Preview: Columbia Lions at West Virginia Mountaineers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Interstat) — The struggling Columbia Lions look to snap a four-game skid when they visit the hot-starting West Virginia Mountaineers in a nonconference baseball series opener Friday.

First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon at Monongalia County Ballpark. A second game time of evening was also listed.

The Lions (0-4) are seeking their first win of the 2026 season after being swept in a three-game road series at Mercer and dropping a midweek contest at Kansas State. Their most recent outing was a 5-2 loss to the Wildcats on Feb. 28, where the bullpen of Ray Huke, Jack Korthas and Payton Soske combined for six scoreless innings of relief.

Huke, a player to watch for Columbia, has been inconsistent. After allowing seven earned runs in one inning against Mercer on Feb. 20, he rebounded with 2 2/3 hitless, scoreless frames at Kansas State.

They face a steep challenge against a West Virginia (8-2) squad that has won eight of its last nine games. The Mountaineers are coming off a 7-6 loss at Kennesaw State on Sunday, which snapped an eight-game winning streak. In that game, second baseman Gavin Kelly went 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBIs.

A key performer for West Virginia is pitcher Maxx Yehl, who has been dominant in two recent appearances. He fired four scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a win at Liberty on Feb. 21, then followed with five hitless, scoreless innings and four strikeouts in relief at Kennesaw State on March 1.

The Mountaineers’ offense has been potent, scoring nine or more runs in six of their 10 games this season.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 victory for West Virginia.

The series continues with games on Saturday and Sunday in Morgantown.