Usually, when the words West Virginia and national championship are mentioned in the same conversation, it's always a discussion of what could be and how the te
Usually, when the words West Virginia and national championship are mentioned in the same conversation, it's always a discussion of what could be and how the team, in whatever sport, can build towards it.
For the Mountaineer baseball team, it's not about the future. It's right in front of them. If they can win three straight in Omaha next weekend or bounce back after a loss and win four, they will be representing the left side of the bracket in the championship best-of-three series. Are they a legit threat?
Of course, they are. I think that's not even the question anymore. It's more about why this group is so good and what gives them a chance to be the last team standing when it's all said and done. There is nothing that fazes this team, and that's a direct product of them buying into the attitude and approach of their head coach, Steve Sabins.
It doesn't matter if they are up 16 like we saw on Saturday against Cal Poly or down three with only three outs to work with in an elimination game — they just keep coming at you and take it one pitch at a time. Many have described this team as "death by 1,000 paper cuts," and it's the best way to explain what WVU baseball is to someone who hasn't watched them all year.
They string hits together, bunt, move runners over, force chaos on the bases, and constantly manufacture runs. They beat you without you even realizing it. With this being their first trip to Omaha, you, as a Mountaineer Fan, may be worried about how they will handle the pressure. Trust me, pressure is not what will get to this team.
Steve Sabins will have this group focused and ready to go. And no matter what happens at the beginning or end of a game, they will keep scrapping until the final out is recorded. Not every team that reaches Omaha has a true ace. Most of them do, but sometimes a team is carried to the College World Series by its offense.
The Mountaineers are as balanced as it gets, and they have the luxury of having two aces on their pitching staff in Chansen Cole and Maxx Yehl. Cole may not have overpowering stuff, but his sinker, changeup, and slider form a dynamic pitch mix that consistently misses barrels.
Sabins has to feel good knowing that regardless of who he throws in game one, he'll have just as good a chance to win game two with one of those two dudes on the bump. Oh, and it also helps to have a Swiss Army Knife in Ian Korn and reliable high-leverage guys like Reese Bassinger and Carson Estridge. Every team is going to have a solid top half of the order.
But right now, I'm not sure if there is a better group of 7-8-9 hitters in the country than Brodie Kresser, Ben Lumsden, and Tyrus Hall. What that trio did not only popped on the stat sheet in postseason play, but also played a major factor in them even being in this position.
If you think back to the Sunday night game against Kentucky, it started with those three due up at the top of the ninth, down by three runs. Kresser always gives hard-fought at-bats, Lumsden is unbelievably sensational in the postseason for whatever reason and can draw a ton of walks, and Tyrus Hall can make pitchers pay if they don't respect his power and leave something out over the heart of the plate.
If this trio continues to swing a hot bat, it's going to make life extremely difficult on opposing pitchers and coaches trying to find a spot in the order where they can string together some outs and not allow crooked numbers. Every team that truly has a chance to win it all almost always has to have a star player who consistently comes up with big plays in the big moment. Everyone points to Gavin Kelly's bat and rightfully so.
I mean, how could you not? The dude is batting .384 with 17 homers and 57 RBI on the season. But what goes a little under the radar is his defense, be it behind the plate or at second base. Sure, he is always coming up with clutch hits that either keep that momentum rolling or get WVU's offense going, but he's also stealing strikes at important times and making incredibly athletic plays at second to steal an out.
Having one of the best players in the country on your team is a huge bonus. Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsSchuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast.
The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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