By James Willis
Randy Mazey capped of an incredible season and career with the West Virginia Mountaineers last season that saw the club get knocked out of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship tournament fairly quickly, but to the surprise of its own fanbase, West Virginia behind the power arm of Derek Clark made its way to the first-ever appearance in a super regional last season.
The Mountaineers, in the Tucson Regional, defeated Dallas Baptist and clean-swept Grand Canyon to advance to the Chapel Hill Super Regional, where the Mountaineers magical season came to an end with a 8-6 loss and 2-1 loss to the Tar Heels.
Now the lineup cards have switched hands from Mazey to Steve Sabins, as he is primed and ready for his first season as the Mountaineers head coach.
JJ Wetherholt, who was primed to be the first overall pick in last years MLB Draft but, due to injuries, saw his stock drop, is no longer with the program as he was drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Wetherholt missed a total of 24 games last season.
Starting catcher Logan Sauve missed 15 games after taking a fastball to his knee. Brody Kresser also was waling-wounded in 2024, as he missed 13 game with a multitude of injuries. Both look to have healthy and productive campaigns in 2025.
Below is my predicted batting lineup for WVU:
C - Logan Sauve
1B - Grant Hussey
2B - Sam White (utility man, will be used everywhere)
SS - Brodie Kresser
3B - Spencer Barnett
LF - Kyle West
CF - Skylar King
RF - Ben Lumsden
DH - Ellis Garcia (split time at 3B w/ Barnett & others)
To note, transfer infielder Chase Swain is making progress to be at third base, but I’m not sold on him being the Opening Day starter at the corner position just yet. Also, transfer outfielder Jace Rinehart may be used as the designated hitter some and rotate out with Skylar King from center field.
On the pitching side, projected weekend starting pitcher Maxx Yehl will miss the entire 2025 season as he is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Yehl led the team in appearances in 2024, and this recent development will surely be a big blow for the Mountaineer staff.
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