WVU has started their season 20-4 and has earned praise from multiple sets of independent rankings. The Mountaineers have sill yet to be ranked by D1 Baseball (which the NCAA uses as their official rankings), but they are getting attention in rankings from other outlets.
Perfect Game ranked the WVU Mountaineers at an impressive 16th in their Top 25 rankings on Tuesday. The National College Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) also ranked WVU in their Top 25, placing them at 23rd.
Rankings update 📊#HailWV pic.twitter.com/X3ojv1EhN2
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) March 25, 2025
With the 20-4 start, it isn’t surprising that the Mountaineers are getting some attention in the rankings. Even though the strength of schedule was not the toughest before Big 12 play, showing up and winning 13 straight games to start the season is no walk in the park. Getting consistent enough pitching, hitting, and fielding from college players to win 13 games in a row shows the talent on this WVU team, regardless of who they played in their nonconference schedule.
Climbing To The Top
On February 18, Perfect Game had WVU listed as the 21st overall in their Top 25. WVU was 3-0 at the time Perfect Game had released their rankings. With WVU continuing to rack up wins, getting to 20 so far this season, WVU’s ranking goes up with it.
What has allowed WVU to continue to move up in Perfect Game’s rankings? First, it has been the offense. Currently, the Mountaineers are showcasing a .307 batting average, .870 OPS and are averaging 8.25 runs per game. The offense seems to show up every night. Even in the four losses, the Mountaineers were able to score 9, 4, 4, and 4 runs, respectively.
It has not always been perfect, but the bullpen has definitely been a big contributor for the team's 20 victories. Relievers Carson Estridge (who has been moved to the starting rotation), Reese Bassinger, former Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Chase Meyer, Benjamin Hudson, and Jack Kartsonas all have been very effective at different times. Starters Griffin Kirn (3.82 ERA) and Gavin Van Kempen (4.43) have been solid, with some ups and downs for both pitchers.
Although it's nice to receive some accommodation, ultimately what matters to this team is the Big 12 and NCAA Baseball Tournament. This team, led by first-year head coach Steve Sabins, is focused on returning to the Super Regionals and advancing to Omaha this year.