West Virginia Punches Ticket to Omaha!

Granville, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (45-15) pummeled the Cal Poly Mustangs (39-25) in the Morgantown Super Regional 17-1 to advance to the program's first ever appearance in the College World Series.

Cal Poly scratched a run across in the bottom of the first when sophomore Nate Castellon hit a ground ball to short and a high throw resulted in a leadoff single. Graduate Dylan Kordic singled to right field, placing runners at the corners, to set up a sacrifice fly from junior Ryan Tayman for the early 1-0 lead.

West Virginia responded in the top of the second and broke the game open. After senior Mathew Graveline dropped a ground rule double down the right field line and stole third, sophomore Matt Ineich received a walk before the duo successfully pulled off a double steal to tie the game.

With runners standing on first and second, senior Benjamin Lumsden smacked an opposite field three-run home run. Junior Tyrus Hall followed with his second home run in as many days.

Junior Armani Guzman was beaned by the 2-2 pitch and stole his program-tying 38th base of the season.

West Virginia ran off Cal Poly Ace Carson Turnquist and head coach Larry Lee handed the ball to junior lefty Chris Downs.

West Virginia kept the momentum rolling. Downs issued a walk to sophomore Gavin Kelly and senior Paul Schoenfeld advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt before senior Sean Smith laced an RBI single to left field.

Graveline, who started the inning, hit a ground ball to score the seventh run of the inning as the Mountaineers held a commanding 7-1 lead.

West Virginia continued its offensive prowess in the third when Guzman hit a two-run home run - his first of the season. Kelly doubled followed with a double left center and Schoenfeld brought him around with an RBI single to right field and a 10-1 advantage.

Lumsden hit his second home run of the afternoon, his third of the postseason, a two run blast to put the Mountaineers up, 12-1.

West Virginia tacked on two more runs in the fifth after Gavin Kelly blasted his 17th home run of the season, moving to second in program history for home runs in a season. Then, Schoenfeld doubled down the left field line and stole third before Graveline put the ball in play for a 14-1 WVU lead.

West Virginia redshirt junior starting pitcher Maxx Yehl threw five innings and recorded four strikeouts on the day. Sophomore David Hagan took the ball in the sixth.

The Mountaineers kept their foot on the gas in the sixth after senior Brodie Kresser received a leadoff walk and Lumsden followed with a single to right field. Then, with one out, Guzman recorded his third RBI of the afternoon with tan single and Schoenfeld added to the run total with a ground ball to first, scoring Hall from third, as the Mountaineers were cruising with a 16-1 lead.

Graveline stole home in the seventh on a strike three to Lumsden for a 17-1 WVU advantage.

A severe thunderstorm rolled into the area and cause an hour and 37 minute weather delay.

When play resumed, graduate Ian Korn took the mound. Hagan tossed two scoreless innings and allowed two hits.

Senior Ben McDougal took the mound in the ninth and faced the minimum as the Mountaineers make history with their first trip to the College World series with a 17-1 decision.

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