West Virginia
West Virginia Takes Series from BYU in a Wild Game 3
Provo, UT – In a wild afternoon at Miller Park, the West Virginia Mountaineers (22-4, 4-3) popped out to a seven-run lead but had to rally from an eight-run deficit to take the series deciding game three from the BYU Cougars (14-11, 4-5) Saturday afternoon 19-16.
West Virginia senior Jace Rinehart was 3-6 at the plate with a home run and six RBI and sophomore Armani Guzman was 2-5 with a home run and four RBI.
West Virginia jumped out to an early 7-0 lead.
Senior Grant Hussey hit a one-out double and redshirt junior Chase Swain followed with a single to and sophomore Armani Guzman put the Mountaineers on the board with three-run home run in the top of the second inning.
In the third, Logan Suave blasted a leadoff home run. Senior Kyle West dropped a double in left-centerfield. Then, freshman Gavin Kelley and Hussey hit consecutive RBI doubles before Guzman came back around with a line drive RBI single to right field for the seven-run advantage.
BYU responded with a five run third inning, starting with an RBI triple from redshirt sophomore Keoni Painer. A slow roller to short by junior Luke Anderson was good for an RBI single. Then, with two outs on the board, junior Bryker Hurdsman and senior Brock Watkins delivered RBI doubles and sophomore Ryder Robinson singled to right field for an RBI to cut the WVU lead to two, 7-5.
After West Virginia starting pitcher Carson Estridge allowed the five-run third, head coach Steve Sabins opted to send him back out in the fourth and the junior walked the first two Cougar hitters before he exited the game as two Mountaineer relievers would come into the game and BYU posted a ten-run fourth inning on just four hits. In total, the WVU arms gave up three walks, two hit batsmen, and three hits.
The Cougars took advantage of the Mountaineers’ mistakes. Anderson recorded a two-RBI double and an RBI single, Hurdsman registered an RBI single, and junior Easton Jones hit a two-RBI single up the middle to take a 15-7 lead.
West Virginia answered with a six-run fifth inning. Hussey smacked his third double of the afternoon, then with two on and one-out, Spencer Barnett lined a single back up the middle to score the first run. Sauve worked a walk with the bases loaded before West slapped drove a double to right-centerfield and Jace Rinehart followed line a two-RBI single to left to cut the deficit to two, 15-13.
The Mountaineers reclaimed the lead in the seventh when senior Jace Rinehart delivered an opposite field three-run home run for the 16-15 advantage.
West Virginia added three insurance runs in the eight. Swain led the inning with a single, Barnett line a one-out RBI single to centerfield, and with two outs on the board West and Rinehart produce RBI singles for the 19-15 lead.
West Virginia freshman Mac Stiffler took the mound in the fifth and cooled the BYU bats, holding the Cougars to one hit in two innings.
Then, senior Jack Kartsonas entered in the seventh and faced the minimum with two strikeouts but found himself in a bit of trouble in the eighth after giving up a hit and a walk. However, the senior hunkered down with a strikeout and got Anderson to hit into an inning double play on the 0-2 pitch.
Kartsonas left two on and an out on the board before sophomore reliever Chase Meyer shut down any opportunity for the Cougars as the Mountaineers held on for the 19-6 decision.
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BREAKING: West Virginia transfer guard Jonathan Powell has committed to North Carolina, he tells @On3sports.
The 6-6 freshman averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game this season. Powell knocked down 64 three pointers, leading all freshmen in the Big 12 conference.… pic.twitter.com/E4lerXRy2c
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 2, 2025
After meeting with the North Carolina staff via Zoom on Tuesday, it didn’t take long for West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell to decide to call Chapel Hill his next home. The news of his commitment surfaced on Tuesday night, as Joe Tipton of On3 and Inside Carolina were the first to break the news.
A 6-foot-6 guard, Powell had a handful of options to choose from, but ultimately chose North Carolina over his other two finalists: Ole Miss and Ohio State. He will join the Tar Heels with three seasons of college eligibility to work with.
Mostly as a starter, Powell averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He had some strong performances during his freshman season, scoring a season-high 17 points on two separate occasions. It’s also important to note that he led all Big 12 freshmen with 64 three-pointers made, an area of his game that can really help the Tar Heels moving forward.
His size and athleticism will also be beneficial, as he’s versatile enough to handle playing multiple positions. While he isn’t regarded as one of the top available transfers, Powell is a guy who could be a sneaky good addition to the UNC basketball program.
Now, fans can rejoice, as the Tar Heels have finally earned a commitment via the transfer portal. While the addition of Powell is nice, there’s still work to be done, as the hope is that more additions are to follow over the next few weeks.
Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in the comments.
FOOTBALL
WVU’s Nysewander Sees Similarities in Rodriguez and Saban | West Virginia University Athletics
“(Saban) and coach Rodriguez are very similar, in my opinion,” Nysewander said. “I think it’s the blue-collar, West Virginia-type feel.”
Nysewander was destined to coach with Rodriguez | Blue Gold News
If Rich Rodriguez ever wants to market his hard-edge philosophy of football, Nysewander would be the face of it.
The end of spring football means the start of the next phases of WVU’s offseason | EerSports
The spring ends with Saturday’s spring showcase, but Rich Rodriguez will keep the team busy the next few months.
BASKETBALL
What a year!!! Thought this was probably my most rewarding year as a coach. We got a lot out of this group and they gave us EVERYTHING they had!!! A group that was fun to be around and coach—from the Italy trip to that last buzzer in Kansas City! I had no doubt we built a resume that deserved to be in the field!!
Want to say thank you to our players, the staff, administration, fans, and everyone who played a part in the season!! How fun was the Bahamas trip… winning in the Phog… at home vs Iowa State…
Want to send special thanks to our seniors—appreciate the way you represented this season! It wasn’t easy, but we sure found a way!! Future is bright for all of you!!
To the Mountaineer fans—you guys are the best!!! Thanks for your undying loyalty and love for WVU!! You guys made my family feel welcomed and we will always be appreciative!! Wish we could’ve finished what we started, but I’m sure you guys will be great!!!
WITH LOVE, FRAZ
Mountaineer Memories: WVU’s all-time top 10 women’s basketball players | Blue Gold News
There’s little question that JJ Quinerly, who stayed through three coaching changes and left every ounce of energy on the WVU Coliseum floor, will long be remembered as one of the best women’s basketball players to ever play for the Mountaineers. But just where do Quinerly’s four seasons rank among the all-time great Mountaineer careers?
BASEBALL
WVU wins weekend of inches; heads for two midweek non-conference games | Blue Gold News
WVU is prepared for single non-conference games against Ohio State on the road on Tuesday and against Pitt at home on Wednesday. Both are winnable games in which the Mountaineers will be favored, but anyone with baseball knowledge understands that one game can break any which way.
Mountaineers Set for Split Midweek at Ohio State, Home Against Pitt | West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia University baseball team is set for two midweek games, first on the road at Ohio State on Tuesday, before coming home to face Pitt in the first edition of the Backyard Brawl this season on Wednesday.
WVU ATHLETICS
Naukot Named Student-Athlete of the Week | West Virginia University Athletics
After shattering West Virginia’s 10,000-meter record, Joy Naukot of the West Virginia University track and field team has been named Student-Athlete of the Week
Rowing Opens Season with Split Squad Races | West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia University rowing team opened its 2025 spring season this past weekend as a split squad, with four boats competing in the Sarasota 2k in Sarasota, Florida, and two boats participating in a race against Robert Morris in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Jets Looking at Linebacker Kyzir White With $2.3M One-Year Deal | FOX Sports Radio New Jersey
In an unexpected move, the New York Jets might land linebacker Kyzir White at a bargain price of $2.3 million for one year. This deal would be a steal, coming in well below his usual market value of $5.8 million per year
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