Kansas Claims 20th Big 12 Win and Sweep of No. 14 West Virginia

Saturday, May 17

Morgantown, W.Va.

12 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

42-14, 20-10

#14 West Virginia

40-13, 19-9

Kansas

West Virginia

Kansas Claims 20th Big 12 Win and Sweep of No. 14 West Virginia

5/17/2025 5:06:00 PM | Baseball

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Kansas baseball completed a three-game sweep of conference champion No. 14 West Virginia with a 7-0 shutout victory on Saturday at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The Jayhawks recorded their seventh Big 12 series win of the season and their fifth series sweep in conference play, both program bests in only the third season under head coach Dan Fitzgerald.

Kansas improved to 42-14 on the year and earned second place in the Big 12 with a 20-10 conference mark. The 42 wins are the most by Kansas in the regular season in program history, while KU also set new program bests with 20 conference wins and 20 road wins. The Jayhawks finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak and have tied the school record with eight consecutive road wins.

KU got its third stellar starting pitching performance of the weekend, with Kannon Carr allowing just two hits while striking out four in 5.1 innings of work to move to 5-1 on the year. Manning West didn't allow a hit and struck out six over the final 3.2 innings to earn his first save of the season. Kansas held West Virginia to only two hits.

Kansas led 1-0 after seven innings of play, but added six runs in the final two innings. Derek Cerda hit a three-run homer to make it 4-0 in the eighth before the Jayhawks scored three insurance runs on four hits in the ninth.

"Great weekend, I'm so proud of the guys," Fitzgerald said following the sweep. "I thought our preparation was great and our brains were awesome coming into this. Obviously, we really pitched and had a bunch of timely hitting and played really clean defense. More than anything, I thought our guys played with complete and total freedom and confidence. They enjoyed all 27 innings, which is something we always set out to do. They were amazing."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• After five scoreless innings, Kansas got on the board in the top of the sixth. Brady Ballinger doubled to lead off the inning, but remained at second with two outs until Dariel Osoria came through with a two-out RBI single into right field.
• The Jayhawks added to the lead with a three-run home run off the bat of Cerda in the top of the eighth inning. Brady Counsell reached on a fielder's choice and Osoria got a two-out double to put two runners in scoring position. Cerda then took the second pitch of his at-bat deep to left field for his ninth home run of the season, putting Kansas up 4-0.
• Sawyer Smith led off the top of the ninth with his ninth home run of the season, going deep to right field and pushing the Jayhawks lead to 5-0. Chase Diggins and Ballinger both singled to put runners at the corners for Tommy Barth, who came through with an RBI double to left, making it 6-0. Ballinger would later score on a wild pitch as KU extended its advantage to 7-0.
• West Virginia (40-13, 19-9 Big 12) managed just a double in the second inning and a single in the sixth for its only two hits of the day.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Kannon Carr (5-1)
Final line: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
Loss: Jack Kartsonas (6-2)
Final line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 SO
Save: Manning West (1)
Final line: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO

SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME

20 BIG 12 WINS AND A SWEEP ?? pic.twitter.com/ehxpJUOgfO
— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) May 17, 2025

QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
"I think the key is keeping it simple. If you look at how we played this weekend, it was simple. We did hit some home runs, but it's not like we hit seven a game and launched everything. We played really clean baseball. Situationally, we hit and did a nice job of moving runners and scoring them when we had our chances. The pitchers executed inside the strike zone and then we played clean defense. I think the key is that we continue to believe, continue to have confidence and then continue to enjoy it. If you can't enjoy these games, then you picked the wrong sport. This is awesome to be playing meaningful games right now." – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald

"My defense, that's what was really working right. I got a lot of ground balls and a lot of popups. My defense stepped up and did their job and that just helped me do my job even better." – Kannon Carr

"This is my first year with the program, but just being here this year I can tell how much Fitz has changed and grown this program from where it was at. I could not be prouder of the guys that I'm playing with." – Kannon Carr

"It feels amazing to be a part of it. I came from a small school from Oklahoma and came to Kansas. I trusted the coaching staff and everything that they have done for the team this year. It feels amazing to be a part of it." – Derek Cerda

• Kansas improved to 42-14 this season and finished 20-10 in conference play. The 42 wins are the third most in a season in program history behind 43 wins in 2006 and 45 wins in 1993.
• Kansas finished with its most wins ever in a regular season in school history.
• Kansas finished with its most conference wins in a season in program history.
• Kansas won seven Big 12 series in a season for the first time in program history.
• Kansas recorded five Big 12 series sweeps for the first time in school history.
• Kansas has a school-record 20 road wins this season.
• Kansas has tied the school record with its eighth consecutive road wins. The Jayhawks previously set the record in 1978 and 1981.
• Kansas has 22 road/neutral wins this season, which is the most since 2014 when the Jayhawks had a school record 23 wins away from Lawrence.
• Kansas recorded its Big 12-leading seventh shutout of the season. The seven shutouts are the most in a season since 2013 (nine shutouts). West Virginia had not been shutout this season entering the series.
• Kansas swept a three-game series on the road against a Top 25 team for the first time since Feb. 14-16, 2003 at #3 LSU.
• Kansas won a series against a Top 25 team for the first time since March 8-10 vs. #3 TCU.
• Kansas swept a series against a Top 25 team for the first time since March 9-11, 2018 vs. #20 St. Johns.
• Kansas won a series against a Top 25 team on the road for the first time since April 7-9, 2023 at #19 West Virginia.
• Kansas has a program-record 98 home runs this year. The Jayhawks hit a home run in of the last 14 regular season games.
• Cerda hit his ninth home run of the season.
• Smith also connected on his ninth home run of the year.
• Ballinger, Osoria and Smith each finished with multiple hits on the day as Kansas. Ballinger finished 3-for-4 with a double and one run scored, while Osoria and Smith each had two hits and one RBI.
• Carr had his second-longest outing of the season, going 5.1 innings and allowing just two hits with four strikeouts. He's struck out at least four batters in consecutive outings and seven times in Big 12 play. Carr improved to 5-1 on the year, picking up his second win in Big 12 play and the first since a 7.0 inning outing at Arizona State on March 22.
• West earned his first save of the season with 3.2 no-hit innings on the hill. He recorded six strikeouts, his second highest total of the season and most since striking out seven in 4.0 innings of action against Baylor on March 16.

UP NEXT
With the win, Kansas secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship. The Jayhawks have earned a first round bye and will open up play in the quarterfinal round of the event, which takes place on Thursday, May 22 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT and the game will air on ESPNU. The full bracket for the tournament will be released following the conclusion of all regular season games.