No. 18 West Virginia Mountaineers delivered a statement performance in Granville, riding a masterful complete-game effort from pitcher Chansen Cole to a commanding 9–1 victory over Kansas State and putting themselves in position for a series sweep.
After a shaky stretch the week prior, West Virginia entered the weekend needing momentum—and responded by taking the first two games of the series against Kansas State for the first time since mid-March. The victory in Game 2 not only secured the series win but also marked a clear turnaround for a team trying to reassert its rhythm late in the season.
Cole was at the center of it all.
Taking the ball for the second straight week, the right-hander delivered the best outing of his career, going the distance and controlling the game from the opening pitch. He mixed command and composure throughout, consistently forcing weak contact while working efficiently through the lineup. Even when Kansas State squared up a few balls, they rarely found grass, as WVU’s defense backed him with sharp, timely plays.
The only real damage came in the sixth inning, when Cole surrendered a solo home run—his lone blemish in an otherwise dominant outing. Rather than unraveling, he quickly regrouped and continued to attack hitters, showing poise well beyond the moment.
By the end of his 120-pitch masterpiece, Cole had compiled a season-high nine strikeouts, allowing just five hits, one walk, and a single run. It was the first complete game of the season for West Virginia and one of the most commanding pitching performances the program has seen in recent memory.
Head coach Steve Sabins had high praise afterward, calling it one of the strongest outings he could recall, as the Mountaineers improved to 30–12 overall and 15–8 in conference play, while Kansas State fell to 26–21 and 9–14.
The defense played its part in supporting Cole’s gem. Highlight-reel moments included a diving grab in center field by Paul Schoenfeld, a sharp double play from the outfield, and a late-game defensive stretch that kept Kansas State from mounting any rally.
On the offensive side, West Virginia carried over its momentum from the previous night’s shutout win and immediately applied pressure. The breakthrough came in the third inning when Gavin Kelly launched a high fly ball to right field that just cleared the fence for his seventh home run of the season, opening the scoring and sparking a three-run frame. Armani Guzman followed with a key triple that drove in two more runs, giving the Mountaineers early control.
From there, the offense never slowed.
West Virginia piled up 15 hits in total, with contributions coming throughout the lineup. Multiple players recorded multi-hit performances, while Sean Smith led the way with three RBIs, including a sixth-inning home run that extended the lead to 9–1. Guzman also stood out with three hits of his own, helping fuel a relentless offensive attack that capitalized on both strong contact and Kansas State defensive miscues.
The Wildcats compounded their struggles with three errors, further opening the door for West Virginia’s steady production.
Now sitting on the brink of a sweep, the Mountaineers turn to Dawson Montesa for Sunday’s finale. Despite recent struggles, the opportunity remains clear: finish the job and complete a dominant weekend.
As Gavin Kelly put it, the mindset inside the clubhouse is simple winning the series is not enough. The goal is always the same: finish every weekend with a sweep.
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