The West Virginia University baseball team defeated No. 7 Kansas, 5-2, on May 9 to clinch a series victory at Hoglund Ballpark. The Mountaineers improved their record to 34-12 overall and 18-8 in the Big 12 Conference, while the Jayhawks fell to 37-14 and 20-6 in league play.
This win marks the highest-ranked road series victory in program history for West Virginia and is only their third top-10 series win ever. The Mountaineers have never swept a ranked series on the road.
Sophomore Gavin Kelly led with two hits, including his sixth home run in five games. Wichita native Paul Schoenfeld hit his third home run of the season before friends and family, while senior Matthew Graveline added three hits for West Virginia.
On the mound, sophomore Chansen Cole started by allowing two runs with six strikeouts over five innings. Graduate student Ian Korn earned the win after pitching four scoreless innings in relief and striking out three batters. The duo did not allow any walks or hit-by-pitches during the game—a first for West Virginia this season.
Key moments included Schoenfeld’s solo home run in the first inning and Brodie Kresser’s sacrifice fly that gave West Virginia an early lead. Kansas tied it up with an inside-the-park home run from Josh Dykhoff before Kresser’s eighth-inning single allowed Sean Smith to score what would be the go-ahead run for West Virginia. Ben Lumsden contributed an outfield assist that ended a potential Kansas rally after a video review reversed an initial safe call at second base.
Gavin Kelly provided insurance with a two-run homer in the ninth inning—his team-leading twelfth of the year—and Korn closed out with two strikeouts to end the game.
