WVU baseball strikes gold with Division II transfers
West Virginia pitcher Chansen Cole struck out 11 batters in super regional Game 1 to get the Mountaineers off to a hot start. Dawson Montesa pitched a gem in the regional game against Wake Forest when WVU needed a big performance to extend the season. Ian Korn came in in the first game against Kentucky in a dire situation and was one of the top Big 12 pitchers all year.
Then, of course, Paul Schoenfeld sent Morgantown into a frenzy when he hit a two-run homer for the go-ahead runs to cap off a crazy comeback in the ninth inning.
What do all four of those players have in common? No, they weren’t SEC transfers; they didn’t even transfer from a Power Four school. They weren’t from a mid-major Division I school, either. Head coach Steve Sabins found all four of those impact players in Division II. Players who might’ve been overlooked by most programs because none of them had ever played Division I baseball.
“For all four of those guys to be massive impact, top players in the country, all Americans, is really a remarkable story,” Sabins said.
Heading into the Mountaineers first College World Series, all four of them will have some role, and Cole is expected to start the opener today against Troy (2 p.m.).
When Sabins recruited them this offseason, obviously, he wouldn’t have thought all four would pan out to be top players in the Big 12. The goal before the season was to surpass the super regional, after losing in back-to-back years. So Sabins thought maybe the four of them could help WVU punch its ticket to the College World Series.
“You evaluate, you do work, and the staff does work and they believe that someone can have success at this level, I don’t think you could ever say that,” Sabins said. “But when you recruit somebody coming off of a super regional, you’re saying this is the guy that’s going to take us to the next spot. This is going to help us make this next jump.”
Sabins has a history of striking gold at the Division II level. He found MLB Draft picks Derek Clark and Griffin Kirn at Division II schools. Sabins uses them as an example to bring in some of the most successful Division II players.
“They’re transferring after having quality Division II seasons, not getting an opportunity to play professional baseball, coming to West Virginia, playing at the highest level, having success, and being drafted,” Sabins said. “When I get to sell that on the phone to the recruit, or in person, or look their parents in the eyes and say, ‘Why should you choose West Virginia,’ the proof’s in the pudding.”
Sabins looks for certain players, making sure they have the right attitude. He wants players who show up and are “hungry” to play for WVU. Cole, Montesa, Korn and Schoenfeld all have that mentality and have shown it during the season, especially in the NCAA tournament.
“We don’t always do the best with the guy that is entitled or thinks that we owe him something, right?” Sabins said. “We’ve been able to get these kids that are going up a level. It’s almost like hiring internally someone that’s like I’m their guy, and I’m gonna go maximize everything for them. It’s more like that run-through-a-brick-wall mentality.”
All four of them have taken advantage of their season with the Mountaineers. Cole and Korn were both named first-team All-Big 12. Schoenfeld was second team as an outfielder. Montesa was named to the Morgantown Regional all-tournament team and had some big starts in the regular season.
It’s a mixture of recruiting the right players, hard work and then bringing it onto the field. All four of them will show that combination this weekend in the CWS.
“Our program has evolved, and the players that we have access to have evolved, and the talent of recruiting has evolved,” Sabins said. “But I think it’s really important for us to stay focused on there’s some combination of appreciation and work ethic and talent that goes into these kids being great here.”