West Virginia
West Virginia gets their mojo back in win over Cincinnati
Over the past two weekends, West Virginia was chasing down a Big 12 title. That title chase, while successful, slowed down the Mountaineers’ momentum.
Thursday’s win over Cincinnati hopes to have restored that momentum as that winning feeling returned to the West Virginia dugout.
“It felt like we had pressed, and we had pushed, and we had pressed. And there was a Big 12 regular season title on the line. And no matter what you say and how you prepare, when these kids pour this much into being great, they do feel that. And so I felt over the course of the last few weeks, maybe the guys were pressing for hits or trying to have success for the program. That’s all they want, man. These guys go to work every day to do something special for our state, community, and university,” West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins said.
WVU won their first outright Big 12 title last weekend, but this weekend, they are hoping to win their first Big 12 Tournament title. That motivation does not come from Sabins who is in his first season as head coach, but it is player driven for the Mountaineers.
“I don’t think anything I say at this point is going to change how these guys play or perform. It’s their team. It’s been their team for a long time. They’ve taken ownership of this team. Guys like these [Griffin Kirn and Kyle West], these guys will dictate how far this team goes. I’m going to try to put them in positions to be successful. That’s my job at this point. But there’s no rah, rah speeches. There’s nothing that I can say or do at this point,” Sabins said.
That feeling of accountability is something West feels. He’s in his second season as a Mountaineer, but understood what this team went through each of the last two weeks.
“I think coming the last two weeks were obviously not what we wanted. We lost two series. We had time to regroup, think about what had happened the past two weeks, reflect on it for positive. When you start looking into the negative, you get so deep down a rabbit hole, and you try and fix everything. But on the surface, we’re an elite-level baseball team. So, try and regroup, recuperate on what we do well, and take that into this weekend. And I think we showed tonight what we did all season. So I think it’s a great start, and looking forward, I think we’re in a great position,” West said.
The thing that helped West Virginia flush what happened in the regular season is the idea that once the tournament start, it’s an entirely new season.
“But I do think before we came here, we did remind the guys that there’s certainly some doubters. So we just won a Big 12 title, and we tied the most wins in program history, and there’s still a lot of doubters of what that was. And so you have a choice. You can either play with a chip on your shoulder. You can use that for fuel. Or you can ignore it. Those are the options,” Sabins said.
It seems as though West Virginia used it for fuel, as a 10-3 win over Cincinnati put the Mountaineers in the Big 12 Semifinals.
“I have my preference. [Kirn] probably has his preference. Kyle West has his preference. But everybody in that locker room knows how special this team is and what we’ve accomplished. I think the most important thing you hit on, stumbled at the end. Well, this is the beginning. And so we don’t really want to look at it like the end, because if you think it’s the end, then it’s the end. And so we talked about something new, a rebirth, getting to go start a new season basically today,” Sabins said.
West Virginia
West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Lotto America on Dec. 22, 2025
Are you looking to win big? The West Virginia Lottery offers a variety of games if you think it’s your lucky day.
Lottery players in West Virginia can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Cash 25.
Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here’s what experts say to do first.
Here’s a look at Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
03-18-36-41-54, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
01-09-18-19-44, Star Ball: 02, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 3 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
0-1-4
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
2-9-0-4
Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 25 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
05-06-13-16-18-20
Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
- Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
West Virginia
West Virginia State Parks expands original bourbon sales
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia State Parks is expanding its partnership with a popular distillery to sell its bourbon across the Mountain State.
The Lewisburg-based distillery Smooth Ambler has partnered with the state parks since 2023 to offer unique blends of its Old Scout Bourbon exclusively at restaurants and lounges located at Cacapon Resort, Canaan Valley Resort, Pipestem Resort, Blackwater Falls, Chief Logan, Hawks Nest, Stonewall Resort and Twin Falls Resort state parks.
On Monday, the state parks and Smooth Ambler have announced an expanded collection to be served at Audra, Blennerhassett Island, Cass Scenic Railroad, Coopers Rock, Babcock and Lost River state parks. The new line will also be available for purchase at select stores around West Virginia.
Andrew Robinson, Smooth Ambler’s blending and processing manager, is happy to see the partnership continue.
“We are pleased to honor our state parks with special labeling that showcases the natural beauty and spirit of West Virginia,” Robinson said. “We hope folks will enjoy our hand selected bourbon as much as they enjoy exploring the trails and nature in our state parks.”
The original line of drinks will still be available at their respective lodge restaurants.
West Virginia
WV Safe Schools Helpline proving impactful in 2025 – WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A 24-hour, toll-free number is helping schools and counties all over the state.
The West Virginia Safe Schools Helpline is a number anyone can call any hour of the day to report violence, threats, harassment, or anything that negatively impacts students. Residents that call the number speak with an actual person every time, and do not have to provide confidential information.
Department of Education Safety Investigator James Agee presented data 2025 data about the helpline during the state board of education’s December meeting.
He says plenty of calls have been put in.
“They received 278 helpline reports that have went out so far this school year. That’s down from 439 this time last year,” Agee said.
“Among those reports are some things like student behavior issues that could include bullying or some other student concerns that could be on a bus or a school building. Occasionally, there are some alarming things about some suicidal ideations on the part of students, and also some more serious threats like maybe a gun threat,” he continued.
The helpline goes out to the affected county superintendents, a number of state department officials, and if serious enough, local authorities.
According to Agee, over two dozen calls have garnered serious attention.
“There’s about 30 immediate threats that have been there so far this school year. Before they put the report out, they get in direct contact with the county 911 center.”
Agee says the helpline also include issues with private schools.
“One notable threat last month was fellow students reported a middle school student that had talked about bringing a gun to his private school the next day. That went out, the county superintendent knew the director of that school, had contacted that director within five to 10 minutes,” Agee said. “They had developed a plan with the regional school safety officer, and within an hour, there was a law enforcement officer at the door talking with the students’ parents to address that threat.”
Agee says all the effort that goes into the helpline is worth it to provide an extra line of defense.
“In my view, this has been a great success and the money and expense and time that went into it proves that it’s working every day,” he said.
The West Virginia Safe Schools Helpline is 1-866-723-39-82.
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