# Kentucky to Face Must-Win Game Against West Virginia **Published:** 2026-06-01T03:06:58.000Z **Source:** [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/05/31/kentucky-faces-winner-take-all-on-monday-night/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-to-face-must-win-game-against-west-virginia MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Kentucky must win or go home Monday night after [West Virginia's improbable five-run ninth inning rally gave the Mountaineers an 11-9 victory](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/05/31/kentucky-faces-winner-take-all-on-monday-night/) in the Morgantown Regional on Sunday, forcing a winner-take-all contest at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The Wildcats, now 33-22 overall, were three outs away from claiming their third regional championship in four seasons when the Mountaineers mounted their comeback. [An error to open the ninth inning proved costly as West Virginia tied the game before Paul Schoenfeld's go-ahead two-run home run off the right field building sealed the dramatic victory](https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/baseball/d1/ncaa-baseball-regionals-live-updates-schedule-scores). Monday's regional final game is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and marks the latest chapter in an intense rivalry. The flagship schools have met four times in NCAA Tournament play over the past two seasons, with several contests decided by one or two runs. [Head coach Nick Mingione, who has guided Kentucky to three Super Regional appearances and the program's first-ever College World Series trip](https://ukathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/coach/nick-mingione/), will look to extend the Wildcats' tournament run. Mingione is 17-11 in NCAA Tournament play with a 15-5 record in regional rounds. Offensively, Kentucky received strong performances in Sunday's loss. Outfielder Jayce Tharnish went 3-for-5 with three runs and a home run, extending his hit streak to 28 consecutive games. First baseman Tyler Bell added 2-for-5 with two home runs, becoming the first Kentucky player to homer from both sides of the plate since 2024. Outfielder Braxton Van Cleave contributed 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Despite the loss, Kentucky must regroup quickly as the winner earns a Super Regional berth. The Mountaineers will look to advance to their third consecutive Super Regional, while the Wildcats seek to extend their fourth consecutive regional final appearance under Mingione's tenure. ## Sources - [UK Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/05/31/kentucky-faces-winner-take-all-on-monday-night/) - [NCAA Baseball regional live updates and scores](https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/baseball/d1/ncaa-baseball-regionals-live-updates-schedule-scores) - [Nick Mingione Kentucky Baseball Coach profile](https://ukathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/coach/nick-mingione/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from UK Athletics, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/05/31/kentucky-faces-winner-take-all-on-monday-night/.