Naukot, Tait and Baseball Team Named Student-Athletes of the Week

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the NCAA Super Regionals, freshman Joy Naukot, graduate student Sarah Tait and the baseball team have been named the WVU Student-Athletes of the Week, presented by University Apartments, respectively.
 
The pair of track and field athletes punched their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 29 and 31, at the NCAA East First Rounds in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
Naukot qualified for the national championship by finishing eighth in the women’s 10,000 meters with a time of 32:51.33. Tait went on to earn her bid to Eugene after winning the third heat of the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:42.14, finishing third overall.  
 
The Mountaineers went 3-0 as they swept through the Clemson Regional. WVU defeated Kentucky, 4-3, in game one before defeating host and No. 11-overall seed Clemson, 9-6, to advance to the regional final. In the final, the Mountaineers and Wildcats met once again with West Virginia coming out on top, 13-12.

Sophomore Armani Guzman was named the Regional MVP after going 8-for-12 with six RBI in three games, including the game-winning hit in the eighth inning against Kentucky on Sunday.

It is the second consecutive season the Mountaineers have won a regional after taking the Tucson Regional title in 2024. Next up is the Super Regional round with the Mountaineers either heading to No. 6 LSU or playing at home against Little Rock.

This Week in Baseball: West Virginia will play in its second straight Super Regional this weekend … the opponent, location, and schedule is to be determined … the Mountaineers will either play at No. 6 LSU or at home against Little Rock … the Tigers and Trojans play in a winner-take-all game seven in Baton Rouge, Monday night at 9 p.m.

 

Last Week in Baseball: The Mountaineers went 3-0, winning the NCAA Clemson Regional … the Mountaineers defeated Kentucky, 4-3, in the opener … sophomore Armani Guzman hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth … redshirt senior Griffin Kirn threw 7.1 innings with seven strikeouts while allowing three runs … in game two against Clemson, the Mountaineers had to rally again, winning 9-6 … senior Brodie Kresser had four hits … Guzman tied the game in the eighth with an RBI double before WVU scored four in the ninth to take the lead, getting the game-winning hit from junior Sam White … in the regional final, the Mountaineers had two six-run innings, including the eighth to win 13-12 … Guzman had four hits, including the game-winner in the eighth, and three RBI … junior Ben Lumsden drove in four runs while freshman Gavin Kelly drove in three … junior Logan Sauve hit a home run and had two RBI.

Notes: The Mountaineers advance to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second time in program history and second consecutive season … Guzman was named the Clemson Regional MVP after going 8-for-12 with six RBI in three games … Sauve, Kresser, and Kirn joined Guzman on the Region All-Tournament Team … the Mountaineers rallied in all three victories, scoring the winning run in the ninth inning in the first two games and the eighth inning on Sunday … Sauve has homered in three straight regionals … WVU extended its program record for wins to 44 with the three victories this weekend … the Mountaineers are looking to make their first trip to the College World Series in program history with two wins next weekend.

 

This week in Track and Field: West Virginia will have the week off before sending freshman Joy Naukot and graduate student Sarah Tait to compete in the women’s 10,000 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 11-14, respectively.

 

Last week in Track and Field: The Mountaineers had two athletes qualify for the national championship at the NCAA East First Rounds on May 28-31 in Jacksonville, Florida … Naukot punched her ticket to Eugene, Oregon on May 29, finishing eighth in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:51.33 … Tait cliched her bid to the national championship by winning the third heat of the steeplechase in 9:42.14, finishing third overall.

 

Notes: Naukot ranks No. 8 nationally in the 10,000 meters, after posting a career best time of 32:21.84 at the Raleigh Relays on March 27 … Tait checks in at No. 7 nationally in the steeplechase after notching a career best of 9:37.62 on April 16 at the Bryan Clay Invitational.