MORGANTOWN — A year ago, it was a test of survival for the WVU baseball team, one that Steve Sabins witnessed firsthand as the associate head coach.
“I forget what it was like to have options,” Sabins said Monday. “I think it was pretty easy last year on (Randy) Mazey making a lineup, because whoever could walk to the field got to be in the lineup.”
Star shortstop J.J. Wetherholt missed 24 games with a hamstring injury, while starting catcher Logan Sauve missed 15 games after taking a fastball to his kneecap.
Brodie Kresser, who is making the move from second base to shortstop this season, missed 13 games with a variety of injuries.
In Sabins’ first season as the Mountaineers head coach, he’s got options, whether it’s in the field or on the pitching staff.
The only major miss will be junior Maxx Yehl, a lefty sidearmer who finished with four wins, two saves and a 3.99 ERA last season.
Yehl had Tommy John surgery last fall and is expected to miss the season.
“We really are healthy and have some options,” Sabins continued. “There are guys who are still competing for positions and time on the mound. We’ll make some decisions in the next week on what our rotation will look like, but it’s a relief for the most part to be healthy.”
WVU — coming off its first-ever appearance in a super regional last season — appears set to build on that momentum.
He’s got the school’s all-time home run leader in Grant Hussey returning to first base, while fellow power hitter Kyle West (14 HR, 43 RBIs) returns as an outfielder/designated hitter.
Sauve was named all-Big 12 preseason first team after batting .308 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs last season.
Utility man Sam White — the only player on the roster last season who played in every game — will make the move to second base coming off a season in which he hit .305 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs.
Those are the known for the Mountaineers, who travel to Jacksonville for a four-game series beginning on Feb. 14, to start the season.
Here are some of those other options to keep an eye on this season:
** Griffin Kirn may just be the next great former Division II pitcher found by the WVU coaching staff.
A year ago, the Mountaineers plucked Derek Clark from the small-school level, and he developed into the team’s top pitcher.
Kirn, from Quincy Ill., pitched four seasons at Quincy University, where he went 8-1 with a 2.96 ERA last season.
“If you look at the numbers, I think Griffin has pitched more innings over his career than 80 or 90% of our team combined,” Sabins said. “He’s got 220 college innings under his belt. I’m really excited about him.”
** Chase Swain is battling for time at third base at WVU after hitting .392 with 41 RBIs at Manhattan last season. He also stole 15 bases.
** Gavin Van Kempen and Carson Estridge will likely be at the top of the Mountaineers’ pitching rotation. They combined for a 7-3 record and 83 strikeouts over 70 innings last season.
** Keep an eye on junior pitcher Robby Porco, who went 4-1 as a freshman, but struggled last season with control.
“Porco has been in and out of the lineup with injuries,” Sabins said. “This is his junior year, and he’s as projectable as a draft prospect as just about anyone on our team.”
** As far as freshmen, Sabins believes he’s got a good one in Gavin Kelly, a catcher and outfielder from Collier, Pa.
“He is a special hitter,” Sabins said. “I think he may be our most talented freshman hitter since J.J. Wetherholt. I’m not comparing him to J.J., but Gavin can really hit the ball.”
** One last pitcher of note is Tarleton (Texas) State transfer Reese Bassinger, who went 5-2 mostly out of the bullpen last season with a 3.06 ERA. He was named to the WAC all-tournament team after Tarleton State won the tournament.
“Reese Bassinger pitched in five consecutive games on five consecutive days to win that tournament,” Sabins said. “You don’t see that ever. He’s one of those old-school gritty guys who wants the ball every single day.”
