It wasn’t the celebration West Virginia fans expected, but it was historic nonetheless. On Thursday night, inside Kendrick Family Ballpark, the 17th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers were shut out by Kansas, 3-0. Despite the loss, WVU secured its first-ever outright Big 12 baseball title—thanks to a little help from Oklahoma State.
While West Virginia (40-11, 19-7 Big 12) struggled to generate offense against Kansas, Oklahoma State’s 6-2 win over Arizona State sealed the deal. That victory eliminated the Sun Devils from contention and ensured that WVU would be crowned Big 12 champions with no need for a tiebreaker—an accomplishment unmatched in the program’s history.
“It’s still super rewarding,” said WVU outfielder Kyle West, who tallied two of the team’s six hits. “This isn’t how we wanted this game to end, but a season isn’t defined by just one game. We’ll reflect on this loss, then celebrate something huge as a team.”
WVU hadn’t been shut out in 89 games, the last time being in March 2024. But Thursday night belonged to Kansas pitcher Dominic Voegele, who dominated with seven scoreless innings, allowing just six hits while striking out six. The Jayhawks’ closer, Alex Breckheimer, shut the door with two perfect innings and four strikeouts.
“Voegele was a stud, and sometimes, a stud beats you,” said WVU head coach Steve Sabins.
The Jayhawks scored their first run in the opening inning with a fielder’s choice RBI by Brady Counsell. They later extended the lead with a solo home run from Michael Brooks in the eighth and another from Ian Francis in the ninth.
Despite the loss, the Mountaineers had a standout pitching performance of their own. Starter Griffin Kirn went eight innings, striking out 10 while allowing only two runs on seven hits.
“I told him after the game he may be the least-rewarded pitcher on our staff,” Sabins said of Kirn’s strong outing.
Sabins, in his first season as head coach, has already made program history. WVU shared the Big 12 title in 2023 with Texas and Oklahoma State, but this year’s crown is theirs alone.
“No mixed feelings—just gratitude and humility,” said Sabins. “Winning titles in a 14-team league like the Big 12 is hard. Some programs have bigger budgets, better recruiting pipelines, more first-round picks. So doing something that’s never been done before at WVU? That’s special.”
Kansas, now 40-14 overall and 18-10 in the Big 12, remains in contention for the tournament’s No. 2 seed.
While the Mountaineers head into the Big 12 tournament as the top seed, their recent form has been shaky. Since their heartbreaking walk-off loss to Marshall on April 30, they’ve dropped six of their last nine games—including three losses on walk-off hits.
“We’ve been losing lately, which is never fun,” West admitted. “But it’s about whether you can learn and grow from it.”
Game 2 of the WVU-Kansas series is set for 5 p.m. today. The Mountaineers hope to bounce back and regain momentum before tournament play begins. One thing is for certain—they’ll be doing it as Big 12 champions.
