West Virginia
Penn State Baseball Dismantled 18-7 By West Virginia
Penn State baseball (21-21, 7-11 Big 10) fell to West Virginia (29-18, 15-9 Big 12) as the team traveled to Morgantown for a midweek matchup with the Mountaineers.
Mason Butash recorded just one out in the first inning after the right-hander surrendered two home runs, one of being was a grand slamm, as the Mountaineers scored eight runs in the opening inning of the night. Aside from putting together a seven-run third inning, the huge deficit early kept the Penn State bats from getting going.
How It Happened
Joe Jaconski led off the game with a walk after the first baseman worked the count full, advancing to second after JT Marr grounded out to first base and the throw to second base to double up Jaconski sailed into left field. Adam Cecere worked a walk to give the Nittany Lions runners on first and second with one out, but West Virginia starter Chase Meyer rebounded to strike out the next two batters and end the Penn State threat.
The Mountaineers jumped on Butash early, with Logan Sauve launching the first pitch he saw over the center field fence for a home run that gave West Virginia the first run of the ballgame. Followed up by a single and a pair of walks, the Mountaineers were set up with bases loaded and no outs.
With Butash already on the ropes, Sam White roped a 1-0 fastball down the left field line for a two-run single that extended the West Virginia lead to 3-0. After issuing a walk to Grant Hussey, Butash left a fastball down the middle of the plate that was quickly deposited over the center field fence by Brodie Kresser for a grand slam. The homer gave West Virginia a 7-0 lead before Butash recorded an out.
Head coach Mike Gambino had finally seen enough from his starter as he called upon Ben DeMell to get the final two outs of the inning after Butash had recorded his first out. DeMell was greeted similarly to Butash as he surrendered a solo home run to the nine-hitter Skylar King, extending the West Virginia lead to eight. JJ Wetherholt roped a double into the left field gap with two outs but advanced no further, as DeMell recorded the final out of the inning.
Bryce Molinaro ripped a single to lead off the second inning as Penn State tried to get back into the game and stole second later in the inning to put himself in scoring position with two outs. After Kevin Michaels worked a walk to give Penn State two runners on, Meyer forced Jaconski to fly out to left field and once again escape trouble.
West Virginia picked up right where it left off in the second inning as Reed Chumley sent a fastball off of the scoreboard in left field for a solo home run, which was followed up by a White home run to right field, extending the Mountaineers lead to 10 in just the second inning. After DeMell surrendered a single and double with one out in the inning, Gambino once again went to his bullpen and called upon Will Perkowski to record some outs.
Bucking the trend of immediately giving up a home run after entering the game, Perkowski forced King to fly out to center, but a runner scored from third and once again extended the West Virginia lead. Seeing his third pitcher of the game, Sauve lined an RBI single into center and gave the Mountaineers a 12-0 lead. Perkowski escaped after this as the right-hander got Wetherholt to ground out to second.
Marr worked a walk and was moved to third by a single from Grant Norris to lead off the third inning for the Nittany Lions. Penn State finally broke through thanks to a Bobby Marsh single that scored Marr, and a Molinaro walk loaded the bases with one out in the inning.
After retiring Maloney with a nice breaking ball for the second out of the inning, Meyer allowed a two-run single to Tayven Kelley that cut the West Virginia lead to 12-3. This single chased the Mountaineers’ starter from the game with Bryce Amos tasked with keeping the Nittany Lions at bay.
Amos’ first pitch found the backstop, allowing Molinaro to score and Kelley to advance to second. After Michaels worked a walk, Jaconski ripped a double into the right field gap that scored two and further chipped away the West Virginia lead, this time to 12-6. Continuing the offensive onslaught for the Nittany Lions, Marr lined an RBI single to center and widdled the Mountaineers lead to five.
With Amos unable to record an out, Randy Mazey called on Maxx Yehl to work West Virginia out of trouble and the left-hander did just that, forcing Adam Cecere to roll over for the final out. Perkowski continued to find success for Penn State, recording two outs before Gambino called on David Lee to finish the inning. Lee appeared to work out of the inning as he forced Hussey to hit a mile-high popup to center, but miscommunication between Norris and Kelley allowed the ball to fall in for a hit and score Chumley from second. Things went from bad to worse for Lee as Kresser lined an RBI single to left field to extend the West Virginia lead back to seven.
Ben Lumsden scorched a ball into center that scored Kresser and ballooned the Mountaineers’ lead to eight. After allowing three straight hits, Lee managed to escape the inning as King grounded out to first.
As Penn State looked to get some runs back in the top of the fourth inning, Mollinaro and Maloney ripped two-out singles to set up Kelley with two runners on. Yehl settled down, however, and forced Kelley to ground out to first and escape the inning without allowing a run.
Wetherholt continued the fireworks for West Virginia, as the star infielder launched a solo home run to right field that traveled 439 feet and was hit 109 miles per hour. As Lee struggled, Matt Morash came on in relief and stuck out Chumley to end the inning as Penn State continued to trail 16-7.
Tommy Beam took the mound to begin the fifth inning for the Mountaineers and worked a scoreless inning. West Virginia tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-run triple off the bat of Ellis Garcia. Norris led off the sixth inning with a single but was doubled off as Beam recorded another zero on the mound.
The impossible happened for Penn State as pitcher James Lordi entered the game and held the Mountaineers scoreless for the first time all night. With Penn State three outs away from losing due to the seventh-inning 10-run rule, the Nittany Lions went down with little resistance to end the game.
Takeaways
- The Penn State pitching staff has been less than spectacular throughout its season and showed as such against an outstanding West Virginia team. Butash recorded just one out before being pulled and Perkowski was the only pitcher who found consistent success for the Nittany Lions. To make matters worse, Penn State surrendered six home runs in the first four innings, one of which was a grand slam.
- Anytime a team goes down 12-0 in the second inning, it’s nearly impossible to come back and win that game. Penn State showed some fight in the third inning by scoring seven runs to get the deficit under 10, but it was going take a lot more than that to win with West Virginia swinging the bats as well as they were.
- West Virginia is one of the premier programs in college baseball, and a Penn State win would have been a massive upset. With a star-studded roster highlighted by a future first-round pick in Wetherholt, the Mountaineers look primed for a deep postseason run.
What’s Next?
Penn State baseball will return to Happy Valley for its final home series of the year against Rutgers, with game one taking place at 5:30 on Friday, May 10. The game can be streamed on BTN+.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This week, West Virginia hunters will get a chance to try hunting the way the original Mountaineers did it. The Mountaineer Heritage season is open from Thursday through Sunday.
The season allows hunters to use only primitive implements. Sidelock or flintlock muzzleloading rifles or pistols are the only firearms allowed. In-line muzzleloaders are not legal for the Heritage Season nor are scopes. Archery enthusiasts are allowed only long bows or recurve bows. You’re compound bow will have to hang on its hook for this time.
“It’s a special season and it’s kind of an all encompassing big game season,” said Vinnie Johnson, Biologist with the West Virginia DNR.
The season enables hunters to kill a deer, bear, or turkey provided they hunt with one of those primitive firearms or bows. The season started several years ago and has become a big hit with sportsmen for a variety of reasons. For some it cuts the monotony of cabin fever and gives them a chance to get back into the woods well after hunting season. The season also enables hunters to go after big game with snow on the ground which doesn’t always happen during the regular fall seasons.
The snowfall could potentially make killing a bear less likely, but not always.
“It really depends on where you’re at,” Johnson explained in a recent edition of West Virginia Outdoors. “Some of our areas that are heavy bear country, there’s still a good opportunity you’re going to see a bear.”
The bumper crops of mast across the West Virginia landscape this year will also keep bears out of hibernation longer. The sunshine and warm weather forecasted into the weekend may also be a plus for keeping bears active and moving in the upcoming season.
“If there’s food on the landscape, they’re gong to be out moving around. They go into their dens when there’s no food left and they need to reserve for the remainder of the winter season,” he added.
Killing a big buck may be tricky. Some have already started to drop antlers. The season allows for either sex, but for those who have already killed two bucks from this past fall’s hunting seasons, you cannot kill another buck. If a hunter shoots an antlerless buck, which turns out to be a buck that already dropped antlers, hunters can check that as an antlerless deer.
Turkeys are also legal. Unlike deer, turkeys and bears, do not count against the bag limit from last year. However, hunters to need to have their 2026 hunting license. Although a lot of the purists like to not only hunt with an old time rifle, they also like to dress the part and will go into the woods wearing buckskins. Primitive garb or not, modern safety is still the rule and since it’s a firearms season for deer, you’ll need to wear blaze orange.
UC Bearcats coach Miller, Houston coach Sampson, players on Cougars W
UC Bearcats coach Miller, Houston coach Sampson, players on Cougars Big 12 opening win
Two teams that started the Big 12 campaign against Top 10 opponents clash in Morgantown Tuesday, Jan. 6, when the Cincinnati Bearcats face the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers, now coached by Ross Hodge, who came from North Texas, got whirled by the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones on Jan. 2, 80-59. A day later, UC had plenty of chances against No. 8 Houston, but the Cougars closed in the final minutes to win 67-60.
“We’ve got to learn how to finish, but we’re right there,” UC coach Wes Miller said. “The guys in the locker room know it. We’ve got to block out the noise and get ready to play.”
Neither team will want to start 0-2 in the treacherous league and UC has not yet won in Morgantown since being part of the Big 12. UC’s last road win in West Virginia goes back to Mick Cronin’s second Bearcat team (13-19) that pulled off a 62-39 upset of the Mountaineers in 2008. Diehard fans may remember the game for a mustard-colored suit Bob Huggins wore for the contest.
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Cincinnati Bearcats were swept by West Virginia last season
Last Feb. 2, West Virginia beat UC handily 63-50. Current Bearcat Sencire Harris didn’t score for WVU in the game but had four steals. Eighteen days later in Morgantown, the Mountaineers prevailed again 62-59 with Harris scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds against his future team. UC was led by Day Day Thomas in both games with 10 and 13 points, respectively.
Cincinnati Bearcats could be without Kerr Kriisa
Kriisa, a starter for 12 of the 14 games, got hit hard by Houston after a basket and left the game holding his shoulder. He came back to hit his lone 3-pointer, then had to leave again with pain.
Kriisa was recruited to West Virginia by Bob Huggins and played in 2023-24 for the Mountaineers, averaging 11 points and shooting over 42% on 3-pointers.
“Nobody’s dealt with more injury crap than Cincinnati,” Miller said. “We’re getting resilient and we’re getting tough because of that. We’re just going to keep coming. Injuries are tough. We’ve had more than damn anybody in the last four years in all of college basketball. This team’s had its fair share and we’re still right there.”
Miller was worried about Kriisa’s injury and he couldn’t lift his left shoulder after draining his only shot.
3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to win at West Virginia Mountaineers
1. Bring Houston intensity to West Virginia
UC had its best crowd experience at Fifth Third Arena against No. 8 Houston with a halftime lead and a 10-point cushion early in the second half. For just the second time this season, they lost a game when they had a halftime lead.
That’s now two games where they had a Top 10 team on the ropes and couldn’t finish (No. 6 Louisville at Heritage Bank Center and No. 8 Houston). They looked like a tournament team in parts of those games, but then lost to teams who showed why they are perennial tournament players.
2. Locate Huff, Floyd
It sounds like someone looking for a law firm, but Honor Huff and Jasper Floyd are both 40% marksmen from three-point range. Huff led the country in triples last season at Chattanooga and Floyd comes from Coach Hodge’s system at North Texas. The Mountaineers average over eight made 3s per game, which is how many Houston made vs. UC Jan. 3.
The Bearcats made only six of their 3-pointers against the Cougars, after making 11 in their previous game with Lipscomb Dec. 29. UC is 5-1 when making 10 or more treys, with the one loss being Xavier. Xavier also beat West Virginia 78-68 in November, shooting a torrid 16-for-25 from the arc.
3. Keep Mountaineers below 70
West Virginia has been held to less than 70 points in four of their five losses. The exception is the 89-88 double-overtime defeat at Ohio State. UC held Houston below their average at 67 and is in that ballpark for the season. The difficult thing is all of West Virginia’s wins have been at home and Hope Coliseum could have a crowd because, well, it’s Tuesday night in Morgantown.
Tip: Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at Hope Coliseum (14,000)
TV/Radio: ESPN2/700WLW
Series: WVU leads 13-12 (Mountaineers won at Fifth Third Arena Feb. 19, 2025, 62-59)
West Virginia Mountaineers scouting report
Record: 9-5
Coach: Ross Hodge, first season 9-5 (55-29 overall)
Offense: 74.9 ppg
Defense: 61.6 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Treysen Eaglestaff (G, 6’6″, 9.1 ppg)
Honor Huff (G, 5’10”, 16.6 ppg)
Harlan Obioha (C, 7′, 6.3 ppg)
Chance Moore (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg)
Jasper Floyd (G, 6’3″, 7.9 ppg)
Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report
Record: 8-6
Coach: Wes Miller (90-65, fifth season; 275-200 overall)
Offense: 74.6 ppg
Defense: 65.6 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Day Day Thomas (G, 6’1″, 13 ppg)
Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 11.5 ppg)
Sencire Harris (G, 6’4″, 6.9 ppg)
Baba Miller (F, 6’11”, 13.4 ppg)
Moustapha Thiam (C, 7’2″, 11 ppg)
Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers to watch
Guard Honor Huff helped Chattanooga win the NIT and nailed a record 131 trifectas last season for the Moccasins, shooting 41.6%. Now he’s West Virginia’s top scorer and is shooting at a similar rate from beyond the arc.
In their second games as starters for this season, UC’s “Buck” Harris and Jizzle James were off against Houston, shooting a combined 2-for-14. James had just four points and Harris two.
James played 36 minutes, and it’s doubtful he can be held down for that long again. Harris was a Mountaineer last season and should have some comfort in the arena.
Rankings
KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 66, West Virginia No. 72
NCAA NET: West Virginia is No. 93, Cincinnati No. 95
West Virginia residents may continue to see a rise in utility costs, according to a recent report by Move.org. The report ranks West Virginia as the state with the highest average utility bill, at $734 per month in 2025, surpassing the national average. Missouri and Alaska follow with $679 and $658, respectively. West Virginians are paying about $42 more per month compared to last year.
Delaney Eddy, state coordinator for West Virginia 211, a United Way helpline, noted the increased demand for utility assistance. “I can definitely tell you that the calls for utility assistance have definitely been high, that is one of our top needs that individuals call in for,” Eddy said. “We are seeing that individuals are needing assistance with that and have heard some individuals that have voiced that they have had an increase in their bills in the last couple of months for those utilities.”
The report also highlights that West Virginia residents face the highest water bill in the country, at $121 per month, well above the national average of $49. This increase may be due to a distribution improvement charge aimed at upgrading water quality.
Eddy encourages residents facing utility bill issues to reach out for help. “If people have questions about their utility bills and they have that termination notice, I would simply encourage them to dial 211 or they can text the zip code to 898211, speak with a call specialist and see what resources might be available to you,” Eddy said. “Also see if you might qualify for the dollar energy fund and we can provide that information to them and go from there to see about getting assistance on those bills.”
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