GRANVILLE — You could call this group of freshmen Randy Mazey has brought to West Virginia a Fab Five sort of bunch.
Except this isn’t basketball and there’s nine true freshmen who have actually played crucial roles in helping the Mountaineers reach a No. 12 national ranking and the top of the Big 12 standings.
“There’s too many of them to name,” WVU second baseman J.J. Wetherholt said. “It’s a huge impact they’ve made and we kind of expected that. It’s the highest-rated class we’ve had coming in, so we knew the guys were legit.”
At different points this season, whether it was a game-winning hit or dominant performance on the mound, they’ve all had their moments.
Freshman catcher Logan Sauve had his Sunday, as the Mountaineers took the series against Oklahoma with a 9-3 victory inside Mon County Ballpark.
The Boiling Springs, Pa. native hit a three-run double in the second inning that helped give WVU (36-12, 13-5 Big 12) a 5-0 lead, then came back nearly four hours later and hit his third home run of the season.
Four hours? In between, there was a 3 1/2-hour rain delay, which was just one of a few things that made this game a little weird.
“We had that big delay and we tried to stay active in the locker room to not get down,” said Sauve, who is hitting .275 on the season. “When I came back out, I just tried to stay loose and attacked the first fastball I got.”
The moment also added to the abnormal atmosphere around the game. As Sauve was trotting around the bases, WVU pitcher Blaine Traxel somehow threw together a get-up that included wearing a catcher’s mask over a towel with two traffic cones on his head and danced outside of the dugout in celebration.
He was ejected, naturally, for unsportsmanlike conduct and his availability next weekend against Texas Tech is in question.
“I’m not sure, I’ve got to go check and see what the rule is,” Mazey said of Traxel’s status for that series.
“I kind of saw a glimpse of it at the end,” added WVU shortstop Tevin Tucker. “Then I saw the umpire come over and I kind of figured what it was. That’s Traxel. That’s his personality.”
Also on the list of happenings: WVU relief pitcher Grant Siegel was asked by the umpire to change his windup while warming up for an inning or else he was going to be called for balks, Wetherholt hit his 13th home run of the season and the Mountaineers set a program record after getting hit by a pitch for the 90th time this season.
The only thing this game was missing was Morganna, the Kissing Bandit, running out on the field looking to lay a smooch on someone.
Back to the freshmen, Sauve, as well as Ellis Garcia and Sam White have been constants in the lineup. They’ve combined for 56 RBIs this season.
The pitching combo of Robby Porco, Gavin Van Kempen, Maxx Yehl and Carson Estridge have accounted for an 11-1 record in 44 appearances.
Even guys like Nick Barone have made their name known. He’s only got two hits in his first season, but they’ve both been home runs, including a grand slam against Baylor.
“I think we know what we’ve got and I think other people are starting to see that,” Mazey said of his freshmen bunch. “At the halfway point, you don’t know for sure, but things have kind of settled now. You kind of know what kind of team you have and those young kids, man, they’re doing great things.”
Have there been growing pains? Sure, but there have also been many other moments when this group have looked anything other than wide-eyed freshmen.
“It would be a totally different season without them,” Tucker said. “You couldn’t ask for more. They’ve come in and done their jobs, and they’re great kids, as well.
“They’re great ball players. By the time they leave here, there’s going to be some great things coming.”
By taking two out of three against the Sooners (26-22, 10-11) — the first time WVU has done that since 2019 — the Mountaineers maintained a two-game lead ahead of both Oklahoma State and Kansas State in the Big 12 standings.
WVU has just two series (Texas Tech and Texas) and six conference games remaining in the regular season.
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