After an impressive performance from Division II transfer Dawson Montesa in Game 1 of the series against Kennesaw State, it was other Division II transfer Chansen Cole’s turn in Game 2. Cole picked up right where Montesa left off and showed off the strength of the pitching staff of West Virginia baseball.
Cole pitched five scoreless innings to help the Mountaineers take Game 2 of the three-game series, 9-1, and to win its third series in a row to start the 2026 season. WVU moved to 8-1 on the year, and the Owls fell below .500, 4-5.
The last game of the series is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, at noon in Georgia, which can be streamed on ESPN+.
Cole made his third start of the season and was coming off a strong last outing. He pitched five innings and an out against Liberty, leading to the Mountaineers to shut out the Flames. Cole struck out seven, walked two, and allowed only two hits.
In Game 2, Cole’s performance was similar. The Owls couldn’t lock onto Cole, who struck out five over the five innings. Kennesaw State didn’t have a base runner until the fourth inning, which was on a single. Cole started to lose it in the bottom of the fifth, hitting a batter and letting up a single, but he still worked his way out without a run. He allowed just two hits and faced 18 batters.
While Cole was dealing, WVU’s offense jumped right out to the lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Armani Guzman, which scored shortstop Matt Ineich. In the second, the Mountaineers poured on a little more, adding two more on a single from Ben Lumsden, and JUCO transfer third baseman Tyrus Hall scoring on a wild pitch.
A lot of the other transfers, like Ineich and Ohio State transfer Matthew Graveline, have really shone early this season, but Hall’s taken a little time to put together consistent games. In Game 2, Hall really boosted his stock. Other than reaching home on a wild pitch, Hall hit one into the jet stream, lifting the ball above the left field fence for a homer in the fourth. Hall finished the day with an RBI, going 3-for-5.
Gavin Kelly also had a double and went 3-for-4. Paul Schoenfeld, who leads the team in RBIs, had a two-out hit in the top of the eighth and tacked on two more runs, making it 7-0. He also stole two bases. Graveline also had an RBI, and Guzman had three RBIs, which included the last two runs of the game in the top of the ninth, 9-1.
WVU’s offense has lit up opposing pitchers in the last three games and scored a combined 40 runs. It took a little to get the hits going, having just five hits up until the eighth, but then, they picked up as the Owls’ pitching started to deteriorate. Without many hits, WVU’s hitters took advantage of the struggling Kennesaw State pitching and racked up 11 walks.
The Mountaineers’ Ineich, who had a hit in every game this season, finally broke his streak. He didn’t register a hit on four at-bats, but he still scored two runs, working two walks. Brodie Kresser, who’d been hot, also didn’t have a hit.
Reese Bassinger relieved Cole in the sixth. The veteran has been one of WVU’s better bullpen arms this season, and that was true in his third appearance. Bassinger pitched two more scoreless innings and struck out two in the process.
With another big lead and it being early in the season, head coach Steve Sabins went to another sophomore arm after Bassinger. Bryant Yoak came out for the eighth. He faced four batters and gave up the first run and only of the game on another solo home run. After one, Davin Hagen came in to close the game. Hagen started for the Mountaineers just a couple of days ago against Ohio and picked up from that big performance, closing out the game. He struck out one and allowed a hit.
Maxx Yehl is expected to start the final game of the series for his third start of the season. Yehl has two wins on the season.
