MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia University baseball team has returned home with their heads held high and is ready to look forward to next season.
The Mountaineers returned to Morgantown on Thursday afternoon after they were eliminated from the NCAA College World Series after losing to North Carolina 12-7 on Wednesday.
Once back in Morgantown some players said farewell to their teammates, taking pride in becoming the first team in program history to make it to the CWS. Head Coach Steve Sabins spoke with a reporter from MetroNews, where he expressed a mix of sadness and appreciation towards his players for what the 2026 Mountaineer baseball team was able to accomplish.
“You have a team at last for no more than a calendar year, and then basically guys go in their separate ways, and you start to regroup and rebuild and kind of look to the future that quickly, but I think the guys are really proud of what they were able to accomplish,” Sabins said.
The Mountaineers finished the season with 47 wins, setting a program record for wins in a single season.
Redshirt junior pitcher Maxx Yehl was awarded Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and named a consensus All-American, while sophomore catcher Gavin Kelly was named All-Big 12 First Team and named second team All-American by Baseball America. With standout performances by junior Armani Guzman, graduate pitcher Ian Korn, and many others over the course of the season, Sabins feels the team has a lot to be proud of.
“It was the greatest season in program history, they’ve been playing baseball here for 135 years, those kids that put on the jersey were the best to ever do it,” Sabins said. “There’s been a lot of great players and a lot of great teams, but this collection of individuals was able to do something that no one else has ever done.”
Sabins noted that plans are already in place to prepare for next year, with recruiting taking place almost immediately after the season ended on Wednesday. This includes the hosting of a transfer portal student who will visit Morgantown and view the facilities around the Kendrick Family Ballpark, including the Biomechanics and Performance Center that has been used by players across the college and pro ranks.
“We’re building next year’s roster, there’s a transfer portal player that is getting in town tonight and starts recruiting tomorrow morning, it’s that quick,” said Sabins. “We have exit meetings with players, so you kind of have to figure out where guys are at and what they’re thinking and what our plans for next season are.”
Now that the season has come to a close, Sabins expressed appreciation to the WVU community, who gave their support during a historic season including the tens of thousands of fans who attended games inside Kendrick Family Ballpark and along ‘Randy’s Ridge,’ as well as those who flew over 1,000 miles to support the team in Omaha during the CWS. Community support that helps drive Sabins and the WVU Baseball Program to be better next year.
“I think the longer that you’re here in this state and the more that you represent WVU, you recognize that it really is unique and what WVU has to offer really is special,” Sabins said.