WVU Baseball Drops Series Opener to Houston

Late rally falls short as Mountaineers lose 10-7

Apr. 18, 2026 at 3:03am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fractured, multi-perspective view of a baseball game, with the vibrant colors of the opposing teams' uniforms clashing and intersecting in an abstract, conceptual representation of the game's action.The Mountaineers' defensive struggles and inability to hold off Houston's offense led to a tough series-opening loss.Houston Today

The West Virginia University baseball team suffered a 10-7 loss on Friday, April 17 in the series opener against the Houston Cougars. The Mountaineers' starting pitcher Dawson Montesa was tagged for four runs in the third inning, and the team's defense began to unravel in the middle innings, leading to a three-run rally by Houston. While WVU mounted a late comeback, cutting the deficit to 8-5, the Mountaineers' bullpen couldn't keep them in the game, and they ultimately fell short.

Why it matters

This loss drops the Mountaineers to 25-9 overall and 10-6 in Big 12 play, putting them in a tough spot as they look to maintain their position in the conference standings. The team's defensive struggles and inability to hold off Houston's offense will be a concern heading into the rest of the series.

The details

In the third inning, the Cougars scored four runs off of Montesa. WVU's Matt Ineich responded with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame, but the team's defense continued to falter, with Montesa sailing a pickoff attempt and Ineich committing an error in the seventh inning that helped spark a three-run rally by Houston. The Mountaineers mounted a late comeback, with Tyrus Hall hitting a home run and Ineich adding another RBI single in the seventh, but the bullpen couldn't hold off the Cougars, and Sean Smith's two-run single in the ninth wasn't enough to complete the rally.

  • The game was played on Friday, April 17, 2026.
  • The series opener against Houston was moved to an 11 A.M. start on Saturday, April 18 due to expected inclement weather.

The players

Dawson Montesa

The starting pitcher for the West Virginia Mountaineers, who was tagged for four runs in the third inning.

Matt Ineich

A West Virginia player who had an RBI single in the third inning and another RBI single in the seventh inning, but also committed an error that helped spark a three-run rally by Houston.

Tyrus Hall

A West Virginia player who hit a home run in the seventh inning to help cut the deficit.

Kendall Hoffman

The starting pitcher for the Houston Cougars, who was chased from the game in the seventh inning as West Virginia mounted their comeback.

Sean Smith

A Houston player who hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help seal the Cougars' victory.

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What they’re saying

“We have to clean up our defense and get back to playing the type of baseball that has made us successful this season.”

— Randy Mazey, West Virginia Head Coach

What’s next

The two teams will meet again on Saturday, April 18 at 11 A.M. for the second game of the series, with the Mountaineers looking to even things up before the finale on Sunday.

The takeaway

This loss is a setback for the Mountaineers, who have been one of the top teams in the Big 12 this season. The defensive lapses and inability to hold off Houston's offense will be a concern, and the team will need to regroup quickly to have a chance of winning the series against the Cougars.