Storm injures five at West Virginia-Cal Poly regional in Morgantown

A storm ripped through the fan area at Kendrick Family Ballpark while West Virginia’s NCAA regional game with Cal Poly was already in a weather delay, leaving five people hospitalized and exposing spectators to winds strong enough to tear up a tent. The central safety question now hangs over Randy’s Ridge in Morgantown: how did a major postseason event leave fans and staff in the path of a fast-moving wind burst that turned a game-day gathering into an emergency?

Video from the scene showed rain and wind reaching 40 mph as a tent was blown apart, with one person lifted into the air while trying to hold it down and another rolling uncontrollably down a hill. West Virginia University police confirmed that five people were transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the wind event.

The incident happened Saturday, June 6, 2026, during the NCAA Morgantown Super Regional baseball tournament game between West Virginia and Cal Poly. The weather delay lasted roughly 90 minutes before play resumed, but the storm had already done its damage in the area occupied by fans near the ballpark.

West Virginia athletics spokesperson Michael Fragale said the school moved to check on those affected after the storm. “We have been in touch with health-care providers in the area to ensure those affected are supported in their recovery,” Fragale said.

Fan Keith Hill, speaking to WAJR radio, described trying to brace a tent pole with a cement block when the gust hit. “It just started sliding really hard, and people got caught up in the ropes and the poles,” Hill said. His account underscored how quickly the setup failed as wind and rain swept through the crowd space at Randy’s Ridge.

After the delay, West Virginia returned to the field and defeated Cal Poly 17-1, clinching a trip to the College World Series for the first time in program history. The celebration, however, was set against a stark reminder that large sporting events remain vulnerable when severe weather arrives before the crowd can be fully protected.

The storm’s reach was not limited to Morgantown. It also reportedly left thousands of people without power in the nearby Pittsburgh area, adding to the sense of a broader weather system that disrupted both the game and the region around it.