Randy Mazey came to West Virginia in 2012 with a knowledge of Big 12 baseball.
With the Mountaineers, Mazey is showing his team belongs at the top of the Big 12.
As the WVU baseball team begins to work its way to the front of the pack, Mazey has already etched his name among the best in program history.
With the Mountaineers’ 11-6 win at Kansas on Saturday, Mazey earned his 100th victory of his head coaching career at WVU.
Mazey is the second West Virginia baseball coach to get 100 wins in his fourth season and he is the fifth coach to eclipse the 100-mark, in all.
The mark is notable, no doubt, but it was something that wasn’t exactly important to Mazey, himself.
"“I didn’t have any idea, to be honest with you. When they doused me with the Gatorade, I thought they were made at me, because I don’t keep up with stuff like that,” said Mazey after the milestone win. “I’m just proud of these guys, we’ve been through a little bit of a grind here, travel-wise and with a four game losing streak. We had every opportunity to be down on ourselves coming into the weekend and it took some veteran guys to lift us up.”"
Mazey has taken a new approach this season. As he has breathed a new life into the program, he is counting on young talent to gain experience and make and impact right away.
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In that win against Kansas, six players in the starting lineup were either sophomores or freshman.
The Mountaineers raced to double-digit wins and now sit at 12-9 on the year.
West Virginia will soon be in the thick of Big 12 play. The Mountaineers got off on the wrong foot by being swept in three games by TCU, Mazey’s former team. But, WVU got back on track by taking two games on the road at Kansas.
Things get tougher pretty quick as the Mountaineers host perennial power Oklahoma State at Monongalia County Ballpark this weekend.
Mazey is the right guy to be leading the WVU baseball program. The 100 wins should show even the most casual fan that he is constantly, and consistently, building the proper program to compete in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
But, as Mazey was unaware of the milestone, the Mountaineers can never be satisfied. The team has regressed a little bit after starting strong in its first season in the Big 12. With a young surge of talent, and Mazey’s veteran leadership, West Virginia has the best blend to make an impact this year, and beyond.