Jun 3, 2025 By Nic Costello 5 min read

CLEMSON, S.C. — West Virginia had one final comeback in it at the Clemson Regional.

The Mountaineers, trailing 12-7, scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to storm back and defeat Kentucky, 13-12, to advance to next week’s NCAA baseball super regional.

West Virginia clinched its second straight super regional appearance and first under head coach Steve Sabins.

Armani Guzman, who was named the Clemson Regional MVP, singled in the go-ahead run to cap the eighth-inning uprising for the 24th-ranked Mountaineers (44-14).

“More than just myself, it shows (the team) we all have it,” Guzman said. “I was a guy who didn’t play the last month and a half and now I’m here in this position.”

Being so close to a super regional, the Mountaineers didn’t hold back anything to start the game, but their streaky hitting didn’t allow them to keep a lead consistently.

In the bottom of the first, junior catcher Logan Sauve hit a solo blast to left center to score the first run of the game. WVU didn’t fall into the same hole it did on Friday against the same Kentucky team in the opening-round game. WVU came back in walk-off fashion to win that game in the bottom of the ninth inning, scored four more runs in the ninth inning to beat Clemson on Saturday, but saved its best for last in the third game of the regional.

After getting strong starting pitching in the first two games of the regional, West Virginia’s Robby Porco struggled on the mound Sunday. Porco was relieved by Reese Bassinger in the top of the second after walking three straight Wildcats to load the bases.

After scoring 16 runs in their previous game against Clemson, the Wildcats bats stayed hot.

The first batter that Bassinger faced was Devin Burkes who hit a hard drive to left center field that brought in two runs.

That wouldn’t be the end of the offense for Kentucky (31-26) in the inning.

Cole Hage hit another two-run single as Kentucky quickly took the lead back after WVU scored first.

In the top of the third, the Wildcats’ Patrick Herrera beamed a shot down the third-base line to score Carson Hansen all the way from first base.

The Mountaineers would answer strongly in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs to take the lead back.

A fielding error and a two-run single by Ben Lumsden would bring West Virginia right back in the mix of things. Guzman, who was voted to the all-regional team and has been elite when the moment required him to be, added another two-run single. He finished the three games going 8 for 12 with six RBIs.

Just when all the momentum had flipped to WVU, Kentucky retook it once again.

Hudson Brown delivered an RBI single to send Herrera home from second and tie the game back up. Ben McDougal then relieved Bassinger, but he also struggled as most WVU pitchers did this day. McDougal hit two batters and walked another to hand Kentucky the lead back. Next up for WVU on the mound was Carson Estridge who gave up a gut-punch home run to Kentucky designated hitter Hudson Brown to extend the Wildcats’ lead.

The Mountaineers would battle back.

“It was a really weird balancing act that we haven’t had to do much this year.” WVU head coach Steve Sabins said. “The offense stepped up huge and kept coming.”

Pinch-hitting for Jace Rinehart, Grant Hussey nearly hit a grand slam to tie the game but Kentucky left fielder Cole Hage caught the deep drive while banging into the left field wall to end the inning.

Just as all hope was seemingly lost, the Mountaineers rose from the ashes and delivered its second six-run rally of the game in the bottom of the eighth to stunningly reclaim the lead.

Once again, West Virginia was able to load the bases but this time it was able to convert. Sam White drew a bases-loaded then, with two outs, both Gavin Kelly and Lumsden hit two-run singles to score four more runners to tie the game. Guzman’s clutch hit followed.

“That’s the three best set of games I’ve ever been a part of as a player or a coach in my life,” Sabins said. “It literally had everything you could have imagined, including walk-offs, and six-run eighths.”

Sabins then called on Griffin Kirn, WVU’s eighth pitcher of the night, to make a rare relief appearance and he came through with his first save of the season despite allowing a one-out single to Hansen.

When asked to describe WVU’s regional performance, Sabins said, “Heroic plays, heroic performances, heroic at-bats, it’s the best television you could have watched for three straight games.”