Preview: West Virginia at Baylor in Big 12 Baseball Series Finale

WACO, Texas (Interstat) — The West Virginia Mountaineers and Baylor Bears will decide their pivotal Big 12 series Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark, with both teams looking to claim the rubber match.

First pitch is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, 2026, under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 69 degrees.

West Virginia (12-4, 1-1 Big 12) and Baylor (11-7, 1-1) have split the first two games of the series in dramatic fashion. The Bears edged the Mountaineers 7-6 on Friday afternoon before West Virginia responded with a dominant 13-2 victory Saturday.

A key player to watch for the Mountaineers is right-hander Chansen Cole, who delivered a stellar performance in Saturday’s win. Cole pitched six scoreless innings of one-hit ball, striking out five. Over his last four starts, he has allowed just two earned runs in 21 1/3 innings.

Baylor will look for a spark from first baseman Tyce Armstrong. He provided the Bears’ only offense Saturday with a two-run home run, his team-leading third of the season. Armstrong has driven in six runs over his last five games.

The series has highlighted the contrast between West Virginia’s strong pitching and Baylor’s potent offense. The Mountaineers’ staff has held Baylor to nine total runs in the series, while the Bears’ lineup aims to rebound after being stifled Saturday.

Interstat’s projections offer a split verdict. The organization’s game simulator predicts a narrow 7-6 Baylor victory, while its ELO rating system gives West Virginia a 62.4% probability to win.

West Virginia holds the overall season edge, but Baylor has shown resilience at home. The Mountaineers will try to carry the momentum from their explosive 15-hit performance Saturday, led by Paul Schoenfeld (3-for-4, 4 RBIs) and Brock Wills (3-for-4, 2 RBIs).

Following Sunday’s contest, West Virginia will host Penn State on Tuesday before a Big 12 series against BYU. Baylor will remain home to face Kansas State on Tuesday before traveling to Oklahoma State for a conference series next weekend.