West Virginia opens their season undefeated after seven games. As the Mountaineers lost some key role players this offseason, head coach Steve Sabins looks to his new roster to fill the deep holes left in the lineup.
This past offseason, Sabins was overwhelmed with the unknowns and uncertainties leading into the next season. In a statement made by Sabins, he said he fell asleep every night with his mind spinning in circles about what was going to happen.
He was worried about his players who were draft-eligible because he did not know which players would leave. Key players on the Mountaineers’ roster, such as Logan Sauve, Grant Hussey, Kyle West, Brodie Kresser, and several other players were eligible to be selected in the MLB Draft during the offseason.
During the draft, Sabins lost his star shortstop JJ Whetherholt to the St. Louis Cardinals on day one. On the second day, Sabins lost right-handed pitchers David Hagaman and Aidan Major. To round off the draft, left-handed pitcher Derek Clark departed from the Mountaineers.
Those three pitchers were the starters within the Mountaineer bullpen, and losing three talented pitchers was going to be a tough challenge for Sabins to navigate as filling those shoes would be incredibly difficult for any incoming player.
The draft was not the only area where Sabins lost key players. Reed Chumley, a senior at the end of last season, exhausted the rest of his eligibility. There were many other areas where the Mountaineers lost players besides the draft, and the addition of the portal really increased the number of losses West Virginia sustained.
However, despite all of the holes that were dug during the offseason, many have been filled. The Mountaineers start their season boasting a 7-0 record and no signs of slowing down.
