West Virginia’s memorable season on the diamond continued over the weekend when the Mountaineers were victorious in all three games at Baylor to extend their win streak to eight.
WVU (33-11, 11-4) increased its lead in the Big 12 Conference in the process, and with a three-game advantage in the loss column over Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas, the Mountaineers have put themselves in prime position to win the Big 12 regular season crown for the first time.
“In the short time and 10 years we’ve been here, there’s been a lot to be proud of,” Mountaineers’ manager Randy Mazey said. “But we haven’t been ranked in the top 10, so there’s room inside of what we’re doing to even get better. With the support we have from Wren Baker and the community now, I foresee us taking another step. When that happens, who knows, but I really believe that’s going to happen in this program.”
Those words from Mazey came following last Tuesday’s 14-2 win over Penn State when he watched his team avoid a potential trap for the second time this season after having lost to the Nittany Lions two weeks earlier.
Over the weekend, the Mountaineers handled business in Waco, Texas by defeating the Bears in all three games. Baylor, which is last in the Big 12 with a 6-15 league mark, held a late lead in Friday’s series opener, before the Mountaineers rallied to prevail, 5-4.
The next two days, the Bears were hardly competitive. They lost 10-0 Saturday, before WVU broke open Sunday’s series finale to win going away, 18-4.
On Monday, the Mountaineers discovered they’re now ranked 11th by Baseball America, 12th by D1 Baseball and 14th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Mountaineers’ top hitter, second baseman JJ Wetherholt, credits Mazey for keeping the team grounded during its most recent stretch of success.
“That’s all him. That guy’s a genius mentally,” Wetherholt said. “He’s probably the best mental coach I’ve had. He can sense stuff before we even sense it. Whenever we’re feeling too good about ourselves, that’ll be the pregame speech. We can kick somebody’s butt and he’ll be like, ‘settle down, we have to worry about the game tomorrow. Tomorrow’s a new game and these guys can come back and punch us in the face.’ He does a great job with that.”
That message appears to be getting across, and with 11 regular season contests remaining ahead of the Big 12 Championship in Arlington, Texas, WVU has plenty to play for. In addition to being atop the Big 12, the Mountaineers have a legitimate chance to host a NCAA Regional for the second time since 1955 and third time in school history.
WVU, which still plays Pitt twice and has three-game sets remaining with Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas, can also further solidify its postseason positioning with solid results down the stretch. The Mountaineers are five wins from tying their most in a season under Mazey, and the 38 they won in 2019 came in a season when they were selected to host a NCAA Regional.
“Before every game, I ask the team, ‘What is today?’ They all say this the biggest game of the year,” Mazey said. “I think we’ve captured their attention.”
Wetherholt has been a driving force behind the team’s success, and the sophomore second baseman is third in all of Division I with a .459 batting average.
A player who before the season Mazey said had a chance to be the best hitter he’d ever coached has lived up to that praise and then some.
Wetherholt has started 38 games and appeared in 39, missing five contests as a result of a thumb injury suffered in a series opener at Oklahoma State on April 14. He’s been held without a hit in three games and has more than one hit in 24. Wetherholt has 75 hits, including 30 for extra bases, while his 17 doubles, 11 home runs, 48 RBI and 55 runs are team bests. A native of Mars Hill, Pa., Wetherholt began the season batting leadoff, but has been slotted No. 2 in the lineup since returning to the starting lineup.
“Leadoff is a little bit different where it’s like I have to get on and if I hit a homer, it’s not the biggest deal,” Wetherholt said. “But when I have guys on base and I can do something like that, it can really change the game. So I like [hitting] two a little bit right now.”
First baseman Grant Hussey, a Parkersburg native tied with Wetherholt for the team lead in home runs, had heavy praise for his teammate.
“He’s one of the best baseball players I’ve ever seen,” Hussey said, “and he’ll continue to be one of the best baseball players probably all of us will ever see. It’s just cool being around him.”
Wetherholt has led with his play, but he also provides a calming influence and steady voice on a team whose leadership has been to Mazey’s liking.
“I’d be willing to bet the people in the community, when they go to work and go get a drink at the fountain together, they’re talking about JJ Wetherholt,” Mazey said. “He’s that dynamic of a player and he’s captured the interest of this community. It couldn’t happen to a better guy. He’s worked so hard and he’s such a great team leader. Between he and [shortstop Tevin Tucker], those guys are really carrying us.”