𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲-𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁: 𝗟𝗦𝗨 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗩𝗨 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻

Fearless in the Face of History: WVU Sets Sights on Top-Ranked LSU in Super Regional Clash

MORGANTOWN — In college baseball, few names resonate with the same power and prestige as LSU. With seven national titles — including four in the dominant 1990s era — and the reigning 2023 championship still fresh in memory, the Tigers are not just a team, they’re a brand, a tradition, a juggernaut.

Facing them is a team with a very different legacy — West Virginia University, a program still building its modern baseball identity. But come Saturday, the 24th-ranked Mountaineers (44-14) will face the sixth-seeded LSU Tigers (46-15) in a Super Regional that promises fire, grit, and no shortage of belief from both dugouts.

For WVU, it’s the biggest baseball moment in program history. And if you ask head coach Steve Sabins whether his squad feels intimidated, the answer is crystal clear.

“We Don’t Focus on Their History — We Focus on Our Game”

“There’s no need to convince these guys that they can beat somebody,” Sabins said confidently. “If you’re still trying to convince your team you can win, you’re probably not still playing baseball in June.”

It’s a mindset that’s carried WVU through a season of tough competition, surprising victories, and a gritty regional performance that included a 13-12 thriller against Kentucky.

They’ll need that same resolve — and then some — against LSU, a team that doesn’t just arrive with accolades, but with one of the most well-rounded rosters in college baseball.

The LSU Arsenal: Pitching, Power, and Precision

LSU enters this Super Regional with a complete package.

Pitching? Check. The Tigers boast a team ERA of 3.73, sixth-best in the nation. Anthony Eyanson, the junior right-hander expected to start Game 1, transferred from UC San Diego and has become a weapon. At 10-2 with a 2.50 ERA, Eyanson’s regional dominance included 9.1 scoreless innings — a sign that the Mountaineers will need to bring their best swings from the first pitch.

Defense? Also check. With a .982 fielding percentage and just 38 errors in 61 games, LSU’s defense is tight, experienced, and unforgiving.

Power? Absolutely. LSU has crushed 97 home runs this season, good for a top-25 mark nationally. Jared Jones leads the lineup with 20 bombs — a step down from his 28-homer campaign in 2023, but still a major threat in the middle of the order.

But WVU Is Not Backing Down

Coach Sabins isn’t interested in measuring his team’s success by the standards of LSU’s storied history.

“They’ve been a top program in the nation for 100 years,” he acknowledged. “They have the best resources, the most NIL, the biggest fan base, the biggest TV deals, awesome coaching staffs — all of that. But once we’re on the field, none of that matters.”

That is the core belief driving this WVU team: history doesn’t win games — execution does. And execution is where Sabins sees his team excelling.

“These guys know they can beat anyone in the country if they play good baseball,” Sabins emphasized. “We’re not interested in what LSU did last year. It’s about what happens between the lines, pitch by pitch.”

Banged Up But Not Broken

WVU will also get a boost from the return of two key starters: designated hitter Sam White and shortstop Brodie Kresser. Both suffered painful hit-by-pitches during Sunday’s victory over Kentucky — White taking one to the ribs, Kresser to the knee — but they’ve been cleared to play.

“Sam White has the nastiest bruise I’ve ever seen on a human being,” Sabins said. “It’s the size of a softball. And Kresser took a 95 mile-per-hour fastball to the kneecap and kept playing. They’re not feeling good, but they’re not broken.”

That toughness could be a major intangible in WVU’s favor, especially in what promises to be an emotionally charged and physically demanding series.

A First-Time Meeting, a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Saturday’s Super Regional opener marks the first-ever meeting between West Virginia and LSU in baseball. It’s the classic David vs. Goliath setup, with one team chasing legacy and the other chasing its first real taste of national prominence.

But if there’s anything this WVU team has shown, it’s that they won’t be blinded by reputation. They’ve come this far playing fearless baseball, and that won’t change — not for LSU, not for anyone.

“We’ve earned this shot,” Sabins said. “Now it’s about seizing it.”

As the Tigers and Mountaineers gear up for this high-stakes battle, only one thing is certain: history may be on LSU’s side, but heart is on WVU’s. And in June baseball, heart counts for a lot.