The West Virginia Mountaineers men’s baseball team is demonstrating strong defensive play this season, as reported on May 12. The team, currently ranked 11th, recently completed a series sweep at Kansas without committing an error and extended their streak to 35 consecutive innings of error-free defense.
This level of performance is significant because defense is often considered an overlooked aspect in college baseball. Head coach Steve Sabins said via Zoom, “You might have an idea, but when you recruit, you can’t sit there and watch 50 games and see the defense of a player unfold, and high school kids are not always (posting) their defense all the time. It’s about hitting, pitching, velocity and all those kinds of things.”
Sabins praised several players for their roles in strengthening the team’s defense. He called Armani Guzman “the fastest first baseman” in the country and described Paul Schoenfeld as a revelation in center field. Sabins also said junior college transfer Tyrus Hall is the “best third baseman” he has ever coached.
Catcher Gavin Kelly was highlighted by Sabins as a standout player: “He’s a unicorn,” he said of his sophomore All-America candidate who was recently invited to Team USA’s Collegiate National Team training camp. According to Sabins, Kelly has thrown out nearly 60% of runners attempting to steal bases against him.
Sabins reflected on how this defensive lineup developed over time: “I was a little bit nervous because I hadn’t really had a two-man team behind the plate like we’ve had with Kelly and Graveline,” he admitted. He also credited Schoenfeld for earning his role as starting centerfielder: “Schoenfeld did not start as our centerfielder, and he flat-out took that job.”
Summing up his view on building elite teams through defense, Sabins said: “It’s almost like offense and pitching can get you to a serviceable floor and have a good season, but you can’t have an elite season without that defense.” With three regular-season games remaining before conference play begins, West Virginia’s strong defensive showing puts them in position for potential postseason success.