When West Virginia hit its lowest point of the season, utility player Armani Guzman was just getting started.
A blowout loss to Arizona in the Big 12 tournament semifinals sent regular-season champion West Virginia to its ninth loss in 13 games — a momentum-killing stretch at the worst possible time heading into the NCAA tournament.
Nearly forgotten from that game was a pair of late singles by Guzman in a pinch-hitting role. First-year coach Steve Sabins noticed, promoting the sophomore to a starting spot in the regional.
It was the spark the Mountaineers sorely needed.
Batting last in the lineup, Guzman went 8 for 12 with six RBIs in three games and was named regional MVP. The Mountaineers (44-14) beat host Clemson once and Kentucky twice to advance to their second straight super regional starting Saturday at No. 6 national seed LSU (46-15).
"I bet there’s never been a nine-hole hitter been a tournament MVP," Sabins said. “What he did was epic."
Guzman had shown a flash of stardom earlier this season. In an April 1 game at Ohio State, he reached over the right-field wall to take away a home run, then threw out a runner at first base for a double play. He is West Virginia's third-best hitter with a .337 average and leads the Mountaineers with 16 stolen bases.
But from April 11 to May 22, Guzman was used sparingly as a defensive replacement and went just 1 for 8 at the plate.
Guzman stayed patient until his turn came up again.
“His mentality has been so spot on,” Sabins said. “You want to talk about a confident guy that’s not arrogant. He is in such a strong place competing right now that he knows he’ll have success.”
Making his first start in nearly a month, Guzman hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth inning of a 4-3 win over Kentucky in the regional opener. In the clinching 13-12 win over the Wildcats on Sunday, the Mountaineers overcame deficits of 6-1 and 12-7. Guzman went 4 for 5 and his single in the eighth inning drove in the go-ahead run.
“I was a guy who didn’t play the last month and a half, and I’m here in this position," he said. “I think it’s a big confidence boost to each guy. The confidence that we have in each other is huge.”
Being used on defense in the outfield and at third base while often being inserted as a pinch hitter during the season, “I just try to be an athlete," Guzman said. "Sabs talks about it all the time. His job is to place us where he thinks we best fit. My job is to play the game. So that’s all I do.”
As good as Guzman played, West Virginia needed all the gutsy individual performances it could get in the regional.
“That’s just the type of group we are,” said catcher Logan Sauve, who went 5 for 15 in the series. “We all stuck for each other and played for each other and wished for the kid behind us to do better than what we just did.”
Griffin Kirn threw 117 pitches over seven innings in the opener, then returned two days later to pitch the ninth inning in relief and earn the save in the clinching win.
Utility player Ben Lumsden, a starter a year ago who managed just four hits previously this season, started in place of veteran Grant Hussey at first base and had a breakout series in his home state with three hits and five RBIs.
Lumsden and Guzman “bought into the fact that regardless of results, the only path forward is to work,” Sabins said.
As a rookie head coach, Sabins, who took over for the retired Randy Mazey, saw new experiences throughout the season.
West Virginia opened with 13 straight wins, captured its first outright Big 12 regular-season championship and set a school record for wins.
But the final month of the season, when the losses were piling up, was mystifying. So team and individual meetings were held. Videos were reviewed. Highlight films were emphasized.
“We threw things into a fire and started over,” Sabins said.
He even tried to figure out different ways to conduct practices.
"You try to keep it light and intense at the same time, and you try to push the right buttons every step of the way,” Sabins said.
West Virginia's 24-5 road record is the best among teams in the super regionals.
At Clemson, the visitors' bullpen is pinned in the left-field corner just a feet away from fans, and West Virginia's pitchers heard relentless banter from the stands.
“I was thankful we played at Clemson because I thought that environment at Clemson was loud and pretty raucous,” Sabins said. "You had those kids in the bullpen that were like touching our guys warming up. So I think our guys will be prepared in that avenue.
“Our team will go into anybody that we play for the remainder of the season believing that we can win the game if we play good baseball.”
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
FILE - West Virginia infielder Ben Lumsden warms up before an NCAA regional college baseball game against Kentucky, May 30, 2025, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)
FILE - West Virginia catcher Logan Sauve, left, fist bumps Griffin Kirn (54) during an NCAA regional college baseball game against Kentucky, May 30, 2025, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)
FILE - West Virginia utility Armani Guzman (5) celebrates after an NCAA regional college baseball game against Kentucky, May 30, 2025, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Puka Nacua stepped into the huddle with the Los Angeles Rams trailing by four with 2:38 left, the home crowd roaring and his team's season on the line.
He never thought twice about losing.
“Never a doubt — No. 9 is with us,” Nacau said with a wide smile in reference to the team’s 37-year-old All-Pro quarterback, Matthew Stafford.
Stafford calmly led the Rams 71 yards by completing 6 of 7 passes — the only incompletion coming on a drop by Davante Adams — before capping it with a perfectly-placed 19-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left, lifting the Rams to a dramatic, come-from-behind 34-31 win over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.
Stafford finished 24 of 42 for 304 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception, while Nacua had 10 receptions for 111 yards and two total touchdowns as the Rams (13-5), who were 10 1/2-point favorites, advanced to the divisional round.
“You see him out there, he just has the best composure of anyone I have ever seen,” Parkinson said. “He knows that we are going to go make it happen and we completely trust him. ... I knew he was going to have to throw a back-shoulder ball — and that was a perfect ball. Like perfect. It couldn’t have been placed any better.”
Stafford credited his calmness to his 17 years of NFL experience.
“I have been in that spot a lot in my life — and I love that spot,” Stafford said. “I would rather be me having to go out there with our offense and do it then watch from the sideline. You can make it stressful or you can make it calm and collected, and think the latter is what we were today.”
Bryce Young threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for Carolina (8-10), which finished its second season under coach Dave Canales by losing four of its final five games.
Jalen Coker had career highs with nine receptions for 134 yards with a touchdown and Chuba Hubbard ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers lost in their first playoff appearance since the 2017 season.
“There is such a mix of emotions right now in the locker room, from guys being proud of what we accomplished and where we got, to being sick about the opportunity that was right there in front of us,” Canales said. “And that is going to sting.”
The Panthers, who beat the Rams 31-28 on this same field six weeks ago, fell behind 14-0 early but stormed back to take a 24-20 lead on Hubbard’s second touchdown of the run game early in the fourth quarter.
Stafford, who was selected as an All-Pro earlier in the day, led the Rams back down on the field and found Kyren Williams for a 13-yard touchdown to regain the lead.
Los Angeles appeared to be in charge after getting a stop on defense, giving Stafford the ball back.
But a holding penalty put the Rams behind the sticks and forced a punt, which Isaiah Simmons blocked to set the Panthers up the Rams 30.
Four plays later, Young found Coker in the left corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown to give Carolina a 31-27 lead with 2:39 left, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
But the celebrations quickly turned to silence after Stafford gave the Rams the lead again.
Carolina’s last attempt to move into field-goal range ended when Jimmy Horn dropped a fourth-down pass from Young.
“Yeah, total team effort,” said Stafford, a leading candidate for league MVP after leading the league in yards passing and touchdowns. “Obviously had some mistakes along the way. I turned it over, we had a punt blocked, didn’t score before the half when we probably should have. So, a lot to clean up, but found a way to win it late.”
Carolina was hoping the return of former quarterback Cam Newton to Bank of America Stadium to hit the “Keep Pounding” drum before the game would give the Panthers a little extra mojo early, but things didn’t start well.
After the Rams' defense came up with a stop on fourth down at midfield on Carolina’s opening drive, Stafford quickly moved the offense downfield and found Nacua for a 14-yard touchdown over the middle for a 7-0 lead.
Nacua made it 14-0 on a 5-yard run following Young’s interception.
Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second-longest TD run of his career.
The Rams had a chance to build on the lead, but Nacau dropped a potential third TD on a pass down the right sideline from Stafford just before halftime.
Rams coach Sean McVay admitted it wasn’t his team’s best effort and there is plenty to clean up this week.
“We are going to need to be able to play better if we expected to advance,” McVay said.
But Rams defensive lineman Kobie Turner said rectifying those mistakes is something that can be addressed on Sunday.
“There are no style points in the playoffs,” Turner said. “It's all about survive and advance.”
Stafford surpassed Kurt Warner for the most postseason passing yards and completions in Rams history.
Rams: Await their opponent in the divisional round.
Panthers: Season over.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) makes a touchdown catch past Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott (21) during the first half of an NFL Wild Card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) is tackled by Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson, center left, celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) is tackled by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) runs after a catch during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) is tackled by Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom (56) during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson (84) dives into the end zone for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
