The 2026 Mountain West Baseball Championship kicks off Thursday, May 21 and will last until Sunday, May 24. Six teams will travel to Mesa, Arizona to compete in the double-elimination tournament for the Mountain West Title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament. 

In their second and final season in the MWC, the Washington State Cougars have made the MWC tournament for the first time. A year ago, WSU finished last in the conference with a conference record of 11-19. The Cougs will compete for the automatic entry to the NCAA Tournament, a feat that the program has not accomplished since 2010. 

The rankings in the bracket were determined by the conference records against other MW teams. A six-game series win streak against conference foes like San Jose State, UNLV, New Mexico, Fresno State and Air Force propelled the Cougs into the second seed, earning them a bye on the first day of the tournament. 

On Friday, May 22, WSU will play its first game of the MWC tournament against the winner of Air Force versus UNLV. 

If the Cougs lose their first game, they will play one of Nevada, New Mexico or San Diego State, depending on which teams advance and do not advance. The tournament is double-elimination, meaning two losses end a team’s season. 

WSU will have to prepare for any of its conference opponents. Here’s a breakdown of how the Cougs have performed this season against the teams in the MWC tournament. 

Air Force (No. 3 Seed) 

Record vs WSU this season: 1-2

*WSU will play Air Force if they beat UNLV*

The Falcons are the most recent team WSU has faced in the tournament, losing a three-game series to the Cougs on the second weekend of May. One big concern for WSU jumps out from this series, and that is the depth and consistency of this bullpen. 

In games one and two, WSU blew out Air Force, outscoring them 25-6. But game three tells a different story. Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Cougs had a commanding 9-5 lead. August Richie entered the game for WSU and allowed all six batters he faced to reach base. When Richie was pulled, the game was already tied at 9-9 with two runners in scoring position. Ultimately, the Falcons were able to complete the comeback and beat WSU 10-9.

WSU could have very easily won this game. Richie has been a very reliable option out of the bullpen for the Cougs all season, but blowing a four-run lead without recording an out is a scary sight to see. The Cougar bullpen has gotten better later in the season, but will need strong outings late in games to silence opposing offenses.  

As a team, Air Force has been strong offensively, ranking top-five in the MWC in batting average, home runs and runs. They are led offensively by freshman infielder Wyatt Hanoian, who has tallied 60 hits, 45 RBI and 31 walks in 49 games this season. 

On the base paths, Air Force is extremely aggressive, ranking No. 12 in the NCAA with 138 stolen bases in 51 games this season. Cougar pitching will need to limit hits and walks to keep runners from making noise on the basepaths. 

One player for WSU to look out for is shortstop Ben Niednagel, who went 5-for-12 with two doubles and a home run against the Cougars earlier this month. 

UNLV (No. 6 Seed) 

Record vs WSU this season: 1-2

*WSU will play UNLV if they beat Air Force*

The Cougars and Rebels fought in a back-and-forth series in mid-April. This set of games occurred right as WSU was starting to hit its stride. 

Game one was a spectacular showing for the Crimson and Gray. Left-handed starter Nick Lewis dominated UNLV, allowing only one run over seven innings pitched. The offense gave Lewis run support early and often, scoring 13 runs in a 13-2 win for WSU. 

Game two was a completely different story, with UNLV dropping double-digit runs this time. Senior Griffin Smith struggled to get outs, allowing six runs through five and ⅓ innings pitched in a 12-3 win for UNLV. 

The rubber match of the series was a back-and-forth battle where WSU was able to come out on top. Pitching was once again a struggle for the Cougs, but two home runs off the bat of first baseman Ryan Skjonsby pushed WSU to a 9-8 victory. 

Outside of Lewis, starting pitching has been up and down all season for the Cougs. At times, Luke Meyers and Smith have been dominant, but in some games, they have struggled to get outs. Over the six-series win streak, they have both improved this season. 

UNLV has the best offense in the Mountain West statistically, ranking first in batting average, home runs, RBI and runs in the MWC. In the NCAA, they rank No. 14 in batting average and No. 12 in runs. Infielder Drew Barragan has had a special season, recording an OPS of 1.154 with 78 hits and 13 home runs this season. 

WSU pitching has shown at times that they can shut down special offenses like UNLV’s. If these two teams face off again, the Cougs will need better showings from Meyers and Smith if Lewis is unavailable. 

Nevada (No. 4 Seed) 

Record vs WSU this season: 2-1 

The reigning Mountain West champions faced off against WSU in late March in the second series at Bailey-Brayton Field. Nevada has a high-powered offense and will attack pitchers early and often. The Cougs dominated game one of the series 12-6, thanks to a dominant performance by Lewis. In game three, Nevada had a 12-run win of their own, recording 17 hits against WSU.

In game two, WSU had a chance to get the series win with runners on late in the game. In a close 4-3 match-up in the eighth, the bases were loaded for Kyler Northrop. A lineout to center field ended the inning. 

In the bottom of the ninth with the tying run on second, Ollie Obenour lined out to third base to end the game. WSU had opportunities to take the lead, but ultimately could not cash in. 

This series took place early on in the season, and well before the Cougs fell into their stride. This WSU team has gotten better and played cleaner throughout this season. The Cougs played their best baseball in the last month of the year. 

In game two, Gavin Roy recorded two errors that kept innings alive for the Wolfpack. Roy only recorded three errors in the 27 games following that game two performance. 

If these two teams do face off again, it will be a different WSU lineup facing Nevada. 

Nevada is still one of the better offenses in the MWC, with six qualified hitters batting over .300. They rank second in the MWC in team batting average, hits and home runs. 6-foot-7 outfielder, Jacob Doyle is tied for first in the MWC in home runs with 15. 

Their pitching is a completely different story, having the second-highest ERA in the MWC.

If these two foes face off again, WSU will need to take advantage of their pitching to keep pace with their high-powered offense. 

New Mexico (No. 5 Seed) 

Record vs WSU this season: 1-2 

On the last weekend of April, the Lobos lost a three-game series in Pullman. WSU outscored New Mexico 26-10 in the series.

Cougar starting pitching shone against the Lobos, with all three starters allowing three runs over six innings pitched. If WSU can get these kinds of performances from their starters in the MWC tournament, they will be a scary team to face. 

As for New Mexico, starting pitcher Ryan Castillo has put together a strong 2026 campaign. This season, the 6-foot-2 righty ranks third in the MWC in both ERA (4.04) and strikeouts (79). In his one matchup against the Cougs earlier this season, Castillo allowed three runs over six innings pitched in a 4-3 win for the Lobos. 

WSU will need to watch out for this righty if they see him for a second time this season in the tournament.

San Diego State (No. 1 Seed) 

Record vs WSU this season: 2-1

The No. 1 seed in the tournament won a three-game series against the Cougars in mid-March. The Aztecs have a very balanced team, being good both offensively and defensively.

Offensively, San Diego State has two hitters with double-digit home runs in Jake Jackson and Tyce Peterson. As a team, the Aztecs are third in the MWC in both hits and home runs.

In the series earlier this season, Max Farrell dominated the Cougs, recording two home runs and eight RBIs in the three-game set. This season, Farrell has seven home runs against Mountain West teams. 

Pitching has also been dominant this season for the Aztecs, with two pitchers in the top 10 in ERA in the MWC. Junior righties Bryce McKnight and Rohan Lettow both have had strong seasons. Lettow has recorded 90 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.42 in 14 starts this season. McKnight has racked up 51 strikeouts and two saves in 57 and ⅓ innings pitched this season. 

But keep in mind, WSU faced this team early in the season. The Cougs had not found their stride yet when they faced off against the Aztecs in March. 

The one game WSU was able to take from San Diego State was the game where Nick Lewis started. Lewis has been a nightmare for opposing MWC offenses to face, tallying an ERA of 2.87 in eight games against Mountain West teams. Out of those eight games, Lewis has recorded wins in seven of them. 

Lewis has proven he can go toe-to-toe with any offense in the conference, but WSU will need strong starting performances from Smith and Meyers too. 

Baseball is not a one-man show. It is a full team effort where every player will need to contribute and play their part. This Cougar team is special and what they showed in the last month of the season was fantastic. If they can continue this momentum into the tournament… watch out, Mountain West. 

WSU will play its first game of the tournament at 6:05 p.m. on Friday, May 22, at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.