MGriffith@DominionPost.com
MORGANTOWN – The 2026 WVU baseball team was a history maker.
The Mountaineers’ historic run to the 2026 College World Series was nothing short of magical, rallying not only the city of Morgantown, but the entire state of West Virginia, and even most of the United States of America to get behind the program and cheer them on to Omaha, NE.
There’s no question that the Mountaineer fanbase will show up for its team when called upon.
In the 2025-26 year alone, WVU hosted four NCAA Tournament events on campus in men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and baseball, and the Mountaineer fans were equal to the task of having NCAA Tournament games in Morgantown.
Both men’s and women’s soccer games required extra seating to be set up around the grounds of Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium to accommodate the number of fans attending.
The WVU women’s basketball team sold out Hope Coliseum twice for their two NCAA Tournament games in Morgantown.
Finally, the WVU baseball team earned the 16-seed in the NCAA tournament and the right to be one of 16 regional sites for the opening round. After advancing and seeing other regionals go their way, the Mountaineers hosted Cal Poly in the Super Regionals (final 16), and Mountaineer Nation got to showcase what makes the fanbase so special.
So many people made the trip to Kendrick Family Ballpark, a whole new seating section was created with the rise of “Randy’s Ridge,” which is a hill just outside the ballpark where fans who weren’t able to secure a ticket supported the team by attending the game.
“Watching the team this season was special,” WVU baseball fan Vish Gautum said. “Sticking it out through every season’s weather at Kendrick Family Ballpark to watching the team reach new heights and crush previously held records and going to the College World Series for the first time was an absolute movie. It is so incredibly special to be a part of such a great fan base.”
Gautum made the trek to Omaha to support the Mountaineers during the College World Series.
“The experience of being a fan in Omaha with my closest baseball family and the new friends I made while I was there was nothing short of amazing. Mountaineers travel well, and I can confidently say we all did some solid work out there.”
Before the second game of the Super Regional round, the line to get onto Randy’s Ridge was full of fans hours before first pitch.
Then, there was the scene of the Mountaineer fanbase, arm in arm, singing the iconic “Country Roads” theme song after victories. The moment went viral, and before you knew it, WVU was being referred to as “America’s Team.”
We are still seeing the influence of the moment around the country and worldwide, including in the 2026 World Cup being played in North America.
After the US Men’s National Team defeated Australia 2-0 to secure its place in the Round of 32 in the second game of the Group Stages at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash., “Country Roads” was belted over the loudspeaker in the stadium, and you would’ve thought you were back in Morgantown at Mountaineer Field after a victorious game by the WVU football team singing “Country Roads” with the fanbase.
In 2025-26, Mountaineer Nation and West Virginia University athletics truly proved why the fanbase has the positive reputation it has when it comes to supporting the school and the athletic programs, and with the success of this past year, the WVU-faithful is itching to get the next season going to cheer on their teams.
Fans at a tailgate gather for a photo before the NCAA Tournament in Morgantown.
