Wheeling, W. Va. - The snow is falling in Wheeling, West Virginia, but in two short months, spring sports will be underway. On Tuesday, the Wheeling University Baseball team announced their 2026 schedule, as they look to bounce back after just missing the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Baseball Tournament a season ago. The Cardinals will embark on a full 50-game schedule, with their home contests being split between GoMart Ball Park in Charleston, West Virginia and Wild Things Park in Washington, Pennsylvania.
After making the MEC Tournament in back-to-back seasons during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the Cardinals entered 2025 with the same expectations. They started things strong, taking three out of four from Pitt-Johnstown in the opening weekend, and finished their non-conference stretch sitting at 5-5. However, they would get off to a slow start in their conference stretch, going 2-10 over their first 12 games, and were forced to battle back over the MEC North portion of their schedule. They earned their first conference weekend split against Fairmont State, sweeping the day one doubleheader before being swept on day two. They were led by pitching throughout the season, but it wouldn't be enough to make a third straight playoff push, as they finished 14-33 overall and 5-22 in MEC play.
As they begin the 2026 season, the Cardinals will head south for some non-conference action with a three-game opening weekend set. They will take on the University of South Carolina Beaufort February 6th – 8th, and will continue to Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia February 14th & 15th. They will then play at the first of two home sites during the season, as they take on Mansfield University in their home opener at GoMart Ballpark on February 21st and 22nd. The first month of action wraps up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina when the team battles Carolina University on February 27th and 28th. The final non-conference series will start March as the Cardinals once again travel to GoMart Ballpark when they host Bluefield State on March 7th and 8th.
It will lead into their first MEC doubleheader of the series as the Cardinal go to Wild Things Park for their second home venue of the season. They will host the University of Charleston and West Virginia State in the opening weekend on March 14th and 15th. They follow that with the first of two matchups with CAL-U on March 17th, before hitting the road for doubleheaders against West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins. The MEC South schedule closes out March, with home doubleheaders against Concord and Glenville State on March 29th and 30th at Wild Things Park. With the MEC South portion of the schedule wrapped up, Wheeling opens April on the road with a four-game set with Salem April 3rd and 4th.
The MEC North schedule will run the month, with Wheeling playing host to both Frostburg State (April 11th & 12th) and Point Park (April 24th & 26th), while hitting the road to go to Fairmont State (April 18th & 19th) during the month. Their regular season non-conference finale will come on April 14th against CAL-U, leading up to the final series of the year to begin May. Wheeling will host West Liberty in doubleheader action at Wild Things Park on May 1st, before hitting the road to West Liberty to round out the season on May 3rd.
The Wheeling University Baseball team begins their 2026 season on Friday, February 6th, when they travel to the University of South Carolina Beaufort with first pitch at 6 PM.
