West Virginia baseball team reaches CWS for first time in history
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 11, 2026, 5:36 PM
Last updated Jun 11, 2026
West Virginia is set to compete in the College World Series for the first time, facing Troy on Friday. The Mountaineers' journey to this point began with a pivotal decision in 2011 to support their baseball program amid conference changes. Under coach Randy Mazey and later Steve Sabins, the team transitioned from a struggling program to one that achieved historic milestones, including a record 45 wins this season and strong performances in NCAA competitions over recent years. The Mountaineers are recognized for their power-hitting and speed on the bases, emphasizing their readiness for the upcoming challenge in Omaha.
- •West Virginia faces Troy in its CWS debut on Friday.
- •The Mountaineers recorded 45 wins this season, a school record.
- •Randy Mazey's vision for the program began in 2012.
- •The team has consistently improved since joining the Big 12.
- •Oliver Luck's support in 2011 was pivotal for the program's future.
- 5:36 PMYahoo Sports — Mountaineers' ascent to CWS started after fortuitous decision to keep program after entry to Big 12
"Oliver Luck had a decision to make in the fall of 2011, a few weeks after the Big 12 announced the addition of West Virginia effective the following year. Should he recommend dropping what had been a mediocre Big East baseball program or commit to giving the Mountaineers what they needed to be competitive going forward in one of the sport's top conferences? “Obviously, I was biased toward the latter,” Luck, the school's athletic director at the time, said this week.
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