The West Virginia Mountaineers baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The program has been a member of the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference since the start of the 2013 season. The program currently plays at Kendrick Family Ballpark. Steve Sabins has served as the team's head coach since before the 2025 season. As of June 2026, the Mountaineers have made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, with the most recent appearance coming during the 2026 season. The team has also won five conference tournament championships, along with 21 conference titles and nine division titles over its history.
Program history The West Virginia University baseball program was established in 1892, making it one of the oldest collegiate baseball programs in the country. Over more than a century of play, the Mountaineers have developed a rich tradition marked by competitive success, player development, and strong fan support.
WVU has competed in multiple conferences throughout its history, including the Southern Conference, the Atlantic 10, and the Big East. In 2013, WVU transitioned to the Big 12 Conference, stepping into one of the most competitive baseball environments in the nation. The move helped elevate the profile of the program, attracting higher-level talent and increasing national exposure.
Several Mountaineers have gone on to play professionally, including Major League Baseball standouts like Jedd Gyorko, John Means, and Alek Manoah, who was a first-round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 and made his MLB debut in 2021.
Steve Harrick era (1948-1967)
Steve Harrick served as the head coach of the West Virginia University baseball team for 20 seasons, establishing himself as one of the most successful coaches in program history. He compiled an impressive career record of 334–160–1, resulting in a .678 winning percentage. Under his leadership, six of his teams captured Southern Conference titles, and seven earned NCAA district playoff berths.
Harrick's teams enjoyed consistent success throughout the 1960s, a decade that cemented his legacy in WVU baseball history. The Mountaineers posted multiple 20-win seasons during this era and were perennial contenders in the Southern Conference. His 1963 squad achieved a 30–3 record—the first 30-win season in school history—and finished ranked No. 11 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.
Throughout his tenure, Harrick developed numerous standout players, with 18 of his former athletes going on to be selected by professional organizations. Among them was Paul Popovich, who played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Harrick also coached WVU's first baseball All-America selection, outfielder Bill Marovic, in 1964. Marovic batted .404 and led the team in eight offensive categories en route to earning the honor from the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Dale Ramsburg era (1968-1994)
Dale Ramsburg served as the head coach of the West Virginia University baseball program from 1968 to 1994 and remains one of the most successful coaches in school history. Over his 26-year tenure, Ramsburg compiled a career record of 540–387–9, making him the winningest coach in any sport in the history of West Virginia athletics at the time of his retirement.
Nicknamed “The Rammer,” Ramsburg guided the Mountaineers to four NCAA Tournament appearances (1982, 1985, 1987, and 1994). His 1994 squad set a school record with 40 wins, finishing the season 40–21. He was twice named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, earning the honor in both 1988 and 1990, and was selected as Eastern Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 1994. In 1993, he was appointed to the prestigious seven-member NCAA Baseball Committee.
Ramsburg also had a significant impact on player development during his time at WVU. A total of 27 of his players were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. In all, 31 of his players went on to play professional baseball, including future Major Leaguers Bucky Guth, Darrell Whitmore, Joe Hudson, and Steve Kline.
Greg Van Zant era (1995-2012)
Greg Van Zant took over the Mountaineer program in December 1994, a month after the death of longtime mentor Dale Ramsburg
Van Zant was the third baseman for West Virginia University from 1980 to 1983. Prior to becoming head coach, he served as an assistant under longtime head coach Dale Ramsburg.
In just his second season at the helm, Van Zant guided the Mountaineers to a 33–25 record in 1996, capturing the Big East American Division title and winning the Big East Conference Tournament. That success earned WVU an automatic bid to the 1996 NCAA Division I baseball tournament, where they competed in the Atlantic Regional.
Van Zant was named Big East Conference Coach of the Year twice, in 1997 and 2003. Under his leadership, the Mountaineers produced several strong seasons, including a 36–19 campaign in 2003. However, the latter part of his tenure saw a decline in performance, culminating in a 23–32 record in 2012. Following that season, WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck announced that Van Zant's contract would not be renewed, citing the need for new direction as the program prepared to transition into the Big 12 Conference.
During his tenure he led the WVU baseball program from 1995 to 2012, compiling a career record of 528–451–1 over 18 seasons, which ranks him second all-time in wins at the school.
Randy Mazey era (2013-2024) Upon taking the helm, Randy Mazey faced the difficult task of elevating the Mountaineers to compete in one of the strongest baseball conferences in the country. Despite playing home games at multiple locations due to facility limitations, his first team in the 2013 season exceeded expectations, finishing 33–26 overall and 13–11 in Big 12 play during WVU's debut season in the conference.
The program saw significant growth under Mazey, who guided West Virginia back to national prominence. Under his leadership, the Mountaineers made several major milestones: in 2017, WVU returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996; in 2019, they hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time since 1955, finishing the season 38–22 and ranked No. 21 nationally. In 2023, Mazey led WVU to a share of its first-ever Big 12 regular-season title, tying a school record with 40 wins and securing another NCAA Tournament appearance. In his final season in 2024, he guided the program to its first NCAA Super Regional in school history, going 3–0 in the Tucson Regional and finishing the year 36–24 and ranked No. 13 in the country.
Mazey announced his retirement following the 2024 season. Over 12 seasons at WVU, he compiled a 372–274 overall record, including a 133–133 mark in Big 12 play. His teams went 15–20 in Big 12 Conference Tournament games and 7–8 in NCAA Tournament competition.
Steve Sabins era (2025-present)
Following the 2024 season and the retirement of longtime head coach Randy Mazey, veteran assistant Steve Sabins was named the 20th head coach in West Virginia baseball history. In his first season at the helm, Sabins guided the Mountaineers to an impressive 44–16 record and a Big 12 regular-season championship. West Virginia swept the Clemson Regional with two wins over Kentucky Wildcats and one over the No. 11 ranked Clemson Tigers. With the regional title, the Mountaineers advanced to the Baton Rouge Super Regional—marking their second consecutive Super Regional appearance—where they were eliminated by the No. 6 national seed, LSU Tigers, in two games.
In 2026, the Mountaineers went 45–15 overall with a 21–9 record in Big 12 play. They finished second in the Big 12 regular season and tournament, and earned the 16th national seed, winning the Morgantown Regional in 7 games. This included defeating the Kentucky Wildcats in 2 wild wins with the score of 11-9 and 6-5. The 11-9 victory included a game-winning 2 run home run and the 6-5 victory included a walk-off single. In the first Super Regional ever in Morgantown, the Mountaineers hosted the Cal Poly Mustangs. West Virginia swept the series, winning 12-2 in game 1 and 17-1 in game 2. For the first time in program history, West Virginia earned a berth in the College World Series where they will face the Troy Trojans.
Head coaches Since the program started in 1892, there have been 20 head coaches in WVU baseball history.
Coach Years Overall % Conf % ConfT % NCAA Postseason Overall % Super Reg % CWS % A. R. Stahlings 1894–1896 — — — — — — — — — — J. E. B. Sweeney 1897–1898 — — — — — — — — — — Owen Altman 1899–1900 — — — — — — — — — — H. Brown 1901 — — — — — — — — — — Lee Hutchinson 1902–1905 — — — — — — — — — — Carl Forkum 1906–1908 — — — — — — — — — — Dick Nebinger 1909 — — — — — — — — — — J. L. Core 1910 — — — — — — — — — — Larry McClure 1911 — — — — — — — — — — John Gronninger 1912 — — — — — — — — — — Charlie Hickman 1913, 1915–1917 — — — — — — — — — — B. P. Pattison 1914 — — — — — — — — — — Skeeter Shelton 1918–1920 — — — — — — — — — — Ira Rodgers 1921–1946 — — — — — — — — — — Charles Hockenberry 1947 — — — — — — — — — — Steve Harrick 1948–1967 139-56 1-1 3-12 — — — — Dale Ramsburg 1968–1994 143-55 22-17 3-8 — — — — Greg Van Zant 1995–2012 224-232 10-19 .345 2-2 .500 — — — — Randy Mazey 2013–2024 133-133 .500 15-20 .429 7-8 .467 0-2 .000 — — Steve Sabins 2025–present 19-9 .679 1-1 .500 3-2 .600 0-2 .000 — — Totals — 662–489 49–50 18–32 0–4.000 — —
+Most Wins Rank Coaches Name All-Time Wins Years at WVU 1 Dale Ramsburg 5401968-1994 2 Greg Van Zant 5281995-2012 3 Randy Mazey 3722013-2024 4 Steve Harrick 3331948-1967 5 Ira Rodgers 2011921-1942, 1946
+Highest Win Percentage Rank Coaches Name All-Time Win Pct. Years at WVU 1 Steve Harrick 1948-1967 2 Lee Hutchison 1902-1905 3 Dale Ramsburg 1968-1994 4Randy Mazey 2013-2024 5 Greg Van Zant 1995-2012 Minimum 100 games coached
Recruiting + Recruiting Rankings Class Top 100 Recruits Conference Rank National Rank 2011 – – NR 2012 – – NR 2013 – 8th 69th 2014 – 7th 57th 2015 – 5th 55th 2016 – 6th 46th 2017 – 8th NR 2018 – 3rd 25th 2019 1 6th 26th 2020 – 7th 37th 2021 1 5th 23rd 2022 – 7th 47th 2023 – 4th 34th 2024 – 5th 39th 2025 – 3rd 16th Rankings from Perfect Game Source:
West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament 1955 1–2 District 3 Regional 1961 1–2 District 3 Regional 1962 0–2 District 3 Regional 1963 1–2 District 3 Regional 1964 0–2 District 3 Regional 1967 0–2 District 3 Regional 1982 2–2 East Regional 1985 0–2 South I Regional 1987 0–2 South I Regional 1994 1–2 Atlantic Regional 1996 2–2 Atlantic Regional 2017 2–2 Winston-Salem Regional 2019 1–2 Hosted Morgantown Regional 2023 1–2 Lexington Regional 2024 3–2 Chapel Hill Super Regional, Tucson Regional Champions 2025 3–2 Baton Rouge Super Regional, Clemson Regional Champions 2026 8–3 College World Series, Morgantown Super Regional Champions, Morgantown Regional Champions 28–35
All-time season results
National champions College World Series berth NCAA Tournament berth Conference Tournament Champions Conference/Division Regular Season Champions