By Bill Nestor
The West Virginia University baseball team is on the cusp of swimming into uncharted waters. First year coach Steve Sabins will need to slip on his mask and snorkel because he is about to go deep with one more monumental triumph. This article was penned just previous to the Super Regional clash with Louisiana State University, which could be a true difference-maker in Mountaineer baseball program history.
There are three coaches that have guided WVU to within two wins of its first trip to the College World Series. Last season, in his last at the helm of the program, long-time skipper Randy Mazey led the Mountaineers on an incredible journey. It was a storybook season that fell just short of its ultimate goal. Mazey chased the dream from 2013 to 2024, giving his best effort a year ago.
Before Mazey, it was Greg Van Zant. Van Zant was a player and then a coach at west Virginia. He spent 26 years with the program, the last 18 as Head Coach. In 1996, the Mountaineers gained traction, defeating a pair of nationally ranked opponents. It was the first time in nearly a decade and a half since a WVU baseball team had accomplished that feat. Some key players on that squad were a trio of Harrison County standouts, Washington Irving’s Chris Swaney, Bridgeport’s Joe McNamee, and Matt McKinney. The ’96 squad would go on to win the Big East Tournament and win the first two games of the Atlantic Regional. It was only the second season as the main man for Van Zant and he hadn’t had enough time to build up enough pitching depth. Even then, the Mountaineers found themselves in the winners’ bracket, playing a third consecutive day against host Clemson, and then a fourth consecutive against Tennessee This led to back-to-back setbacks and an abrupt end to the season.
Sabins managed to have a better record in his first year as the Top Cat on Campus with a 36 and 24 mark. Van Zant was 18 and 32 his first year and 33 and 25 in his magical second season. Mazey was 33 and 26 and did an impressive job turning around the program, which had suffered a 23 and 32 season the year prior
Many die-hard fans will say that Mazey had set the table for Sabins making this season’s run a little easier. Sure there was, and is, a ton of talent on this year’s roster. But in order to win the big time games that are pressure packed at this time of year, a skipper needs to be special and Sabins has that Kenny Rogers touch.
You have to know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em. Case in point was pulling ace jack Kartsonas versus Clemson. Reliever Ben McDougal (from Bridgeport) would eventually get the strikeout to preserve the win. The key win propelled WVU on to then defeat Kentucky and at the same time extract a little revenge for the 96 team.
By the way, all three wins at Clemson were of the comeback variety, showing both Sabins and his players have what it takes to get the job done!
That will do it for now! Until next week . . . take care and God Bless!!
