WVU catcher Logan Sauve (right) and pitcher Jack Kartsonas head to the dugout together between innings on Friday, at the Big 12 tournament. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)
Baseball, WVU Sports

WVU eyes opportunity to host NCAA regional, but knows its case was hurt by late-season setbacks

by Michael Sudhalter, For The Dominion Post

ARLINGTON, Texas – First impressions are important, but last impressions matter, too, especially when it comes to promoting yourself before a committee.

That doesn’t bode well for No. 23 WVU’s chances of hosting an NCAA baseball regional next weekend.

The top-seeded Mountaineers (41-14) lost to fourth-seeded Arizona, 12-1, in the Big 12 Conference semifinals on Friday night at Globe Life Field.

WVU has now lost six of their last eight games, and they are 1-6 against the teams seeded two through five in the Big 12 tournament (the Mountaineers did not play No. 3 TCU or No. 5 Arizona State this season).

“You can’t make excuses for yourself – you’ve just got to get ready to smash some baseballs,” said WVU junior Sam White, who will likely be heading to his third consecutive NCAA tournament in as many years with the Mountaineers.

A regular season conference championship and the most wins in program history are part of the Mountaineers’ case to host an NCAA regional in Morgantown next weekend.

“We’d like to play at home,” WVU first-year head coach Steve Sabins said. “We have the best fan base in the country. We’d love to celebrate with the people of Morgantown and West Virginia.”

With the loss to Arizona, the Mountaineers no longer control that destiny. A Big 12 tournament championship, on the heels of the regular season title, would have made a strong case to become one of 16 teams to host a regional. The regional hosts will be announced Sunday night, while the entire bracket will be released at noon on Monday.

WVU’s RPI – one of the contributing factors utilized by the committee – is 27th, which means even a tournament championship may not have guaranteed a regional in Morgantown.

While playing at the Kendrick Family Ballpark would be welcomed by the players, coaches and fans, the Mountaineers have proven that it’s not the only way to reach a super regional.

Last season, WVU reached the first super regional in program history by winning the Tucson Regional – something they managed to do without facing the host team, Arizona.