MORGANTOWN — West Virginia set a school record with 14 victories against Big 12 baseball teams a year ago.
In the eyes of the NCAA tournament selection committee, it didn’t matter, as the Mountaineers finished on the outside looking in.
That fact hasn’t exactly been lost on the No. 24 Mountaineers a year later, as they prepare to begin Big 12 play at 7 p.m. Friday at Kansas State.
“You can’t help but like where we’re at right now,” WVU manager Randy Mazey said. “We’re playing pretty well. I would take where we’re at right now 100 times out of 100.”
The Mountaineers (19-6) are nationally ranked for the first time since 2019, the last time WVU played in the NCAAs.
It’s built a resume with a strong non-conference record that already includes 11 wins in true road games/neutral sites. Only five schools in the nation have more.
WVU has one of the top hitters in the country in second baseman J.J. Wetherholt and the nation’s leader in complete games in pitcher Blaine Traxel.
“We’re winning more games and playing better baseball right now,” said Wetherholt, who leads the Big 12 with a .462 batting average. “We kind of have our starting rotation ironed out, which that was sort of a toss-up last year. We’re still figuring some things out, but, overall, I’d say we’re in a really good spot.”
What spot the Mountaineers are in by May 20 — the end of the regular season — will depend how they navigate their Big 12 schedule.
Here’s what awaits them:
Surging Texas
After advancing to the College World Series in 2022, Texas began this season with a 4-7 record.
Any thoughts of a Texas letdown have been erased with a 15-game winning streak that includes a three-game sweep of Texas Tech.
The Longhorns have leaned on pitching with juniors Lucas Gordan and Charlie Hurley leading the Big 12 with ERAs under 2.00.
Top hitters
Wetherholt’s impressive numbers with a .462 average, 24 stolen bases, six home runs and 30 RBIs have lots of company.
Texas Tech first baseman Gavin Kash — a transfer from Texas — leads the Big 12 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs.
Four of the league’s top seven home run hitters are from Oklahoma State, where Nolan Schubart, Roc Riggio, David Mendham and Nolan McLean have combined for 31 of the team’s 50 dingers.
And this is how unpredictable the Big 12 hitters have been so far: Of the players listed above, only Riggio and McLean were named to the all-Big 12 preseason team.
“I had a good freshman year, but it wasn’t like I did anything too crazy where it should have been automatic,” Wetherholt said about his omission. “It would have been cool to be on it. I saw it. My goal is for us to win as much as possible, so that stuff doesn’t really motivate me.”
Who is ranked?
At No. 24, WVU is one of four teams nationally ranked in the Big 12.
Oklahoma State tops that list at No. 17, while Texas is No. 21 and Texas Tech is No. 22.
A fast series
WVU’s trip to Kansas State will feature the two top teams in the Big 12 in stolen bases. WVU leads the Big 12 with 74 steals. The Wildcats are second with 70.
A fast start?
While Kansas State (18-9, 4-2 Big 12) is tied for second in the conference, the Wildcats were picked to finish seventh in the preseason by the coaches.
WVU, which was picked to finish sixth, follows that three-game series by returning home to face Kansas (9-14, 0-3), which was picked eighth.
A fast start to conference play could set up WVU for a top-25 showdown at No. 17 Oklahoma State, which begins April 14.
TWEET @bigjax3211
