West Virginia baseball finally punched its ticket to Omaha on Saturday, but the celebration came with a side of emergency room visits. While the Mountaineers were busy dismantling Cal Poly 17-1 at Kendrick Family Ballpark to secure their first-ever Men’s College World Series berth, Mother Nature was busy tearing up the parking lot. A sudden, violent thunderstorm rolled through Morgantown, turning a pre-game tailgate into a chaotic hazard zone.
It got ugly fast. High winds ripped through the Mountaineer Athletic Club’s outdoor setup, weaponizing a massive tent canopy. Five people ended up in the hospital. One spectator tried to anchor a flying tent with sheer muscle. It didn’t work. According to local reports, the casualty list included one person with broken legs, another pinned beneath a metal pole, and several others trapped under heavy, collapsing canvas. Inside the stadium, the wind claimed another victim: an elderly man blown clean off a wall, falling over ten feet.
First responders swarmed the scene. WVU officials put out the standard, somber press release thanking the paramedics and wishing everyone well, promising they are keeping tabs on the local hospitals. It’s the usual corporate damage control, but the injuries are real enough.
The storm eventually passed. The game resumed. The Mountaineers absolutely slaughtered Cal Poly to sweep the super regional. Now, they head to the College World Series to face Troy, another tournament rookie. They got their historic win. But five fans paid for it in blood and broken bones.
