MORGANTOWN — West Virginia baseball will start its season with some high expectations.
The Mountaineers were announced as No. 3 in the Big 12 in the Preseason Coaches Poll. The conference coaches each vote on the poll and aren’t allowed to vote on their own team.
This is the highest ranking for the head coach Steve Sabin’s squad since joining the Big 12 in 2013. The Mountaineers were ranked No. 4 this time last year.
WVU finished as the Big 12 regular-season champion and lost to Arizona in the semifinals. In the NCAA Tournament, WVU won the Clemson regional and then lost in the Super Regionals to LSU. The Tigers won the National Championship in 2025.
The Big 12 runner-up, TCU, received the No. 1 spot heading into the 2026 season, receiving 13 of 14 votes. The Horned Frogs almost won 40 games last season, and three of four preseason player accolades were given to TCU. Arizona, the defending champs, is the other team ranked ahead of the Mountaineers at No. 2 and received one first-place vote.
Right-handed pitcher Chase Meyer was the lone Mountaineer named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Last year, Meyer was one of WVU’s more dominant pitchers and went 9-2 with a 3.94 ERA, 63 strikeouts in 48.0 innings, while holding opponents to a .192 batting average.
The Mountaineers start their season shortly. WVU heads down to Georgia to face Georgia Southern to open the season on Feb. 13, and its first home game is on Feb. 24 against Canisius. Both games are expected to be broadcast on ESPN+.
2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll
1. TCU (13) 169
2. Arizona (1) 157
3. West Virginia 137
4. Arizona State 128
T5. Kansas 112
T5. Oklahoma State 112
7. Kansas State 87
8. Cincinnati 85
9. Texas Tech 78
10. UCF 66
11. Baylor 54
12. Houston 42
13. BYU 29
14. Utah 18
2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Team
| C Jack Natili | Cincinnati |
| IF Landon Hairston | Arizona State |
| IF Austen Roellig | Arizona State |
| IF Travis Sanders | Baylor |
| IF Brady Ballinger | Kansas* |
| IF Robin Villeneuve | Texas Tech |
| OF Andrew Williamson | UCF |
| OF Chase Brunson | TCU |
| OF Sawyer Strosnider | TCU* |
| OF Logan Hughes | Texas Tech |
| DH Dariel Osoria | Kansas |
| UTL Noah Franco | TCU |
| SP Owen Kramkowski | Arizona |
| SP Nathan Taylor | Cincinnati |
| SP Dominic Voegele | Kansas |
| SP Tommy LaPour | TCU* |
| RP Tony Pluta | Arizona |
| RP Cole Carlon | Arizona State |
| RP Chase Meyer | West Virginia |
*- unanimous selection
2026 Big 12 Preseason Yearly Awards
Player of the Year: Sawyer Strosnider, TCU
Pitcher of the Year: Tommy LaPour, TCU
Newcomer of the Year: Dean Toigo, Arizona State
Freshman of the Year: Lucas Franco, TCU
