Bassinger

In the series opener against the Wildcats, reliable Griffin Kirn pitched a solid seven innings and turned over a lead to his bullpen. Suddenly, the lead was threatened. Then the once-comfortable margin was gone into the midwestern night.

Reese Bassinger, who entered the weekend with a 6-0 record, was ineffective in his short one inning of work. He was nicked for four hits and three runs. Carson Estridge followed Bassinger. He was just as solvable, allowing two hits and two runs while retiring just one batter.

West Virginia had lost the lead . . . and then it lost the game 8-7.

In the second game of the series, Chase Meyer, making only his third start of the season, made it through 4.1 innings while allowing three hits and three runs. Ben McDougal completed the game by going 4.2 innings and stopping the Wildcats on one hit and keeping them off of the scoreboard.

McDougal

The Mountaineers won it 10-3, by banging out 10 hits in the series.

In its final road game of the now-fabled regular season, West Virginia had lefty Jack Kartsonas on the mound for his fifth start after an early season of gradual rehabilitation from an arm injury he suffered in 2024. Kartsonas met misfortune for the first time this season. He lasted four innings, but surrendered eight hits and four runs.

Two of the relievers in Game Three were no mystery to the Wildcats. Tyler Hudson could not get an out and gave up three runs and three hits. Bassinger replaced Hudson and righted the listing ship for some time, by pitching three innings and permitting two runs on only one hit. Estridge was back and was tagged for four hits and five runs in his 0.2 innings of work. The Mountaineers fell 14-9, despite getting 12 hits themselves.

A sliver of a silver lining could be found down through the batting order, as WVU had games where the team managed 11 hits, 10 hits and 12 hits in the three games.

When the Big 12 Conference tournament comes along in short order, games are played every day. To accomplish much, any team will need at least four reliable starting pitchers.

Kartsonas

Kirn has made 13 starts this season, Meyer has only three starts and Kartsonas has his five starts. David Hagen has not been seen for awhile, but has started seven games and pitched to a 1.96 earned run average. Gavin Van Kempin was removed from his last start and probably won’t be available for the grind of the double-elimination tournament.

After last weekend’s firings, the Mountaineers now need only one win or one Arizona State loss to clinch the regular season title and draw the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Mountaineers are 19-6 in conference games and the Sun Devils are 18-9.

Yesterday, WVU met Kansas in Granville in the first game of a scheduled three-game series. The set concludes with a game on Friday and another on Saturday at the friendly-to-the-Mountaineers Kendrick Family Field complex.

Estridge

Kirn

Meyer