Six Mountaineers earn All-Morgantown Regional honors
West Virginia had six players selected to the All-Morgantown Regional Tournament team, including the pool’s MVP. All of these players’ work made the program’s first Super Regional host possible, with the opportunity to get to the College World Series.
Gavin Kelly, MVP, 2B
To begin, Gavin Kelly was named the MVP of the Tournament and was voted to the second base position as well. Even though he spent more time as part of the battery, catching three games, his two games in the middle of the infield gave him the nod for the All-Tournament team.
Kelly was a massive push for WVU in its three games against Kentucky, where he hit three home runs and drove in five RBI. In total, Kelly mashed a .400 batting average and recorded eight hits. He brought in an RBI in all five games, accumulating eight, while drawing five walks.
His biggest play of the tournament was in game seven against Kentucky. Already scoring a run after a double in the first inning, Kelly crushed a solo shot in the sixth. The run proved pivotal because Kentucky tied the game in the eighth inning, leading the game into extra innings.
Armani Guzman, 1B
Armani Guzman was selected as the best first baseman of the tournament. He spent three games there, with two in right field. After the loss to Kentucky on May 30, Guzman was moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup for the next three games.
Guzman was great whenever he came to the plate, getting a hit in every contest. He ended the tournament with nine hits for a .455 batting average. He ripped four doubles, bringing in seven RBI and scoring eight runs himself.
His speed was on full display with six stolen bases, putting his season total to 36. He single-handedly recorded an essential run in the third inning of the final game. Guzman reached base with a leadoff bunt, then was hung up in the base paths on a pickoff attempt. He zoomed to second and got there before the tag. Kelly then grounded out to third base, and on the throw across the diamond, Guzman moved up. The next batter grounded to the brought in infield, but Guzman was too quick, not even getting a play at the plate.
His biggest play of the tournament was the swing that sent the Mountaineers to the next round. With the score tied at five against Kentucky in the bottom of the 10th, Guzman dropped a single into center field, scoring Brodie Kresser from second base, earning the walk-off win.
Tyrus Hall, 3B
Third baseman Tyrus Hall got the nod at the corner for his clutch hitting and fielding. Hall hit .315 with six knocks. He drove in four RBI, including two important ones, both on doubles, to keep WVU in the game against Kentucky in its only loss.
Hall’s biggest play of the tournament came on the defensive side. In the fourth inning of the first regional final contest, a dribbler was hit to him. He charged in, fielding the ball with his bare hand and launched to first base for a bang-bang out. This was an inning where Kentucky had already scored two runs, taking the lead, and had two runners on base. Without that out, the game could have been busted open.
Ben Lumsden, LF
Splitting time in the corner outfield spots, Ben Lumsden was chosen at left field. Lumsden had only started 10 games in 2026, but was penciled into the lineup for all five this past weekend. He had six hits, one in each game, for a .428 batting average. What he did exceptionally well at was drawing free bases, getting walked nine times for a .652 on-base percentage. This translated to seven crucial runs.
Lumsden’s highlight of the tournament was his no-doubt home run in game one against Binghamton. With two runs already in the frame, he brought the house down, adding three more and putting the game away.
Dawson Montesa, P
Dawson Montesa was selected as one of the two pitchers for his heroics in the final two days of the tournament. In an elimination game against Wake Forest, he tossed 7.1 innings with seven strikeouts, allowing five runs. That outing was much needed because it gave the Mountaineer bullpen a recharge for the final two games.
Montesa’s start that earned a curtain call from the home crowd could definitely be the best moment of his tournament. But his two outs against Kentucky in the final topped it. After 1222 pitches the day before, Montesa entered in the 10th inning of a tied ballgame. He inherited a 1-2 count with a runner on first base and two outs. Needing just one strike, he actually walked the first batter he saw before getting a strikeout and a flyout, allowing Guzman’s walk-off.
Chansen Cole, P
The other pitcher selected was Chansen Cole, who appeared twice. He started one game and came out of the bullpen in the other. He totaled 7.2 innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run in his tournament effort. Cole came out of the bullpen in the final game for 1.2 innings with two strikeouts, limiting damage after Kentucky tied the game in the eighth inning.
Cole’s best moment came in the first game, where he posted six innings of work. He struck out a season-high 10 batters, allowing just one free pass to kick off WVU’s postseason run.
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