Wheeling, W. Va. – Through the early portion of the 2026 season, the Wheeling University Baseball team (5-3, 0-0) has been traveling south for the warmer weather. That trend continues this weekend, when the Cardinals head down to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for a three-game weekend set with Carolina U. The Cardinals are looking to shake off their first weekend series loss of the season, and get back on track before returning to Atlantic Regional play.
Last time out, the Cardinals played their official 2026 home opener when they welcomed Mansfield University to GoMart Ballpark. It was an opportunity for the Cardinals to get a look at the site of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) tournament as they played their second regional series of the season. Game one saw the Cardinals jump out to an early lead, with three runs in the first three innings, but Mansfield battled back with four runs in the eighth. It gave them a 10-5 win, and the Cardinals entered day two needing a doubleheader sweep to win the series. In game two, the Cardinals and Mountaineers would battle to extra innings, and the Cardinals would load the bases with one out in the top of the 10th. A walk-off hit by pitch would give the Cardinals the win, setting up the rubber match for the nightcap. However, the Cardinals would fall by the final score of 6-2, dropping their first weekend of the season.
Leading the charge for the Cardinals on offense was Luke Meyer, who served as the team's designated hitter throughout the weekend. He finished 5-12 (.416) with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored across the three-game stretch. His best performance came in the opening game of the series, where he put together a 3-5 effort with a home run and an RBI. His home run would come in the bottom of the third in the first game, and gave Wheeling an early 3-1 lead. The effort raised his season batting average to .375 and moved him to second on the team in both RBI (15) and home runs through seven games. The Cardinal's offense is looking for more consistency at the plate down the stretch, and Meyer will look to be part of that success from the DH spot.
On the mound, the Cardinals were once again led by senior Sebastian Khan, who threw over 100 pitches for the first time this season. He logged 6.2 innings allowing five runs, one earned, on seven hits while striking out six batters. It was the third consecutive start that Khan struck out at least five batters and grew his MEC leading 24 strikeouts. His ERA sits at 1.53 through three starts as he looks to continue to anchor the rotation. Edward Mateo continued his success at the top of the Cardinal lineup, putting together three multi-hit performances on the weekend. He would finish 6-13 (.462) with a home run, RBI, and two runs scored on the weekend. He had two hits in each of the three games, and brought his season average to .484.
With two weeks remaining in their non-conference schedule, the Cardinals find themselves sitting at 5-3 through their first eight games. Their 4-1 start to the season was the best five-game start in program history and, with a weekend sweep this weekend, the Cardinals have a chance to get out to their best start in program history. The current mark was set in 2024, when the team jumped out to a 7-3 start through their first 10 games, and expanded that record to 9-3 before conference play. Wheeling has seven non-conference games left before the MEC stretch begins, and has a chance to better that mark. Wheeling is still focused on winning one weekend at a time, and Saturday's doubleheader will give them a chance to get a bounce back weekend win against Carolina U.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Bruins are meeting for their second ever series and the fourth time in program history when they kick things off on Saturday. Wheeling leads the all-time series at 2-1, and is making their second trip down to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It has been a high scoring series for the Cardinals, with Wheeling averaging 5.67 runs per game, and scoring five or more runs in two of the previous three meetings between the two teams.
Their most recent meeting came in the finale of their three-game series back on March 6th, 2023, in a game the Cardinals won 7-6. Leading the way for Wheeling was former Cardinal Thomas Kegerreis, who finished 1-4 with a home run and three RBI. Former Cardinal Anthony May added a 1-3 effort with a home run, while former Cardinal Johendry Colmenares got the start and allowed three runs over 4.0 innings while walking one and striking out two.
The Details
First pitch for Saturday's series opener is scheduled for 1 PM inside Mando Field at Rich Park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
