What Happened

Saturday, June 6, 2026. Kendrick Family Ball Park. Morgantown, West Virginia.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was already in effect for Monongalia County when a canopy at a hillside area above the ballpark — known locally as Randy's Ridge — partially blew over, injuring multiple spectators. MECCA 911 confirmed to 12 News that multiple people were transported to the hospital, and the incident was officially classified as a mass casualty event.

No official count of injured or their conditions had been released as of Saturday evening.

The Scene

Randy's Ridge had become a phenomenon this week. Thousands of fans packed the hillside — it's free — to watch West Virginia University compete in the NCAA Baseball Super Regional against Cal Poly. It's a genuine community gathering. People brought tents, canopies, chairs.

Then the storm arrived.

A 12 News employee on the scene reported watching at least three ambulances respond. Metronews sports reporter Greg Carey, who was present, described it to WAJR: "Obviously it was a very scary situation and scene when the storm got going. It did not last very long, but it was in full force, and you could see multiple tents and canopies flying into the air and people basically trying to hold on for dear life, essentially."

In Their Own Words

James Sanders was sitting near the tent when it came down. He told WAJR: "We were just all sitting there looking at the baseball field, watching the wind blow and stuff, next thing we know, we hear the other big tent on the outside moving, and it started pushing us, and then it was just pretty much everybody protecting each other."

"It was probably only 30 seconds, but it was just pushing us over the hill."

Thirty seconds. That's all it took.

The Game Was Already Delayed

The game had been under a lightning delay since just after 3 p.m. Play eventually resumed less than two hours later, according to 12 News. The storm delay was NOT news to organizers — a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was officially in effect for the county.

The question is whether NCAA officials, WVU athletic staff, or local authorities had any protocol in place to clear the hillside viewing area during an active warning. Randy's Ridge is not inside the stadium. It's a public hillside. It attracts thousands. It's been drawing massive crowds all week.

What Mainstream Coverage Is Getting Wrong

Most outlets are treating this as a weather story. It's also a venue management and crowd safety story. When thousands of people congregate on a hillside under temporary canopies during a known severe weather event — with an active warning already issued — the question of who was watching out for those people becomes central.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is NOT a surprise. The National Weather Service issues those with lead time. The lightning delay on the game itself started "just after 3 p.m.," per 12 News. That means officials KNEW conditions were dangerous. The game was paused. Were spectators on the hillside notified? Were they directed to shelter?

No reporting so far has addressed that directly.

What We Don't Know Yet

As of Saturday evening, the specific number of injured had NOT been released. Their conditions were NOT confirmed. The precise cause of the canopy failure — wind speed, anchoring failure, both — was NOT determined.

Authorities told 12 News to "follow up at a later time." That's standard protocol at an active incident scene. More information is expected.

What Happened Next

Thousands of regular people showed up to support their team, for free, in the American tradition of community sports. They set up on a hillside, cheered their Mountaineers, and got slammed by a storm that official warnings said was coming.

Multiple people ended up in the hospital. A 911 agency called it a mass casualty event.

The weather did what weather does. Whether anyone with authority dropped the ball on getting those fans to safety before the storm hit — that question still needs answering.