WVU Baseball

WVU Baseball Mentioned as Sleeper College World Series Threat

Published

2 months ago

February 15, 2024

WVU Baseball was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 this season, a notable exception from the preseason Top 25 polls despite returning one of the best players in the country in JJ Wetherholt as they look to build on a receiving a share of the 2023 regular season Big 12 title.

This Mountaineers’ core is no stranger to being overlooked, as they were picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference last season after being a notable NCAA Tournament snub in 2022… but not everyone is doubting West Virginia this season.

Teddy Cahill, a national writer for Baseball America, one of the six major publications covering collegiate baseball, cited the Mountaineers as a team who could make run at their first-ever College World Series appearance this season.

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The story begins on Friday…#HailWV pic.twitter.com/NZwjJTeqKn
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) February 14, 2024

“This year could be the season of their breakthrough,” Cahill said. “It starts with shortstop JJ Wetherholt, the reigning Big 12 player of the year and last season’s batting champion. WVU has plenty of big arms on the mound, and while they’re a bit light on Big 12 starting experience, the foundation is there for a strong pitching staff.

Randy Mazey’s Impact

“It also gets the added motivation of this being the final season for coach Randy Mazey, who is retiring following his 12th season at the program’s helm,” Cahill continued. “This could be a storybook sendoff.”

Mazey’s impact on the program’s fortunes can’t be overstated. Wetherholt talked during his introductory preseason press conference about just how much his coach means to him and the rest of the players, referring to him as like a second dad.

In a sport like baseball where the mental game and intangible factors play a massive role, that type of motivation could be huge for the Mountaineers, just like Mazey’s guidance has been for all these years.

The 2024 WVU Baseball season kicks off on Friday, February 16 when the Mountaineers travel to Florida to take on Stetson.