MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Final yr was the primary time {that a} West Virginia College baseball workforce ever performed within the NCAA Tremendous Regionals, which suggests this yr would be the first time a workforce shall be following one which did.
And main them shall be its new coach, Steve Sabins.
Randy Mazey’s 12-year tenure as West Virginia’s baseball skipper concluded in 2024 about in addition to anybody round right here might have ever imagined.
After ending West Virginia’s 21-season NCAA Match drought in 2017 and serving as host for a regional at Monongalia County Ballpark in 2019 for the primary time because the Fifties, Mazey wrapped issues up by taking Mountaineer groups to back-to-back regionals for the primary time because the early Nineteen Sixties.
Historical past was made and now it’s Sabins who’s tasked with sustaining it, which may typically be harder than chasing it.
Sabins, visiting with media earlier this week by way of Zoom, mentioned it is all about sustaining momentum.
“That is the title of our recreation,” he defined. “It is about recruiting momentum. It is about season momentum. It is about getting the appropriate coaches in place. It is about getting the appropriate gamers in place. After I first obtained right here, we had been scrapping for momentum.
“I bear in mind speaking about the truth that we performed in a Huge 12 championship recreation, and that was what I used to be promoting on the telephone. ‘Hey, we obtained to the Huge 12 event championship recreation,'” he recalled. “We did not win it, however we obtained there. We obtained a brand new stadium going, and we’ll construct a weight room and a few cages. We had been speaking about constructing this indoor facility years in the past that we constructed, and we have a meal room coming.”
Subsequent, it was this system touchdown its first-ever nationwide recruit, Alek Manoah, now pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, internet hosting a regional in 2019, profitable a regional, qualifying for the Tremendous Regionals for the primary time ever final season after which having one other high draft decide in shortstop J.J. Wetherholt.
As soon as one field is checked, you progress on to the following one.
“You attempt to do some extra stuff that is by no means been achieved in program historical past,” Sabins defined. “I do not suppose there has ever been a top-25 recruiting class. We hadn’t been to a regional in 21 years. We hadn’t hosted a regional because the Fifties, and we hadn’t been to 2 regionals in back-to-back years because the (Nineteen Sixties), so it is form of one factor after one other, and you’re on the lookout for that subsequent factor that means that you can promote this system and to proceed the momentum.
“The reality is, I would not inform a 16-year-old recruit this, however on a scale with the national-level baseball applications, we have not completed rather a lot,” he admitted. “We’ve not been to Omaha. We’ve not hosted a Tremendous Regional, and that is what I inform our workers. Final yr was the perfect season at school historical past, which is unimaginable to be a part of, however is that sustainable? Can we do this once more? We do not know, however we’ll discover out. We’re all the time striving to do extra. What is the subsequent step? There’s a lot left to be achieved when you find yourself wanting on the large image. I feel that is what I deal with.”
What Sabins shouldn’t be centered on is being Randy Mazey 2.0.
Mazey was from a unique period of baseball and was used to doing way over head coaches sometimes do immediately. In some respects, he was a four-for-one coach as a result of his data and experiences had been so huge. Sabins is sensible sufficient to grasp that he is not wired that approach.
There are a lot of methods to run a profitable faculty baseball program, and Sabins goes to make the most of and belief the those that he introduced in to run their particular areas.
He explains.
“When (Mazey) obtained right here, teaching staffs had been smaller, and he actually relied on his personal experiences and expertise a ton as a result of coach Maze referred to as the pitches. He ran the offense. He made bullpen choices, and he actually ran the sport,” he mentioned. “This yr, coach (Justin) Oney will name the pitches. Coach (Christopher) Reilly will assist with choices earlier than the sport so far as who is offered and who’s going to pitch. I’ll run the offense. Coach (Jimmy) Roesinger will place the infielders. Coach (Drew) Hefner goes to assist the outfielders with some preparation stuff and coach (Jacob) Garcia will do the scouting studies.
“It’ll be much more various so far as the teaching side of it, counting on extra individuals contained in the group, in order that shall be a bit of completely different simply because there’s extra variation on the individuals who will have an effect within the recreation,” Sabins famous.
Though Sabins goes to method issues a bit of bit otherwise, he will not overlook a few of the necessary classes he realized from Mazey over the course of the final 10 years right here collectively, particularly, Mazey’s uncanny knack of accurately studying conditions and making necessary choices accordingly.
“I all the time joked with Maze as a result of I am a type-A persona, and Maze is fairly laid again and would not sweat the small stuff an excessive amount of,” Sabins laughed. “I am a bit of bit extra of an organizer and a planner and I am pulling my hair out, and he would say, ‘By no means decide till it’s a must to.’ I take into consideration that fairly a bit as a result of there are such a lot of choices sitting on this seat and also you need to let these issues unfold, whether or not that is naming a starter, choosing workers members, areas, journey, buses, meals or no matter it’s. You need to get as a lot data as you’ll be able to to make high quality choices.”
Now, every week away from its season-opening sequence at Jacksonville on Feb. 14, West Virginia is in a a lot completely different place than it was 12 years in the past when Mazey took over a program that was anticipated to be a Huge 12 backside dweller.
That by no means occurred, and immediately the Mountaineers are anticipated to be a Huge 12 title contender. The preseason coaches’ ballot introduced late final month had West Virginia fourth, under Oklahoma State, Arizona and TCU and forward of perennial NCAA Match groups Texas Tech and Arizona State.
Excellent Sport has West Virginia slotted No. 21 in its preseason ballot, whereas the Nationwide Collegiate Baseball Writers Affiliation picked the Mountaineers 29th.
West Virginia additionally earned 21 votes in USA Right now’s Preseason Coaches’ Ballot, which is usually comprised of SEC and ACC groups.
The expectations immediately are like they as soon as had been right here within the early Nineteen Sixties when Steve Harrick was writing the chapters to essentially the most profitable interval at school historical past.
“The expectations are superior,” Sabins mentioned. “We discuss it to our workforce on a regular basis. Expectations, exterior noise and exterior opinions, all these issues are a actuality. The polls and rankings are flattering. It means this system is doing properly.
“It is form of like Arizona State profitable the convention in soccer. Just about, no one is aware of if we’re good or not. We changed half of our workforce from final yr with switch portal and incoming gamers, so it is only a massively completely different workforce,” he added.
Sabins admits these issues are good, however what actually issues is what occurs out on the sector.
“It’s important to watch out what you ingest,” he mentioned. “In the event you fall in love with your self, you get your ass kicked. In the event you look forward, you get your ass kicked. In the event you get too labored up about what different individuals suppose, you find yourself getting your ass kicked.
“We’re simply attempting to remain the course, keep centered and get higher – all these issues that we discuss in our program on a regular basis, these are a very powerful issues,” he concluded.
