West Virginia’s magical season came to an end Wednesday, but not before the Mountaineers delivered one final reminder of the resilience that carried them to the first College World Series appearance in program history.
North Carolina built an early double-digit lead and held off a late West Virginia rally to earn a 12-7 victory in a College World Series semifinal at Charles Schwab Field. The loss ended the most successful season in the 135-year history of Mountaineer baseball.
The Tar Heels (53-12-1) pounded out 16 hits and scored in six different innings while advancing to the bracket championship. West Virginia finished its season 47-17 after becoming the first team in school history to reach the College World Series.
North Carolina wasted little time taking control.
Owen Hull drove in a run with a first-inning double before scoring on an error to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead. West Virginia answered in the bottom half when Matthew Graveline delivered an RBI single, but North Carolina seized momentum for good with three runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth.
A two-run sixth inning pushed the lead to 10-1, and the Tar Heels added two more runs in the seventh to seemingly put the game out of reach.
Instead, West Virginia responded with the type of fight that defined its postseason run.
Trailing 12-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Mountaineers sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five times. Gavin Kelly sparked the rally with an RBI triple before Paul Schoenfeld, Graveline and Matt Ineich each drove in runs. Another run scored on a passed ball as West Virginia trimmed the deficit to 12-6.
Kelly added a solo home run in the eighth inning, his third hit of the game, but West Virginia could get no closer.
Kelly finished 3 for 5 with a triple, home run and two RBIs. Graveline went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and a walk, while Armani Guzman collected two hits and scored twice. Ineich added a hit and an RBI.
“These are some of my best friends for life,” Kelly said. “Just being able to share the field here with them means a lot. All the hard work that’s been put in to get here is really special.”
Hull led North Carolina by going 4 for 5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Gavin Gallaher finished 4 for 5 with four RBIs, and Erik Paulsen added three hits and two RBIs.
Chansen Cole took the loss after allowing four runs in 2 1/3 innings. Jackson Rose earned the victory in relief for North Carolina.
While the result ended West Virginia’s pursuit of a national championship, head coach Steve Sabins said the season’s accomplishments will stand as a benchmark for future generations of Mountaineer baseball.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this group of kids,” Sabins said. “What they were able to do and what they were able to accomplish is nothing short of miraculous.
“This is the best season in Mountaineer baseball history,” Sabins added. “They’ve been playing baseball for 135 years. This group of kids get to say that after 135 teams, that they were the first team to make it to Omaha and be one of the last four teams standing.”
Even after falling behind by 11 runs, the Mountaineers continued to battle, something Sabins said reflected both the program and the state it represents.
For Guzman, the disappointment of the loss could not overshadow the memories created during a historic season.
“The whole season was just really fun, and it was everything anyone could have asked for,” Guzman said. “We’re just super grateful.”
The final out closed the book on West Virginia’s deepest postseason run ever, one that included a Big 12 championship chase, the program’s first national seed, a Super Regional victory and the school’s first trip to the College World Series.