(Randy Mazey preseason Zoom conference)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — When Randy Mazey was hired to lead the WVU baseball program in the summer of 2012, he inherited a program that was picked last, unanimously, in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll the following spring.
Much has changed since the Mountaineers called Hawley Field home. Monongalia County Ballpark played host to an NCAA Regional in 2019 and Mazey welcomes back one of his most intact rosters as the 2021 season opens in two weeks.
“I don’t have a problem making them mad,” Mazey said. “I do that literally on a day-to-day basis. Making them mad is not the issue. West Virginia always fights for national respect. When you get some, it is like you have to reverse strategy and teach them that if you are going to be ranked that high, and people think that highly of you, then you can’t afford to take a day off.”
Most of Mazey’s starting lineup and pitching rotation returns from last year’s COVID-shortened 11-5 season. The Mountaineers have earned what is believed to be the highest preseason national ranking in program history. WVU checks in at No. 14 in the D1Baseball.com poll. Yet the Mountaineers are sixth (out of nine teams) in the Big 12 preseason poll.
“That’s probably about right. The sixth place team in our league probably should be in the top 20.”
With the MLB Entry Draft reduced to five rounds last summer in the pandemic year, Mazey welcomes back many players that probably would have jumped to the pros in the offseason.
“We’ve got several guys on the team right now that wouldn’t be here if the draft was a normal draft. Jackson Wolf, Tyler Doanes and Tyler Chadwick coming in and Adam Tulloch coming in, they would have signed pro in a regular draft. That gives us four really experienced players.
“The other part of that is, all the other Big 12 teams are in the same situation. They’ve got four or five or more kids that they weren’t expecting to have on their team. The talent level at the ‘Power 5’ level is going to be through the roof this year. So I think every team in the league this year is going to say this is the best team they have had in a while.”
WVU released their 48-game schedule Wednesday. Despite discussions of expanding the Big 12 slate from 24 to 32 games, the conference retained their traditional three-game weekend series setup. Mazey expects games can be added at points throughout the year.
“It was a lot of Zoom calls in a short period of time to try to figure out the schedule. But we eventually got it right. I think we are in a good place with what the Big 12 has decided.
“If history repeats itself with COVID, there are probably going to be some weekends canceled. And teams will be looking for games later in the year.”
Mazey announced Thursday that projected weekend starting pitcher Ryan Bergert and infielder Tevin Tucker will miss the 2021 season with due to offseason surgeries.
Of the 37 players on this year’s WVU roster, 25 are freshmen or redshirt freshmen. The NCAA restored eligibility for the 2020 freshman class.
“We have this year’s freshmen. And last year’s freshmen are still freshmen. That’s going to create some issues as that huge class gets older as far as roster management. Jake Carr last year was off to a really good start. He’s a ‘COVID freshman’. And Matt McCormick was a ‘COVID freshman’. Throw in Victor Scott, who got some valuable experience, those guys are going to be a major part of what we have going on right now.”
The elder statesman on the roster is senior Kevin Brophy. The infielder started all sixteen games last season, batting .246 with eight RBI.
“He’s the butt of all the jokes like, ‘Happy 29th birthday, Brophy. You were a sophomore when I got here eight years ago’. He’s got a great temperament and a great personality. He kind of gravitates towards the new guys in the program because of the way he handles things. I think they look to him for work ethic.”
Junior Jackson Wolf looks to be locked into the weekend starting rotation. In four starts last spring, Wolf went 3-1 with a 1.05 ERA.
“Wolf has matured a lot. He was kind of always in the shadow of (2019 first-round pick) Alek Manoah his whole career. Manoah got the limelight. Wolf just needed as that was happening to get more mature, bigger and stronger. Once Manoah left, I think Jackson took it upon himself to try to be the guy on this staff.”
St. Albans High School graduate Jake Carr performed well in his freshman season. He returns after going 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in four starts.
“He has gotten better from last year. He started off great and he is going to be right in the mix on the weekends this season as well.”
In addition to Brophy, the only other senior on the WVU roster is graduate transfer Hudson Byorick. In 78 games at Wofford, he batted .336 with 93 hits, 63 runs, 53 RBI, 11 stolen bases.
“He was one of the top twenty analytics guys in the country as far as batting average, walks, strikeouts, that type of thing. But when you see him, he presents himself as a guy who can hit doubles and homers. But when you dig into the analytics, his on base percentage and walk-to-strikeout ratio makes him valuable at any spot in the lineup.”
The Mountaineers will open the season with a four-game series at Georgia State, starting on February 19.