June 6, 2012. Exactly 14 years ago on today’s date. Read more: Everything changed for WVU Baseball 14 years ago today.
Does that date ring a bell for anyone? For many it might just be a random Wednesday in history.
For WVU Baseball, that “random Wednesday” may just be the most important day in program history.
That is the day that legendary former head coach Randy Mazey was hired as West Virginia’s skipper. And did it ever change the program’s trajectory forever.
A hire that changed everything
Before Mazey was hired, the national conversation rarely included WVU among elite programs. In fact, rumors once circulated that the university could eliminate the program altogether.
For one, the Big East was on its last legs by the late 2000s, and it was never a conference known for baseball success in the first place. Coupled with WVU baseball never being a consistent program, the money coming in was just never enough to be a sustainable program.
To note, the three years before Mazey’s inaugural 2013 season, the Mountaineers had a combined record of 78 wins and 89 losses. Not horrible by any means, but far from a program that was competing at the highest level.
That all changed once Mazey was hired. He immediately flipped the standard of the program after going 33-26 and 13-11 in the Big 12.
Related: Chansen Cole helps push WVU to the brink of Omaha
While it wasn’t a smooth transition year and year out, slowly but surely Mazey was putting the building blocks together at West Virginia.
The growth of the program extended beyond the field as West Virginia opened its current home, Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark, in 2015. The move from Hawley Field, which served as the Mountaineers’ home from 1971 to 2014, to the state-of-the-art Monongalia County Ballpark marked a major upgrade for the program.
BaseballParks.com even named the field its Ballpark of the Year in 2015. BaseballParks.com awards the honor annually to the new or remodeled stadium that best combines site selection, exterior appearance, architectural design and fan amenities.
Fast forward to 2016, and Mazey had guided the Mountaineers to a 36-22 record. Just a few years into his tenure, WVU was already establishing itself as one of the nation’s better programs.
The process worked
Despite that, there were still some bumps along the way. Baseball is a difficult sport, and for a program that never experienced consistent success, Mazey continued to put in the work needed to get WVU to that level.
After making the NCAA Regionals in 2017 after a 36-26 record, WVU had a down year the following year after finishing 29-27.
However, that wouldn’t last long as Mazey and the Mountaineers were back in the regionals in 2019. A few years later, WVU started to hit its stride under Mazey as they made it to the regionals in 2023 and 2024.
Not only that, West Virginia reached the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in program history in 2024. Mazey achieved his 2012 hiring goal by building a once-struggling program into a consistent national contender.
Throughout the process, he also mentored the man who would soon take his place and continue the path he had carved. While Mazey’s head coaching career was coming to an end, he helped lay the foundation for his long-time assistant to take his place in a seamless transition.
Laid the foundation
After that program-defining season in 2024, Mazey decided it was time to step away from coaching. He saw the team in a better situation compared to when he arrived and decided it was the right time to step away.
That decision led West Virginia to hire current head coach Steve Sabins that summer. The man who was an assistant under Mazey for eight years, including three as the associate head coach.
Not only did Mazey lay the foundation for WVU baseball, he also allowed Sabins to take his time and become the head coach when he was officially ready. Not only Sabins, the team was also ready for a new head coach to take over.
Related: No. 16 WVU handles Cal Poly 12-2 in Game 1 of the Super Regionals
The transition was as seamless as can be. Everyone who knew anything about WVU Baseball knew it was Sabins’ job. The players loved him, he had proven his loyalty to the university, and he was ready to take on the new role.
The immediate results proved that.
In Sabins’ first year as the head coach, he followed in the footsteps of Mazey and took the Mountaineers to their second-straight Super Regional.
He also led them to an impressive 44-15 record and a 19-9 record in the Big 12. Sabins’ successfully managed to build off the success Mazey built at West Virginia.
Throughout this time, Mazey continued to attend West Virginia home games. Even though he hung it up as the head coach, he never stopped supporting the team he helped get to national contention.
A legacy that lives on
Now transition to the current day. West Virginia not only reached the Super Regionals for a third time in a row, it’s hosting the event for the first time in program history.
With a win on Saturday, the Mountaineers can achieve a feat they have never accomplished before: reaching the College World Series.
These are feats that any West Virginia fans never thought possible 15 to 20 years ago. However, Mazey changed the thought process of what success means for WVU.
Even though he’s no longer coaching, his presence still resonates throughout the program. He still attends virtually every home game. Just recently, fans coined the hill along the first-base side “Randy’s Ridge.”
That type of everlasting support is not written in a contract. It’s not like Mazey is getting paid to attend the games.
He simply cares about the program. The program that he helped shape into an annual national contender.
That’s why 14 years ago today, one man’s hiring helped change not only a baseball team, but also a university and the state it represents.
