West Virginia
West Virginia active, effective with transfer portal haul
West Virginia has been quite active in the transfer portal.
The Mountaineers have made a total of 31 additions out of the database since Rich Rodriguez took over the program and another out of the junior college ranks.
It’s been a wide range of additions from a lot of different places at this point with five players following Rodriguez from Jacksonville State, seven from the Power Four, 17 from the Group of Five and FCS level, and even two from Division II. It helps matters that almost all of those are already enrolled on campus.
Out of the players that have committed to the Mountaineers the bulk are experienced options that should be able to step in and contribute immediately at their respective positions.
When it comes to the players that followed Rodriguez, he was able to take the highly productive safety Fred Perry as well as his leading receiver from a year ago Cam Vaughn for example.
Some of the ones that stand out from the rest of the list are Texas San Antonio edge rusher Jimmori Robinson, who was named American Athletic Defensive Player of the Year, South Alabama nickel Jordan Scruggs, Nevada cornerback Michael Coats, Princeton offensive lineman Will Reed, Wyoming defensive end Braden Siders, Colorado State linebacker Chase Wilson, Northern Iowa running back Tye Edwards and more.
The program heavily addressed several positions such as the defensive backfield, offensive line and wide receiver, while there were other key pledges in other spots on the roster.
Take the defensive backfield for example, the Mountaineers coaching staff added a total of nine new players to the cornerback and safety positions rooms each with one season of eligibility remaining. That is going to force competition in spots where there simply weren’t many returning snaps from a season ago.
Out of those nine, almost all of them have played over 1,000 snaps in their career at this stage.
The offensive line also was hit hard with key additions beginning with Reed, who started 19 games for the Tigers over the past two seasons and was a key target at offensive tackle.
Outside of him, the coaching staff added three more experienced options in Tulsa offensive guard Walter Young Bear, Arkansas offensive tackle Ty’kieast Crawford and LSU offensive guard Kimo Manake’ole. Young Bear is a two-year starter, while Crawford has appeared in 39 games and Manake’ole spent time in the SEC.
West Virginia also added some young options in North Carolina State offensive lineman Robby Martin and Youngstown State interior lineman Wyatt Minor.
That position is going to remain a priority moving forward but just to add those pieces at this stage at a position that is difficult to reload after losing the top six options and several key backups from a season ago is a major move in the right direction in terms of the roster build.
It goes without saying that Robinson is a major pledge for the Mountaineers after he recorded 43 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in 2024 for the Roadrunners. At 6-foot-5, 250-pounds, Robinson is a prototypical edge rusher, and the program was able to beat out several major programs for services.
West Virginia also added five new wide receivers to the roster and those additions count for five of the top six in terms of snaps played last season.
The work isn’t done quite yet either, but so far the Mountaineers have shown the ability to be aggressive when it comes to rebuilding their roster through the transfer portal.
West Virginia
Commentary: As Mountaineers ready for elimination game, harping on errors does no good – WV MetroNews
OMAHA, Neb. — There’s no denying the impact a pair of West Virginia errors in the seventh inning played in the outcome of what amounted to a 5-2 loss to North Carolina on Sunday night at Charles Schwab Field.
There’s no reason to harp on them either.
Tyrus Hall and Brodie Kresser would like nothing more than to have made fairly routine plays, particularly Kresser’s miscue that prevented a potential inning-ending double play.
Instead, Gavin Gallaher followed with a two-run triple to break a 2-all tie and UNC scored three unearned runs in the inning. Neither team would score again.
“Over the course of 62 games, that stuff happens,” second-year WVU coach Steve Sabins said. “I think we have the best fielding percentage in our league. Tyrus is one of the best defenders in the nation. So we’ve had really good success. And that’s kind of part of it. You don’t want it at that time. But I feel very confident that any mistakes that are made are made because mistakes happen in baseball, not necessarily the moment or the situation. I feel like our guys have played really free and aggressive this entire time.”
The Tar Heels are now within one victory of a spot in the Men’s College World Series Finals, while the Mountaineers (46-16) suffered their fourth loss in 22 games since May, and now have to defeat Troy on Tuesday to get another crack at the No. 5 national seed.
WVU never led Sunday and scored one of its two runs on a double play that Matt Ineich hit into in the fourth inning.
The next time Ineich stepped into the batter’s box in the sixth, the Mountaineers were in their best position of the game to lead with runners at first and second, before the shortstop hit into his second 4-6-3 twin killing in as many at bats.
Consider that among its single-season program record 46 victories this season, only two for West Virginia have come scoring two or fewer runs and four have with three or fewer runs. On both occasions that the Mountaineers won with two runs, they prevented the opposition (Liberty and TCU) from scoring.
Baseball is a game predicated on handling failure, not dwelling on it. Succeeding three times every 10 trips to the plate leaves you in position to be enshrined in Cooperstown at the highest level.
Let it not be forgotten that Kresser’s single to start the bottom of the 10th inning led to him scoring the winning run in the Mountaineers’ 6-5 victory over Kentucky to win the Morgantown Regional. He’s been a mainstay in the Mountaineer lineup each of the last three seasons — two that have ended in Super Regional appearances and this year, which will at some point end in Omaha.
“It is what it is. Have to flush it,” Kresser said. “Can’t let the moment get too big.”
Hall has hit exceptionally well throughout the NCAA Tournament and broke a 5-all tie last Friday against Troy with a two-run single in the eighth. He’s also made numerous high-level defensive plays throughout the 2026 campaign, including a few in the MCWS.
Sabins has described Hall as the best defensive third baseman he’s been around and numerous teammates have offered similar praise.
“I just missed it. It happens,” Hall said.
A big part of what’s made West Virginia’s 2026 season so successful is the team’s ability to stay present.
The Mountaineers haven’t dwelled on losses or harped on wins. They didn’t get too low after a 23-1 midweek loss to rival Pitt or an 11-9 postseason loss to Kentucky, and didn’t get too high after fending off elimination twice in one day, including an 11-9 win over the Wildcats that featured five ninth-inning runs.
Staying present and not living in the past has never been more important than now as WVU seeks a second win over the Trojans to prolong its stay on college baseball’s premier stage.
“We’re one of the best defensive teams in the country and sometimes things happen,” said Mountaineer relief pitcher Reese Bassinger. “You’re playing on a really good surface. Sometimes the ball takes a really weird bounce. I don’t really know what happened there, but it happens. We move forward.
“Kresser and Tyrus are some of the best defenders we have and I know without a doubt I would throw that same pitch over and over and I guarantee Kresser fields it for a double play every other time. That guy has been the rock. He’s been a captain for us. He’s a guy that everyone loves. Nobody cares about that. We move on, keep pitching, keep hitting and just go on the next game.”
A body found in a burning vehicle in West Virginia has prompted a homicide investigation.
In a press conference on Monday, Sean Snuffer, the chief deputy of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, said first responders were called to a rural section of Cabin Creek Road on Sunday around 9:50 a.m. for reports of a “suspicious vehicle.” A 911 caller said the vehicle’s doors were open and items were scattered around the vehicle, Snuffer said.
About 13 minutes later, a 911 caller said the vehicle was on fire, officials said. After crews arrived and extinguished the vehicle fire, a body was found. The remains were taken to the medical examiner’s office, and an autopsy on Monday determined the death was a homicide, Snuffer said. Officials are not releasing the manner of death at this time.
The victim’s identity has not been released as of Monday night, though Snuffer said the body appears to be an adult male. Snuffer said the investigation is “active and ongoing.” It was not immediately known if there were any suspects.
“We can’t answer a whole lot of questions,” he added. “I know people are going to want to know exactly what happened, but we can’t release that information.”
The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the vehicle blaze. Anyone with information on the case can contact detectives with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office at 304-357-0556 or leave a tip on the sheriff’s website.
KENOVA, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A man is facing multiple felony charges after a two-day investigation, according to West Virginia State Police.
On Friday, troopers say they responded to a brandishing complaint in Kenova.
During the investigation, troopers located the suspect, Skylar M. Larcart, 27, of Kenova, and found a firearm.
Troopers say they were then granted permission to search Larcart’s residence and vehicle. Their search resulted in the finding of a rifle, approximately 25 grams of marijuana and digital scales.
On Saturday, troopers say they also obtained a search warrant at Larcart’s residence.
During this search, investigators found multiple firearms, controlled substances and U.S. currency.
As a result of the investigation, Larcart was charged with 17 counts of persons prohibited from possessing firearms and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Troopers say over the course of the two-day investigation, Larcart accumulated a total of 21 felony charges and three misdemeanor charges.
Larcart is currently being held in the Western Regional Jail on a $20,000 bond.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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