MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Home-run headwear became a thing in the West Virginia dugout this spring, and if the fusion of Mountaineer-meets-Viking seems random, that’s because it is.
While prepping for the season opener at Kennesaw State, reliever Sam Kessler had a package shipped to the team’s Atlanta hotel.
“He started assembling it, and we thought, OK, that’s just Kessler being Kessler,” said teammate Alek Manoah. “When he finished putting it together, we’re like, ‘What’s that?’ And Kessler said it’s our home run helmet.”
When WVU trailed Oklahoma State last week in the finals of the Big 12 tournament, Manoah donned the prop helmet and told coach Randy Mazey he was ready to pinch-hit.
“I told Maze I was gonna hit a home run,” Manoah said.
