Listen to “WVU Baseball Is Giving West Virginia Something We Need” on Spreaker.
Society feels burdened these days – heavier than ever. War overseas. Prices rising faster than paychecks. Divisions over nearly every issue imaginable. And here at home in West Virginia, we’re often cast as the underdog — always fighting for our place, our share, and our way of life. It can all be hard to manage, and frankly it can bring you low.
So, “it” is exactly what we needed, at exactly the right time. That “it” is WVU baseball.
America’s pastime, played in a state that is uniquely American, has become more than just a game. It has become a way of bringing the people of West Virginia together like few things can.
Baseball is woven into the American experience as deeply as anything else. First labeled the “national pastime” by the New York Mercury in 1856, the game grew alongside the nation itself.
The Civil War helped spread baseball across the country. Soldiers from different states played in camps and carried the game home when the fighting ended, transforming it from a regional pastime into a national one. The National Baseball Hall of Fame notes that baseball’s history is tightly intertwined with American history — from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement — reflecting changes in culture, economics, technology, and immigration.
By the late 1800s, organized leagues, professional teams, and railroad travel connected communities through baseball. The game was inexpensive to play, accessible to nearly everyone, and embraced by immigrants and working-class families. It helped create a shared national culture.
The writers of Field of Dreams got it right when they gave us the famous line delivered by James Earl Jones: “The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.”
Fast forward to today and consider what this team has meant to the people of West Virginia.
Everywhere you turn, people are talking about this run. From the person sweeping the floor to the person running the company, everyone feels connected to what is happening on that field in Granville. They are invested in every pitch, every inning, every game, hopeful for what comes next.
That’s rare.
It doesn’t happen often that an entire state rallies around one thing.
Why?
Because it feels good. It feels wholesome. It feels worthwhile. It feels possible.
Most importantly, it gives people something to come together around — a shared sense of hope, community, and belonging.
What’s more, the players seem to understand exactly what this means. They are quick to talk about the privilege of representing West Virginia and playing for its people. In an era when college athletics can often feel consumed by transactions and individual interests, this group appears driven by something different. They seem less focused on themselves and more committed to one another, to the team, and to the opportunity to play for something larger than themselves.
Even NBC’s Nightly News closed Thursday’s broadcast by talking about what is happening in Morgantown.
Why would they care?
Maybe they see the same thing we see — a story that is bigger than baseball.
Maybe they’re curious how a team from a state that is so often overlooked has captured the attention of so many people.
Or maybe they simply recognize what the rest of us do: that in a time when good news can feel hard to find, people are drawn to something that makes them smile – something that gives them a dose of hope.
Whatever the reason, this special run continues. The next challenge comes Friday at noon.
And if you’re listening closely, you can already hear it. We’re ready to sing “Country Roads” again.
We’re behind you, Mountaineers.
Let’s go!