Steve Sabins Vocalizes Logical Next Step, Big Goal for WVU Baseball

Still riding the high of leading WVU baseball to the College World Series for the first time in school history, Steve Sabins appeared on Pat McAfee’s show on Monday.

When asked about what the 2026 season does for the future of West Virginia baseball, Sabins wasted no time in expressing the logical next step for the Mountaineers.

As he often has, Sabins detailed the progression of the program and why the last five years have been so historic.

“We’ve been the best kept secret in College Baseball. Only us and North Carolina have been to three consecutive Super Regionals,” said Sabins.

He then added to his confidence with a “we firmly believe that we can win a National Championship here” comment. 

“It was a blast to see those kids playing at the highest level.. They performed at their best on the biggest stage.. There’s so much passion for baseball here.”

Sabins also put his entire journey in perspective after being eliminated by North Carolina last week.

“I’m just really lucky, I got an opportunity when I was 27 years old, had no recruiting experience, I had been to West Virginia once and Coach Mazey took a shot on me as a young guy with energy…”

He then touched on what the ride has been like and why he’s enjoyed every bit of it, the ups and the downs and the adversity as much as the big wins and trophies.

“You become really connected to a place and really connected with those people. So just really lucky to be able to go through the ups and the downs…and the adversity and then the big wins and the sticking together with these kids.”

Steve Sabins Puts His Full WVU Journey in Perspective After College World Series

In his first season as head coach in 2025, replacing Randy Mazey, Sabins led the Mountaineers to a 44-16 overall record while winning the Big 12 regular season title and advancing to the the NCAA Super Regionals for the second consecutive season. WVU was in the top 25 throughout the year, finishing in the top 15 in multiple polls at season’s end.

Sabins followed his special first season with even greater success in year two, leading West Virginia back to the NCAA Tournament despite finishing as the runner-up for both the Big 12’s regular season and conference tournament.

WVU finished 2026 at 47-17, capturing an NCAA Regional title for the third-straight year, the second consecutive under Sabins, and then secured the school’s first-ever NCAA Super Regional trophy and trip to the College World Series. West Virginia went 2-2 in Omaha, beating Troy two times, including an historic 12-0 shutout, and falling twice to North Carolina.

To his credit, Sabins was named the 2026 National Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Find more coverage of the WVU baseball program at WV Sports Now.