as they fight to secure a spot in the super regional round against Cal Poly, which is waiting to meet the winner after winning the Los Angeles regional on Sunday.
As usual, we will have you covered with live updates and analysis of tonight’s battle in our game thread below, along with the starting lineups for both teams. Let’s play ball and crown a regional winner!
GAME THREAD
TOP 1 (UK)
Yehl with a much better first inning than he had against the Cats two nights ago. He gave up a leadoff hit to left and issued a 2-out walk, but throws up a very important zero to start things off, punching out two batters.
BOT 1 (WVU)
Gavin Kelly gets a double, scoots to second on a grounder by Schoenfeld, and then scores on a strike three passed by against Sean Smith, who reached first safely. Mountaineers leave Smith stranded at second but strike first, 1-0.
TOP 2 (UK)
1-2-3 inning for Maxx Yehl as he takes care of a good chunk of the bottom of Kentucky’s order.
BOT 2 (WVU)
Aside from a two-out walk to Ben Lumsden, a clean inning for Soucie. Top of the order due up next for the Mountaineers. Headed to the third with West Virginia leading 1-0.
TOP 3 (UK)
Another zero for Maxx Yehl. He finally retires Tharnish, who has been a thorn in WVU’s side all weekend, and after hitting Bell with two outs, he picks him off at first. Guzman had a bad throw to get him at second, but was able to nail him at the bag.
BOT 3 (WVU)
West Virginia’s starting lineup
1. 1B Armani Guzman — .302
2. C Gavin Kelly —.379
3. CF Paul Schoenfeld — .345
4. DH Sean Smith — .316
5. LF Matthew Graveline — .284
6. SS Matt Ineich — .300
7. 2B Brodie Kresser — .289
8. RF Ben Lumsden — .254
9. 3B Tyrus Hall – .276
SP Maxx Yehl
Kentucky’s starting lineup
1. CF Jayce Tharnish — .355
2. SS Tyler Bell — .343
3. DH Luke Lawrence — .343
4. 1B Hudson Brown —.327
5. 2B Ethan Hindle — .307
6. RF Braxton Van Cleave — .278
7. 3b Tyler Cerny — .176
8. LF Carson Hansen — 225
9. C Owen Jenkins — .247
SP Jackson Soucie
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Leading 9-6 entering the top of the ninth, the Bat Cats were three outs away from advancing to the Super Regional. Then, just as what happened last year against West Virginia, disaster struck at the worst possible time.
Nile Adcock, entering his fourth inning of work, walked the bases loaded. The Cats’ bullpen, which had been excellent to that point, brought in the tying runs on a walk, a sacrifice fly, and a balk.
Yes, you read that correctly. It didn’t even take a hit to tie the game. The hit came after West Virginia tied the game, when Paul Schoenfeld homered deep to right field to give the Mountaineers an 11-9 lead.
Kentucky fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, took a 7-6 lead in the fourth, and it looked like they were on their way to a third straight win and regional championship.
What stings the most is that Kentucky was in a worse spot against West Virginia last year in the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Leading 12-7, Kentucky completely collapsed and lost 13-12 as their season came to an end.
That didn’t happen Sunday night this year. Kentucky will play West Virginia again on Monday. The winner of that game will advance to the Super Regionals.
Morgantown, WV – The West Virginia Mountaineers (42-15) rallied and scored five runs to force a Morganton regional game seven with a 9-5 win over the Kentucky Wildcats (33-22) Sunday night.
Kentucky starting pitcher Ben Cleaver never found his rhythm in his 14th start of the season. He beaned leadoff hitter, junior Armani Guzman, walked consecutive Mountaineer hitters to load the bases, and hit senior Sean Smith to bring in the game’s first run. Senior Matthew Graveline followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, then reloaded the with his third walk of the inning and it would end the junior’s afternoon.
Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione handed the ball to Ira Austin, and on the 1-1 pitch, senior Brodie Kresser hit an RBI single to centerfield for a 3-0 WVU lead.
In the bottom of the frame, two errant throws put two aboard for the Wildcats before loading the bases after West Virginia starting pitcher David Hagan issued consecutive walks for Kentucky’s first run of the contest. Then, freshman Braxton Van Cleave worked the opposite field with an RBI single to left field to pull the Wildcats within one, 3-2.
Kentucky tied the game in the second after Jayce Tharnish hit the gap in left centerfield for a one out double and moved to third on a ground ball from sophomore Tyler Bell before senior Luke Lawrence hit an RBI single back up the middle.
West Virginia reclaimed the lead in the third. Gaveline hit a leadoff to centerfield and moments later, Kresser smacked a one-out single to left field and senior Ben Lumsden hit the top of the left field wall for an RBI single. Junior Tyrus Hall grounded to third to bring a run across and Guzman capped a three-run third with an RBI single to right field for a 6-3 Mountaineer lead.
Kentucky responded in the bottom of the frame after junior Ethan Hindle received a four-pitch leadoff walk, Van Cleave lined a single to left field, placing runners at the corners, and senior Carson Hansen brought in a run with a fielder’s choice to short to close within two, 6-4. WVU sophomore reliever Joshua Suriagao pitched a third of the inning before Sabins turned to senior Carson Estridge, who recorded the final two outs of the inning.
Kentucky took the lead in the fourth when Bell sparked the Wildcats with a leadoff home run. Then, Lawrence doubled to left field, and Hindle lined an RBI single to left field before Van Cleave delivered another RBI for the 7-6 advantage.
West Virginia loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, but the bottom of the order did not bring a run across, ending the inning with consecutive strikeouts.
In seventh, Kentucky added some cushion to its lead and did the damage with two outs on the board. Tharnish lifted the 2-2 pitched just over the right field wall for a two-out solo home run, then Bell blasted his second solo shot of the afternoon for a 9-6 Wildcats’ lead.
In the ninth, West Virginia loaded the bases on an Kentucky error, a walk, and a single from junior Tyrus Hall. Then, Guzman received a four-pitch walk to bring in a run, Kelly got the Mountaineers within one with a sacrifice fly and a balk tied the game before senior Paul Schoenfeld blasted a two run home run to give the Mountaineers an 11-9 lead.
West Virginia reliever Ben McDougal entered the game in the fifth and closed the game out for the Mountaineers for the 11-9 decision.
West Virginia and Kentucky will meet for a trip to the Super Regionals on Monday. Time and TV is to be determined.
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