GRANVILLE, W.Va. – Upperclassmen dominated the spotlight pregame during graduation and Senior Day ceremonies, so it was no surprise when one senior played the hero Sunday afternoon for West Virginia. 

Caleb McNeely provided the game winning RBIs for the Mountaineers (39-13, 14-6 Big 12) in their 5-3, series-clinching victory over Texas Tech (35-18, 10-11 Big 12) at Monongalia County Ballpark. With the win, Randy Mazey breaks his single season win total with his 39^th victory of the year. Mazey’s previous total of 38 wins came in 2019, and it included four postseason wins. 

“The way we pitch, the way we hit, the way we run the bases [and] play defense, we’re checking just about every box you have to check to be a great team right now,” head coach Randy Mazey said.

The Mountaineers faced an early 2-0 deficit that was quickly halved in the second inning when Grant Hussey doubled to score Dayne Leonard for the first WVU run of the game. Hussey – who went 2-for-4 on the day – tallied multiple hits in four of his last seven games. 

In the third inning, WVU manufactured a run when Tevin Tucker stole home from third base while Landon Wallace was caught stealing at second base. It was a run-for-out trade the Mountaineers gladly accepted to even the score at 2-2. 

The Red Raiders obtained a 3-2 advantage in the fourth inning, but it wouldn’t last long before J.J. Wetherholt knotted the score at 3-3 with an opposite field, solo jack for his 15th homer of the season. Shortly after, in the sixth inning, McNeely blasted his game winning homer to center field.

“Friday and [Saturday], they did a good job of kind of [pitching] inside on me,” Wetherholt said. “I’d much rather have fastballs over the plate than inside on me. Today, they kind of went away from that and decided to throw more away [in the zone].”

Robby Porco received the start on the mound, but he faced just two batters before he was pulled by Mazey in favor of Noah Short, who recorded all three outs in the first inning. David Hagaman and Carlson Reed combined for five and two-thirds scoreless innings out of the bullpen to finish the game. Hagaman earned his first win of the season, while Reed collected his seventh save. He struck out four Red Raiders in two innings, two of which sent the Monongalia County crowd into a frenzy.

“I don’t know [if] this was the biggest crowd, but this crowd was into this game more than any others [this season],” Mazey said. “They were into the game with two outs in the first inning when we were up to the plate. That’s a crowd that’s getting used to coming to games, and that’s what helps us win.”

The Mountaineers will travel to Austin next weekend for a three game series against Texas (35-18, 12-9 Big 12) to close the regular season slate. WVU can clinch the regular season Big 12 title with just one win in Austin.