When West Virginia joined the Big 12, nights like Thursday were probably not on the minds of many.
More than a decade later, winning has become the new normal for West Virginia baseball, and that transformation has helped vault them to being one of the top programs in the country, according to head coach Steve Sabins.
"It's incredible. I just want to thank everybody that's been part of this, everybody that's into this, everybody that's helped build this thing. Coach [Randy Mazey] was in the foyer when I walked out and gave me a big hug. What's happened here over the course of the last decade is incredible. It's transformational to a state, to a community, obviously to this program," Sabins said.
Mazey and Sabins are two of the architects of West Virginia baseball. Sabins was tasked with carrying on Mazey's legacy this spring, and he did so in a record-setting way.
"Congrats to the Mountaineers! Big 12 champs! Most people have no idea how hard it is to be the best team in this league. What a great season so far. Let’s keep going from here," Mazey said in a post on social media.
With one more win, West Virginia would set a record for wins in a single season with 41 and they will also be headed to their fourth NCAA Tournament in the last six seasons of it being held.
"We've won two Big 12 regular season titles in the last three years. And so in 2023 and 2025, winning Big 12 titles in West Virginia, you asked me that question. I said, I'll take it. But if I had told you that would have been the case 10 years ago, you would have laughed at us. And so the people that are part of this program, from student managers, to coaches, to players, to alumni, to media, to sports information, to athletic training, strength and conditioning, and everybody in between, it's remarkable what has happened here," Sabins said.
Sabins and West Virginia have started to put themselves on the national map as one of the premier programs in the northern part of the country. Sabins believes that and said the growth of WVU's baseball program is second to none in recent memory.
"It is unparalleled. There is no other program in the country that, if you look over the last 10 to 15 years of where it started to where it is now and what's being accomplished, this is the fastest and greatest growth of a program in the nation, bar none. And that's just the facts of the matter. And so to be able to win a title and put the cherry on top is even better. But we just have a lot of work to do. Everything's in front of us, and we'll keep working to try to win ball games and go as far as we can," Sabins said.
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