West Virginia

Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. No. 13 Texas Tech

Published

5 months ago

February 7, 2026

Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. No. 13 Texas Tech

Tomorrow afternoon, Ross Hodge will get a shot at his mentor, Grant McCasland, as the Texas Tech Raiders come to Morgantown ranked 13th in the country.

Here are our picks for tomorrow’s game.

Schuyler Callihan: Texas Tech 78, West Virginia 68

This is a massive opportunity for the Mountaineers to pick up another signature win and potentially move into fifth place in the Big 12 standings. Hope Coliseum is going to be rocking for the annual Coal Rush, so that, combined with the debut of the new uniforms, should give WVU a chance to open the game much better than what we’ve seen over the majority of league play.

The high-powered duo of Christian Anderson and JT Toppin is just going to be too much for West Virginia to handle. Ross Hodge will find ways to slow them down here and there, but the Mountaineers just won’t have the shotmaking or offensive efficiency to keep up with them.

For the first time in a while, the script will flip. WVU comes out swinging and plays well for much of the first half before slipping into some sloppy play in the final minutes, which will then spill into the second half. Texas Tech hands WVU its second home loss this season.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 67, Texas Tech 65

WVU had its 16-game home winning streak snapped last weekend against Baylor and now faces the possibility of dropping back-to-back games in Morgantown for the first time since last season.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, is coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season, including its first defeat to an unranked opponent, dropping to UCF and falling at home by three to red-hot Kansas, a team that hasn’t lost since it left Morgantown with an L.

While the Knights were ranked earlier in the year following a win over Kansas, the loss still exposed some vulnerability for the Red Raiders. Tech now finds itself staring at its first losing streak in nearly two years, a situation reminiscent of a stretch that featured a home game sandwiched between two road contests.

With a top-four seed in the Big 12 standings slipping out of reach, Texas Tech should enter with a heightened sense of urgency. That urgency could be problematic for a West Virginia team that has endured some sluggish starts, especially against a Red Raiders squad capable of heating up quickly from the perimeter. JT Toppin is one of the best scorers in this league and presents another challenge with his ability to finish and facilitate around the rim, which can make mounting a comeback difficult once Texas Tech establishes momentum.

Ross Hodge is well acquainted with Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland, having spent eight seasons on his staff. While familiarity cuts both ways, Hodge’s intimate knowledge of McCasland’s system could provide a subtle edge in preparation. Even with Texas Tech looking to bounce back from one of its least efficient offensive outings of the season, the Mountaineers are positioned to limit one of the league’s top offenses and grind out another upset at home, 67-65.

West Virginia

History Made: WVU Has Two First-Team All-Americans in the Same Season

Published

3 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Press Room

History Made: WVU Has Two First-Team All-Americans in the Same Season

It was a phenomenal year for the West Virginia Mountaineers on the diamond, and even with the season having been over for over a week now, the honors continue to roll in.

On Friday, second baseman/catcher Gavin Kelly and left-handed starting pitcher Maxx Yehl were both named First-Team All-Americans by D1Baseball.com. It is the first time in program history that two Mountaineers have been recognized as First-Team All-Americans in the same season.

Gavin Kelly

WVU Athletics Communications

Kelly was essentially everyone’s pick to have a breakout season for the Mountaineers in 2026, but I’m not sure anyone expected him to do it the way he did. He hit nearly .400 all year and went on a power surge out of nowhere toward the end of the season, becoming one of the top home run hitters in the country over the last month or so of the year.

Kelly was named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, the MVP of the Morgantown Regional, and is currently participating in the Team USA Collegiate National Team training camp in Cary, North Carolina. For the year, he hit .382 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI, cementing himself as a top draft prospect in 2027.

Maxx Yehl

WVU Athletics Communications

Maxx Yehl was one of the best stories in all of college baseball that didn’t get talked about nearly enough. He was forced to sit out the 2025 season as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and prior to this season, Yehl worked exclusively out of the bullpen. The plan all along was to eventually stretch him out into a starter, and in his first year in the role, he was one of the best in the entire country.

Steve Sabins and Co. did a good job of playing it safe with him early, letting him only go two and four innings in his first two starts before turning him loose. There were a couple of moments where Mountaineer fans had to take a deep breath after he was removed from two starts, one of which was in the Morgantown Regional against Kentucky. He bounced back strong and two days later, pitched a gem against the Wildcats, helping the team advance to the super regionals for the third straight season.

Yehl finished the season with a 9-3 record, an ERA of 2.13, and 112 strikeouts to just 26 walks. He was also the first WVU hurler to win Big 12 Pitcher of the Year since Alek Manoah, who did it in 2019.

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West Virginia

Justice firm’s delinquent DEP fines rise past $1.6M amid DOJ criminal liability relief

Published

14 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Press Room

Justice firm’s delinquent DEP fines rise past .6M amid DOJ criminal liability relief

One of the most prominent coal companies in the teetering business empire of United States Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., owes the state of West Virginia over $1.6 million in delinquent fines. Justice’s Bluestone Coal Corp. owes the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection roughly $1.61 million in delinquent fines issued for 214 violations across 44 DEP-issued mining permits spanning Sept. 2019 to March 2026, according to records the Gazette-Mail obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request. Bluestone Coal’s delinquent fine debt has grown 32.5% from the roughly $1.21 million it totaled in January 2026, according to records from a previous Gazette-Mail request, an indication that the long-running debt at the expense of Justice’s own constituents may not be going away anytime soon. But the companies’ long history of environmental failures was an issue that prompted a federal criminal investigation scuttled earlier in 2026 by Trump administration officials, according to a report published June 8 by ProPublica and Mountain State Spotlight.

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West Virginia

West Virginia First Foundation advances key initiatives at second quarterly board meeting

Published

24 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia First Foundation advances key initiatives at second quarterly board meeting

Community Bulletin

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia First Foundation (WVFF) convened its second quarterly board meeting of 2026 at Ascend West Virginia in Charleston, continuing its work to advance prevention, treatment and recovery efforts across West Virginia through responsible stewardship of opioid settlement funds.

The meeting provided board members with updates on several key initiatives and strategic priorities currently underway.

Expert panel appointments

A significant focus of the meeting was the appointment of several volunteer Expert Panel members following the conclusion of certain panel terms. Expert panelists serve in advisory roles and provide regional knowledge, professional expertise and community perspective to help inform WVFF’s work and funding priorities. To allow time for all appointees to complete the necessary confirmation and onboarding process, names will not be publicly released until all appointments have been finalized.

“Expert Panelists play an important role in helping us understand the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing our local communities,” said Jonathan Board, Executive Director of WVFF. “We are grateful for the individuals who volunteer their time and expertise to support this work and help guide thoughtful, informed decision-making.”

Local government reporting and best practices

Board members reviewed progress on the 2026 Local Government Expenditure Report, which compiles annual spending data submitted by local governments receiving opioid settlement funds. Staff reported that more than 65% of eligible local governments have submitted expenditure reports to date, with the statewide report expected to be released in mid-July.

The board also received an update on new resources being developed to help local governments identify promising practices and learn from successful approaches being implemented across West Virginia. While WVFF does not direct how local governments spend their allocated settlement funds, the Foundation remains committed to providing educational resources that highlight allowable uses, share examples from around the state and support informed local decision-making.

[CHAMBER] [2026-06-23] Hiring Executive Director

In the coming months, WVFF plans to host regional learning sessions that will bring local government representatives together to share experiences, discuss challenges and explore opportunities to maximize the impact of opioid settlement investments within their communities.

Strategic priorities

The board received updates on the Community Catalyst Grant (CCG) program, which opened for applications on June 1 and remains open through June 30. Designed as a three-year, outcomes-driven investment, the program will support projects focused on public safety response, day report centers and generational prevention efforts.

Board members also received updates on the West Virginia Wayfinder, the statewide needs assessment project led by the West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute, in partnership with the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs, and Data Driven WV. Meetings and engagement activities are underway with WVFF staff, expert panelists and community stakeholders across the state, with data, insights and priority areas currently being gathered and analyzed to help identify needs, gaps and opportunities related to substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services in West Virginia.

“Our Board remains focused on ensuring these funds are invested responsibly and strategically for the benefit of West Virginia communities,” said Greg Duckworth, Chairman of the WVFF Board of Directors. “Each meeting provides an opportunity to review progress, strengthen accountability, and continue building on the work being done across the state.”

Direct funding request approved

The board also voted to approve a $4 million direct funding request submitted by the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University. The project is focused on expanding access to innovative addiction treatment and recovery support tools while building the technology and infrastructure needed to support implementation across West Virginia.

Consistent with WVFF’s commitment to transparency and accountability, additional details regarding the project and funding agreement will be released in the coming weeks following the completion of final documentation. WVFF and RNI plan to issue a joint announcement once the agreement process has been finalized.

Hold the Line Tour stop at Rea of Hope

After the board meeting, WVFF board members and staff will visit Rea of Hope, an Initial Opportunity Grant awardee, as part of the Foundation’s Hold the Line Tour, which highlights organizations and programs working to make a difference in communities across West Virginia. The visit will provide an opportunity to hear directly from leadership about the impact of recovery-focused services and community support.

The next regular meeting of the Foundation’s board of directors is scheduled for September 17, 2026 (subject to change). Visit wvfirst.org to learn more.

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