With a four-game lead in the Big 12 standings heading into its final home weekend series, Kansas baseball was looking to lock down the Big 12 regular season championship by Mother’s Day.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, those hopes took a hit with a 4-1 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers on Friday night at Hoglund Ballpark.
The story of the game was West Virginia junior left handed starter Maxx Yehl, who shut down the Jayhawks offense in a 124-pitch complete game. Kansas was only able to manufacture one run off the lanky lefty over his nine innings of work. Yehl’s final line included allowing just six hits, two walks and striking out nine.
While Yehl’s strikeout numbers weren’t his most impressive of the season, the junior forced weak contact from the Jayhawks all night long and shuffled through an impressive arsenal that kept Kansas batters guessing.
“Yeah, he was lights out and he had our number,” Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “We had a couple opportunities with leadoff guys on but we just couldn’t get enough momentum going. He always had an answer for our punch back and we knew they were going to ride him for a while and obviously we were doing everything we could to get him out of the game, but he had our number tonight, and you (have) to tip your cap to him.”
On the other side, Jayhawks junior ace Dominic Voegele turned in his fifth straight quality start for KU, finishing with three runs allowed over six innings and punching out 10 Mountaineers. Fitzgerald said the game reminded him of last Friday, when the Jayhawks got to the Arizona ace first and ultimately came out victorious.
“Dom was great,” Fitzgerald said. “It reminded me a little bit of last Friday night of whoever got to the starter first was (going to win.) Look back at the puzzle and piece it together and they got to Dom before we got to Yehl, and last week we got to Kramkowski before they got to Dom, so that’s the name of the game.”
West Virginia was first to break through in the top of the third when sophomore catcher Gavin Kelly smashed a solo home run over the right-center-field wall and off the light pole. Up until that point, Voegele had been handling the No. 15 team well. He had retired the side on three straight strikeouts in the first and worked around a pair of walks in the second.
The Mountaineers were able to get to Voegele again in the fourth. West Virginia started the inning with a leadoff triple that came around to score on an infield single, and then tacked on another run on a delayed double steal.
With one away and runners on the corners, senior second baseman Brodie Kresser took off for second and KU junior catcher Augusto Mungarrieta threw down, sending junior first baseman Armani Guzman blazing home, sliding in safely. Guzman knocked down Mungarrieta in the process, but the Jayhawks catcher was fine after a visit from the trainer.
Kansas finally got on the board in the sixth thanks to a sacrifice fly from sophomore left fielder Brady Ballinger, but was only able to get one run after a promising start to the inning. The Jayhawks had started the inning with a double and a walk, but a fielder’s choice resulted in the first out before Ballinger’s sacrifice fly, and senior designated hitter Dariel Osoria grounded out to end the inning.
West Virginia received an insurance run in the seventh thanks to a solo home run by junior third baseman Tyrus Hall against sophomore right handed reliever Riane Ritter, who was fresh out of the Kansas bullpen.
The pitchers rolled the rest of the way, with Yehl cruising through the Jayhawks order, allowing just one hit in the seventh and retiring Kansas 1-2-3 in the eighth.
Senior righty Toby Scheidt and junior right hander Boede Rahe held the Mountaineers hitless and scoreless in the eighth and ninth, sending the Jayhawks into the bottom of the ninth with a three-run deficit.
In the bottom half of the ninth, Yehl returned to the mound – having already thrown 101 pitches through the first eight innings – and struck out Ballinger for the first out. Osoria won a 10-pitch battle to give Kansas some life with one away, and a mound visit made it look like the Mountaineers might go to their bullpen, but they left Yehl out there for the final two outs.
Yehl got sophomore centerfielder Tyson Owens to ground out softly before Mungarrieta struck out swinging to give the Jayhawks their first home loss of Big 12 play.
Kansas (37-13, 20-5 Big 12) and West Virginia (33-12, 17-8 Big 12) will play game two of three tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. The two squads will square off for the final game of their series on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Kansas left fielder Brady Ballinger jumps to catch a ball in the outfield during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas catcher Augusto Mungarrieta looks to put a tag on a West Virginia runner during the Jayhawks’ game on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas right fielder Jordan Bach fields a ground ball during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas junior Dylan Schlotterback squares to bunt during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas senior Josh Dykhoff looks to round first after a hit during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas sophomore Tyson Owens looks to line his barrel up with a West Virginia pitch during the Jayhawks’ game on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas junior Brady Ballinger keeps his eyes on the pitcher during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas first baseman Josh Dykhoff steps on first for an out during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas third baseman Dylan Schlotterback looks to throw to first during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas right fielder Jordan Bach looks to make contact during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas pitcher Dominic Voegele strides out to deliver a pitcher during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas catcher Augusto Mungarrieta looks to frame a pitch during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas pitcher Dominic Voegele comes set during the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kansas left fielder Brady Ballinger (left) and center fielder Tyson Owens shake hands before taking their position prior the Jayhawks’ game against West Virginia on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence.
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World
Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World