Mountaineers Head to Houston for Weekend Series Against Cougars

Published On: April 11, 2025

The West Virginia University baseball team is set to face off against Houston this weekend, marking the second consecutive week the Mountaineers will meet a new opponent. The three-game series, scheduled for April 11-13, will be played at Schroeder Park in Houston. The first two games are set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday, with the final game of the series on Sunday scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.

Fans can catch all the action on ESPN+, listen on the Mountaineer Sports Network, or follow live updates.

The Mountaineers come into the series with a strong 27-4 record and 7-3 in Big 12 play, following a sweep of Utah in their most recent series. West Virginia has been ranked highly in recent polls, holding the No. 11 spot in Perfect Game, No. 20 in NCBWA, and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Key Players

Skylar King, a junior, leads the team with a .365 batting average.
Jace Rinehart, a senior, boasts a 1.099 OPS, six home runs, and 33 RBI, pacing the Mountaineers’ offense.
On the mound, Griffin Kirn, a redshirt senior, is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA and a team-high 50 strikeouts.
Freshman Benjamin Hudson has posted a remarkable 1.04 ERA, part of a pitching staff with 11 pitchers holding ERAs below four.

Pitching Matchups

Friday: LHP Griffin Kirn (3-0, 3.86 ERA, 50 K) vs. RHP Paul Schmitz (3-2, 4.28 ERA, 27 K)
Saturday: RHP Gavin Van Kempen (2-0, 4.91 ERA, 28 K) vs. RHP Richie Roman (0-4, 4.97 ERA, 38 K)
Sunday: RHP Jack Kartsonas (2-1, 3.12 ERA, 27 K) vs. TBA

Houston enters the series with a 19-14 record and a 5-7 mark in Big 12 play. The Cougars recently took two of three games from Baylor and split their midweek games against Rice and McNeese.

Houston’s offense is led by Xavier Perez, who has a .345 batting average, seven home runs, and 33 RBI. On the mound, Antoine Jean has been the standout pitcher with a 3-1 record, three saves, and an impressive 66 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.