The West Virginia University Mountaineers have etched their names in program history, securing their first outright Big 12 regular season title in baseball. This momentous achievement, their second Big 12 crown in the last three seasons, was confirmed on…
Thursday night, not by their bats, but by the result of another game: Arizona State’s 6-2 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
The Mountaineers (40-11 overall, 19-7 Big 12) had built an impressive resume throughout the season, putting themselves in a position where their “magic number” for clinching the title was reduced to just one. Despite a 3-0 shutout loss to Kansas earlier in the evening at Kendrick Family Ballpark, the news of Arizona State’s defeat sent ripples of celebration through the Mountaineer faithful.
This is a particularly sweet victory for West Virginia, as it marks their first undisputed regular season championship in the highly competitive Big 12 Conference. They previously shared the title in 2023 with Texas and Oklahoma State. The triumph is made even more remarkable by the fact that it comes in head coach Steve Sabins’ debut season at the helm, a testament to his leadership and the team’s unwavering spirit.
“No mixed emotions for me because winning is really hard,” declared Coach Sabins after the clinch. “Winning titles at West Virginia in a 14-team league, that is not a mixed feeling for me. That’s a beautiful thing. If you can do hard things and accomplish things that have never been done in program history, there’s no mixed feelings for me. Just feelings of gratitude that I can be a part of it.”1
The Mountaineers’ path to the title has been paved with consistent performance and clutch play. They’ve tied a program record with 19 league wins, a significant feat in a conference as deep as the Big 12. Their season highlights include winning six of their eight completed conference series, with four of those being sweeps, contributing to an impressive 14-game conference winning streak earlier in the year.
While Thursday’s game against Kansas saw the Mountaineers struggle at the plate against Jayhawk pitcher Dominic Voegele, who tossed 7.0 shutout innings with six strikeouts, the bigger picture remained firmly in West Virginia’s favor. Redshirt senior Griffin Kirn delivered a valiant effort on the mound for WVU, pitching 8.0 innings, allowing just two runs, and striking out 10. Offensively, Kyle West and Gavin Kelly each contributed two hits.
The Big 12 title now grants the Mountaineers the coveted No. 1 overall seed for the upcoming 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship. The tournament is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, May 21, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, running through Saturday, May 24. With the regular season crown secured, West Virginia will now shift its focus to the conference tournament and a strong push for an NCAA Regional Tournament hosting bid, a goal they last achieved in 2019.
“It’s still super rewarding,” said senior outfielder Kyle West. “This isn’t how we wanted this game to end, but a season isn’t made just based on one game. I think we’ll still celebrate, because it is a huge feat. We’ll take some time to reflect on the loss first, but then we’ll take some time to celebrate as a team.”
The2 Mountaineers’ journey this season has had its challenges, including two weather cancellations against Oklahoma State that ultimately benefited them by maintaining their winning percentage. They’ve also battled through a recent slump, dropping four of their last five games, including three late-game blown leads. However, their overall consistency and ability to perform in key moments have propelled them to this historic achievement, solidifying their place atop the Big 12.
