Is WVU a Contender for the College World Series?

The Mountaineers are getting hot.

I've tried to hold back from bringing up this topic but at this point, it's starting to become obvious. West Virginia is a legitimate threat to make it to Omaha for the College World Series.

The Mountaineers won their ninth straight game on Wednesday night, defeating Pitt in seven innings, 10-0. What makes this recent hot streak truly impressive is the fashion in which they are beating teams, just pure dominance. WVU has outscored its opponents 95-29 during this stretch and has plated 10 runs or more in each of the last three games. 

Beating the likes of Pitt, Penn State, and Baylor isn't what makes me believe this team is for real. They've already proven that by taking two of three from Oklahoma State and Kansas State and sweeping TCU. But what's different about this year's group is they don't look ahead/play down to the level of its competition. In years past, there would be a game here and there that they would look flat in and squeak out a win or in some cases, even lose. Not this year. Good teams not only have success against other contenders but they pummel teams who have a .500 or below record. 

With yesterday's win, WVU now sits at 34-11 on the season and heads into the weekend atop the Big 12 standings with an 11-4 record in conference play. If the season were to end today, the Mountaineers would be a regional host. The good thing is, there are still ten games left in the regular season in addition to the Big 12 tournament. Should the bats remain hot and the pitching staff continues to do its job, West Virginia could very well play its way into contention to host a super regional, should it advance in the postseason. 

For those who are unfamiliar with how the baseball tournament works, 64 teams get in. The top 16 teams will host a regional where four teams will play in a double elimination pod. The 16 regional winners move on to the super regional where they are pitted against one team in a best-of-three series with a spot in the College World Series on the line. The eight winners of the super regionals head to the CWS in Omaha. They are split into two double-elimination brackets, consisting of four teams each. The remaining two teams will play a best-of-three series to decide the NCAA champion.

It would be hard for me to believe that West Virginia hosts a regional and not advance. Not with the way this team is playing and how much the home-field advantage will play a factor. Maybe they get stuck with three challenging teams but even then, I see them fighting their way through it. But to put themselves in a great position for tournament play, they need to finish off these last 10-13, 14 games strong. If they do so, they would potentially host their first super regional in program history which could ultimately lead to their first-ever appearance in the College World Series. And at that point, anything can happen.

So, can they reach the top eight? I believe so. 

This lineup is loaded from top to bottom. From the nation's best hitter, JJ Wetherholt, to Braden Barry, Tevin Tucker, Garnt Hussey, Caleb McNeely, Dayne Leonard, Landon Wallace, and on down, there's a ton of pop. But what makes WVU even more dangerous is their ability to swipe bags with regularity. A walk could essentially turn into a double within the blink of an eye. That's Mazey ball for you. 

And yes, this team is more talented overall than the Alek Manoah-led team in 2019, in my opinion. That squad leaned heavily on its pitching staff and played a lot of small ball to win games. This group may not have a Manoah on the pitching staff but they have quality arms. And to really have any chance to advance in the postseason, you must have a good combination of power and speed, creating more avenues to score runs. WVU has that.

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:

Facebook - @MountaineersNow

Twitter - @MountaineersNow and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.