WVU baseball picked fourth in Big 12, Logan Sauve named preseason first team

MORGANTOWN — WVU baseball coach Steve Sabins was a part of history Thursday, and he’s yet to coach the Mountaineers in a game.

Coming off its first-ever appearance in a super regional last season, WVU was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12, the highest prediction for the program since it joined the league in 2013.

WVU catcher Logan Sauve was also named all-Big 12 preseason first team.

The poll and team were based on a vote of the Big 12 coaches, who weren’t permitted to vote for their own team.

Sabins, a longtime assistant and recruiting coordinator at WVU under Randy Mazey, takes over for the Mountaineers this season.

He may want to hold off on any thank-you cards to the Big 12 coaches for the high prediction for now, because the league’s schedule did him no favors.

The Mountaineers will open Big 12 play on March 14 at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are the No. 1 team in the coaches’ poll, receiving nine first-place votes.

WVU’s second conference series is against Arizona, which was picked second in the Big 12 and received four first-place votes.

TCU was picked third. WVU isn’t scheduled to meet the Horned Frogs in the regular season.

Sauve missed 15 games with a leg injury last season. He still managed to hit .308 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. Behind the plate, he threw out nine base stealers and had a .992 fielding percentage.

He was eligible for the Major League Amateur Draft after last season, but withdrew his name after the first day.

Over two seasons, he’s batting .290 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs.

WVU finished 36-24 in Mazey’s final season last year and won the Tucson, Ariz. Regional. WVU advanced to the super regional, where it lost to North Carolina.