For the first time since 1955, the West Virginia Mountaineers are one win away from reaching the College World Series. Thanks to their dominating win over Cal
For the first time since 1955, the West Virginia Mountaineers are one win away from reaching the College World Series. Thanks to their dominating win over Cal Poly on Friday, they've created some wiggle room, now only having to win one more game as opposed to winning two straight.
Steve Sabins and Co. want to put an end to the series today, though, and not allow Cal Poly to have a chance in a game three. WVU jumped on the Mustangs early yesterday, which I was a little surprised by. Griffin Naess had been solid all year long, and I thought that the early game, combined with the emotions of the wins earlier in the week in the regional, would have a bit of a hangover effect.
Carson Turnquist is going to be just as big of a challenge, if not more, than we were all expecting from Naess. He has a firmer fastball and can be relieved by one of the best closers in the game, Nick Bonn. If West Virginia doesn't put up some runs early, it could open the door for the Mustangs to hang around and possibly have control early on.
But at the end of the day, I just don't see Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Maxx Yehl, who I expect will get the ball today, to give up a ton of hard contact or a string of hits in multiple innings. Plus, the Mountaineers have Ian Korn, Reese Bassinger, Carson Estridge, and the rest of the arsenal fully available. The Mountaineers shut it down today and punch their ticket to Omaha.
The offense came in bunches for the Mountaineers in game one, and it shouldn't shock anyone if that trend continues in the second contest. Even in a bit of a down game for players like Gavin Kelly at the plate, the Mountaineers found ways to make the most of their opportunities with runners in scoring position.
I don't think enough can be said about the way the team seems to feed off of the unbelievable environment that the fanbase has created throughout this historic postseason run. Maxx Yehl is likely on the bump, which will make it an even taller task for Cal Poly to get this series under control. I'll take the Mountaineers to stay red hot and earn their first trip to Omaha in program history. Loading recommendations...
Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsSchuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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