Wheeling, W. Va. - After taking their opening weekend at USC Beaufort last week, the Wheeling University Baseball team (2-1, 0-0) looks to continue their success as they head back down south. This weekend, the team will head to Virginia State for a three-game series, beginning Saturday, February 14th and running to Sunday, February 15th. The weekend will start with a doubleheader on Saturday, before they wrap up the action with a Sunday finale before their home opener next week.
Last time out, the Cardinals took on USC Beaufort in a three-game series, taking two out of the three games. The Sunday finale was the biggest offensive output for the team, seeing them take down the Sandsharks 17-12. After dropping the game before, the Cardinal offense got going right from the get-go, scoring three runs in the top of the first. They would end up scoring 12 runs over the first five innings, and held a commanding 12-3 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth. However, USC Beaufort battled back, putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth, and made it a 15-7 game. However, the Cardinals would seal the deal with four runs in response in the top of the sixth, and it would be enough to hold off USC Beaufort the rest of the way. The Sansharks would finish the day with five runs in the last three innings, but Wheeling would hold on for the 17-12 win.
Leading the charge was senior Edward Mateo, who is the defending Mountain East Conference (MEC) and National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Regional Hitter of the Week. He would have a big week in the lead-off spot, going 7-12 (.583) while reaching base 12 times across 17 plate appearances. He finished with multi-hit games in each of the three contests, while swiping three bags to tie for the team lead. His biggest effort came in the finale, when he went 2-3 with four RBI, five runs scored, and three walks. His biggest hit would come in the top of the sixth as he cleared the bases with a three-RBI single that helped the Cardinals clinch the winning effort. He looks to continue being a catalyst for the team as they battle through their non-conference slate.
A little farther down in the order, Nicholas Schulz put together a strong opening week for the Cardinals, going 6-13 (.462) with three-RBI across the three games. Two of those RBI came in the weekend opening win, including what turned out to be the game winning RBI single in the top of the fifth. Schulz was a consistent presence for the Cardinals a season ago, hitting .289 across 148 at-bats, and he looks to continue that consistency in 2026. On the mound, Sebastian Khan would once again anchor the rotation, throwing 4.0 solid innings in his first start of the season. He held the Sandsharks to just two runs as the Cardinals were able to build their early lead. Khan is coming off an Honorable Mention All-MEC season, and will be relied upon as the ace of the staff in 2026.
As the Cardinals prepare for their second trip down south of the non-conference schedule, they will be looking to string together back-to-back series wins. The Cardinals won just one weekend series a year ago, and last won back-to-back weekends from March 24th – March 30th of the 2024 season. Wheeling was the only team to win their opening weekend out of the four MEC programs to take the field, and one of only two that picked up a win on the weekend. Throughout their non-conference schedule, the Cardinals will look to take advantage of the warmer weather, playing no farther north than Charleston, West Virginia. They went 5-5 in their 10-game non-conference stretch last season, and look to better that number this season.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Trojans will be meeting for the first time in program history when they match up in the series opener on Saturday. It will serve as the 2026 season opener for Virginia State University, who finished the 2025 season with a 17-25 record. They played much better baseball on their home field, going 9-13 compared to a 4-10 mark on the road, and advanced to the New South Athletic Conference (NSAC) tournament. They would go 4-2 in tournament play, before falling to #1 seeded John Melvin to end their season.
The Details
First pitch for Saturday's series opening doubleheader is scheduled for noon at Whaley Colbert Field on the campus of Virginia State University. You can watch the action live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
