Newly named head coach Steve Sabins of the WVU Baseball team finds himself in a situation many coaches could only dream of having. In his first season at the helm, Sabins is off to an amazing start as his team concludes opening weekend remaining undefeated.
None of this early success would have been possible without flawless batting, smart base-running, lockdown defense, and most importantly, a deep bullpen. Coach Sabins has inherited something many coaches spend their careers just trying to build: an extremely deep and talented group of pitchers.
One of those pitchers is gearing up for another fantastic season, and his name is Robby Porco.
Robby Porco is a junior right-handed pitcher who has seen nothing but success over his last two seasons with the Mountaineers. The Warrington, Pa. native made 16 mound appearances with seven starts in just his freshman season. In those appearances, Porco went 4-1 with a 7.50 ERA, striking out 44 batters in just 36 innings.
This success followed Porco into his sophomore season, where he made 13 appearances on the mound with only one start. Despite appearing on the mound less for the Mountaineers, he made the most of his opportunities. Porco had a 2-1 record and obtained an 8.71 ERA, and tallied a total of 11 strikeouts in 10 innings
Overall, Porco has had a consistent, two-year career with the Mountaineers. Despite having a down season this past year, Porco looks to cement himself as a solid and reliable piece amongst the Mountaineer pitching core.
In the three-game series against Jacksonville, Porco got the starting job in the second game, where he struck out 4 batters in 3 innings, only allowing one score. Porco’s strong start gave the Mountaineers the momentum they needed to beat Jacksonville, with the final score being 10-3.
While the season has just started and the Mountaineers have only played one series of baseball, one thing is certain. The Mountaineers will have an incredible bullpen. While Robby Porco is only one of the pieces to the puzzle, he is going to be a vital asset that the Mountaineers can rely on to get the job done.
Photo credit to @robbyporco on X
