Mountaineers Set to Host Ivy League Favorite Columbia

West Virginia University baseball team returns home for first weekend series of the season

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The No. 23 West Virginia University baseball team is set to host Columbia, the Ivy League favorite, in a three-game series at Kendrick Family Ballpark from March 6-8. The Mountaineers are 8-2 on the season so far, having won all three of their series this year. West Virginia is led by sophomore Matt Ineich, who has a .450 batting average, and senior Matthew Graveline, who has a team-high 3 home runs. Columbia, led by 20th year head coach Brett Boretti, was picked to repeat as Ivy League champions and has won 7 of the last 11 league titles, but is off to a 1-5 start this season.

Why it matters

This early-season matchup between the Mountaineers and the Ivy League favorite Lions provides an intriguing non-conference test for West Virginia as they look to build on their strong start to the season. The outcome of this series could have implications for both teams' postseason aspirations later in the year.

The details

West Virginia will start Dawson Montesa, Chansen Cole, and Maxx Yehl on the mound over the three-game series, while Columbia's rotation is TBA with their ace Tomas Lopez missing the series to play for Team Brazil in the World Baseball Classic. The Mountaineers have won all three of their series so far this season, including a sweep at Georgia Southern and a series win at Liberty, while Columbia is just 1-5 to start the year.

  • The series runs from March 6-8, 2026.
  • First pitch on Friday is set for 2 p.m.
  • Saturday's game has been moved up to a noon start.
  • Sunday's game will begin at 12:30 p.m.

The players

Matt Ineich

Sophomore who leads West Virginia with a .450 batting average.

Matthew Graveline

Senior who leads the Mountaineers with 3 home runs.

Brett Boretti

20th year head coach of the Columbia Lions, who were picked to repeat as Ivy League champions.

Owen Estabrook

Leads Columbia with a .389 batting average and 9 home runs.

Tomas Lopez

Columbia's ace pitcher who will miss the series to play for Team Brazil in the World Baseball Classic.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

This early-season matchup between the surging Mountaineers and the Ivy League favorite Lions will provide an important non-conference test for both teams as they look to build momentum heading into conference play and position themselves for potential postseason berths later in the year.