Five Hospitalized as Violent Winds Hurl Tents Through the Air at WVU Baseball Game

Severe thunderstorms tore through a West Virginia University baseball game on Saturday, hurling tents through the air and leaving five spectators injured as violent wind gusts ripped across the venue.

Kendrick Family Ballpark in Granville was packed with thousands of fans Saturday, their sights set on watching the Mountaineers secure a berth in Omaha. But dangerous storms forced a delay at the sold-out venue, temporarily putting those plans on hold.

During the weather delay, a powerful gust lifted a large tent and swept it across a nearby parking lot, sparking chaos outside the stadium.

The West Virginia University Police Department confirmed that five people were transported to a hospital for treatment following the incident.

The Mountaineers stood just one victory shy of clinching the program’s inaugural trip to the Men’s College World Series. Hundreds of supporters had gathered along Randy’s Ridge, the grassy hillside beyond Kendrick Family Ballpark where some of the team’s most devoted followers take in the action.

The popular hillside spot, lined with dozens of tents and packed with fans, descended into chaos as fierce gusts barreled through the sold-out stadium, launching tents skyward and sending spectators scrambling.

A heavy presence of first responders already stationed at the game rushed to provide immediate medical assistance to the wounded spectators.

James Sanders, who was on Randy’s Ridge when the mayhem erupted, described the scene as harrowing. “It was intense, and we went right into survival mode,” he said.

With severe weather alerts active and stadium staff urging attendees to evacuate and find shelter, Sanders said approximately 10 people had crowded beneath a small tent.

When a violent gust tore the large white Mountaineer Athletic Club tent loose, the massive structure hurtled directly toward their shelter.

“We were picking our chairs up and getting ready to leave, and then the gust came in and picked the tent up and then everything went sideways,” Sanders recounted.

Sanders was among roughly a dozen people trapped beneath the tent after the large white canopy crashed into them.

Sanders said the storm left multiple people injured, and first responders moved swiftly to aid those struck by the massive tent once the severe weather had subsided.

Once the delay ended, the Mountaineers returned to dominate the Cal Poly Mustangs, rolling to a commanding 17–1 victory that punched West Virginia University’s ticket to the Men’s College World Series for the first time in program history.

“While it was a great day for Mountaineer baseball, all of Mountaineer Nation’s thoughts are with those who were involved,” WVU Athletics said in a statement.

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