Wheeling, W. Va. - It has already been a historic season for the Wheeling University Baseball team (33-13, 18-6) and the Cardinals look to add to that history on the final weekend of the regular season. It kicks off with one more meeting at EQT Park in Washington, Pennsylvania, when the Cardinals host West Liberty in the first two games of their "The Battle for Wheeling" series. It will be a special prime time senior day match-up under the lights, with first pitch set for 5 PM and the senior dy ceremony following game one.
Last time out, the Cardinals wrapped up their four-game weekend set against Point Park with doubleheader action on Sunday. In game one, the Cardinal's strong pitching continued as they were able to shut out the Pioneers over seven innings of work. Meanwhile, the Cardinals would strike for three runs in the bottom of the second and that was more than enough run support. Wheeling would go on to win 4-0, but the sleeping giant of the Point Park offense would awaken in game two. Point Park would jump out to a 10-0 lead two innings in, and scored 22 total runs in the game. Between the two teams, there was a combined 33 runs scored, with Wheeling scoring 10 of their 11 runs over the final five innings. However, the Pioneers held on for the 22-11 win, with the Cardinals splitting the weekend with the Pioneers.
Leading the effort on day two was redshirt freshman starting pitcher Dom Carlson, who turned in his best start of the season in game three of the series. He would throw his first complete game of the season, allowing five hits while walking two and striking out five. Through the first five innings of the game, he did not allow more than one Pioneer base runner, and was able to work his way around some traffic over the final two innings to earn his sixth win of the season. It lowered his season ERA to 3.03, continuing the strong wave of starting pitching for the Cardinals this season. Of their four regular starting pitchers, three of them sport a sub 4.00 ERA, with Carlson sitting second among that group. The Cardinal starting pitching looks to be a driving force for the team as they get set to enter tournament play.
On the offensive side of the ball, it was Chris Alvarez leading the way for the Cardinals against his former team. The senior would finish the weekend 5-12 (.417) with two home runs, a double, a triple, and seven RBI. He opened the series with a bang, going 2-3 with a home run, a double, and three RBI in the team's 5-4 walk-off win over Point Park. He would finish up the series with two more hits on Sunday, including his second home run of the weekend and three more RBI. Joining him with three RBI in the final game of the weekend was Caid Heflin, who finished a team-best 3-4 with a double and three RBI. He played a vital role in the team's comeback effort over the final three innings, including hitting his second home run of the season in the 22-11 effort.
As they enter the final weekend of regular season play, the Cardinals currently hold both the #1 seed in the MEC North Division as well as the overall best record in the MEC. They currently hold a one-game lead over Frostburg State for the division lead, and need at least a weekend win to guarantee them a #1 seed in the North Division. If the Cardinals take three of four from West Liberty, even a loss in game four would secure them to division title due to the Cardinals beating Frostburg State in their weekend series a few weeks ago. The Cardinals have already clinched their spot in the postseason field for the first time since 2024, and are looking to end the regular season strong as they prepare to chase down the program's first-ever MEC title.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 67th time in program history when they kick-off their series on Friday, with the all-time match-up being tied at 33-33. The Cardinals hold a 14-15 record on their home field, compared to an 18-18 mark when the teams meet in West Liberty, West Virginia. Last season's weekend series was shortened to a three-game set due to rain, with the Hilltoppers winning the weekend, with the Cardinals looking for their first weekend win against West Liberty since the 2023 season.
The last meeting between the two teams was a single nine-inning game back on May 4th, 2025, in a game that the Hilltoppers would win 5-4. Former Cardinal Christian Boyles would lead the way for the Cardinals, going 1-4 with a home run and three RBI in the game. Following him was former Cardinal Nicholas Ancelet, who finished 1-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Jalen Raysor added a 2-3 effort on the day.
The Details
First pitch for Friday's game is scheduled for 5 PM inside EQT Park in Washington, Pennsylvania. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
