OMAHA, Neb. — Troy brought the potential game-tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, but ultimately fell to West Virginia, 7-5, in front of a crowd of 24,154 in the opening game of the 2026 College World Series at Charles Schwab Field.
The Trojans are making the second-straight Omaha appearance for the Sun Belt—the first non-autonomy conference to be represented in back-to-back College World Series since the Big West in 2016 and 2017—and the first in program history.
“Heck of a college baseball game,” said Troy head coach Skylar Meade. “Unfortunate to be on the wrong side, but give all credit to West Virginia. Two programs that are absolute fighters—and that's really what that game was—it felt like a heavyweight bout.”
After reaching on a fielding error and advancing to third without a Mountaineer hit, West Virginia leadoff man junior outfielder Armani Guzman broke the ice with the first straight steal of home in College World Series action since 2000.
Troy senior second baseman Sean Darnell—whose error had allowed Guzman to reach—sparked a Trojans two-out rally in the top of the second, shooting a double into right center and coming around to score the equalizer on a scorching single through the right side from junior designated hitter Jabe Boroff. A one-out double to left center from West Virginia junior third baseman Tyrus Hall plated a pair in the bottom half of the frame to make it 3-1 Mountaineers.
The Trojans responded, scoring three runs on four hits in the top of the third, capped by a second Darnell double to give Troy its first lead of the game, 4-3. A first-pitch-swinging solo shot to left by Mountaineers senior designated hitter Sean Smith knotted things up at 4-4 through three frames in the College World Series opener.
West Virginia retook the lead, 5-4, in the bottom of the fourth with Hall scoring from first on a Guzman double into left that landed just beyond the glove of diving Troy senior outfielder Drew Nelson.
Following scoreless fifth and sixth innings, Sun Belt Player of the Year sophomore catcher Jimmy Janicki hit a solo home run to left center in the top of the seventh to once again equalize the matchup of first-time College World Series participants, 5-5. The solo shot delivered his single-season program record 86th RBI and made him the first player in Trojans program history with 20 doubles and 20 home runs in a season.
With two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth, Hall chopped a ball over the head of Troy senior first baseman Blake Cavill and into right field to score two Mountaineers, 7-5.
Cavill drew a two-out walk in the top of the ninth to bring the potential game-tying run to the plate in Janicki. Down 0-2 in the count, Janicki fouled out to the first base side to close the contest.
Janicki and Nelson—who each had two hits and an RBI in the Trojans Omaha debut—were quick to turn the page in the postgame press conference and speak on “embracing the opportunity” that still lies ahead and “coming out ready to play tomorrow.”
The Trojans—who won four-straight elimination games to advance out of the Gainesville Regional—will face the loser of North Carolina and Ole Miss in an elimination game at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 14.
“Well, as you can tell, they're already talking about tomorrow, because they're just excited to think about what's next, even though we know that it's on Sunday,” said Meade. “It’s almost subliminal—this is how our guys are. We talked about it in the dugout and said we have an opportunity to compete again on Sunday and we know we’re going to do that.”
Over the past five years, the Sun Belt has sent 19 teams to NCAA Baseball Regionals, 12 to NCAA Baseball Regional finals, 3 to NCAA Baseball Super Regionals and 2 to the College World Series.
The Sun Belt has been represented in Regional finals for six-straight seasons, Super Regionals for three of the past four years and the College World Series in back-to-back seasons for the first time in conference history.
The Sun Belt’s three Super Regional appearances and two College World Series appearances over the past four seasons each lead all non-autonomy conferences.