GRANVILLE — West Virginia pitcher Chansen Cole was overlooked coming out of the transfer portal. He was a Division II pitcher from Newberry College, was only a sophomore, didn’t have high velocity and was unproven at the Division I level, and more importantly, in a power conference.
Head coach Steve Sabins took a chance on him and expected him to be in the mix for a weekend starter out of four to six pitchers he was working out in the fall.
During Sabin’s after-practice press conference, he announced that Cole will start the first game of WVU’s NCAA postseason on Friday against Binghamton at 5 p.m., streaming on ESPN+. Cole will start the Mountaineers first game hosting a regional since 2019.
“I’m excited and looking forward to it,” Cole said. “I think it’s just trusting your routine all the way up to this point. Obviously, you’ve done something to be able to play on this team. Just trusting the routine and what’s got you here. Just going about it as like it’s another day, another outing.”
Cole pitched every weekend this regular season for WVU, and pitched in Game 2 of the Big 12 tournament to help the team beat Arizona State, advancing to the Big 12 Championship. He was named first team All-Big 12 at the end of the season for the third-lowest ERA in the conference. He was only behind his teammates, Maxx Yehl and Ian Korn.
Cole has exceeded Sabins’ expectations.
“For him to do what he’s done is nothing short of really, I don’t want to say a miracle, it’s a testament to who that kid is and what he’s been able to accomplish,” Sabins said.
The decision to go with Cole over WVU’s ace Maxx Yehl, who was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year a couple of weeks ago, had a couple more layers. Yehl was moved up a day in his last outing to pitch in Game 1 of the Big 12 tournament on Thursday, unlike his usual Friday spot. Sabins wanted to give him an extra day of rest, so Yehl will pitch on Saturday in Game 2 of the regional.
Binghamton is also the lesser of the three opponents in the regional as the No. 4 seed. The Bearcats are 31-20 on the year, and received a bid to the NCAA tournament after winning the America East Conference. Binghamton has 1-2 record against Quad 1 teams and is 118 in the RPI.
There are some hitters, Cole and the rest of the pitching staff have to keep an eye on. Matt Bolton is the Bearcats’ best hitter, hitting .349, and he’s hit 44 RBIs to go with it. Tommy Popoff leads the team in RBIs and home runs with 52 and seven, respectively.
Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki is preparing for Cole to be on the mound, and after hearing the news, his staff quickly started to do some extra scouting on him. Sinicki didn’t reveal too much about how the team plans to attack Cole.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Sinicki said. “We’re breaking down some stuff right now and trying to get a feel for his mix and what he does to left-handed hitters, right-handed hitters.”
Sabins debated on who to start in Game 1. He knows a tougher game awaits on Saturday in Game 2, whether that’s Kentucky or Wake Forest, or even if you lose, playing in an elimination game. Saving Yehl is a smarter move, especially when Cole is your second option.
“In my viewpoint, there’s a lot of data out there about pitching your ace versus pitching off, and those kind of things,” Sabins said. “We’re in a little bit of a unique situation, because to say that Chansen isn’t an ace wouldn’t probably be fair. I think he was the No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher in the entire Big 12 out of 14 teams in our league, and Maxx Yehl was one. He was the pitcher of the year. But both of those guys have just been tremendous.”
Kendrick Family Ballpark will be packed. The tickets are sold out and are going for hundreds of dollars on secondary markets. It’ll be a heavy WVU-favored crowd Friday night.
With the state watching, in Game 1 of the Morgantown Regional, Sabins feels confident in his Division II transfer, Chansen Cole.
“The beauty of Chansen is the fact that he’s approached every game like it’s just another game,” Sabins said. “We’re sitting in this media room right now because he started Game 2 in the Big 12.”
