Matt Wells arrived in Morgantown in 2002 as a 25-year-old single guy from the University of Tennessee, expecting to stay just two or three years before moving on to the next rung in college athletics. Read more: From Volunteer to Mountaineer: Matt Wells on the rise of WVU Baseball.
Twenty-four years later, the 49-year-old father of two considers West Virginia home. He has played a central role in one of the most impressive turnarounds in Mountaineer Athletics history: the rise of WVU Baseball.
“I moved here when I was 25 and single, and now I’m 49 with two kids,” Wells said with a laugh during a recent phone interview. “I’ve experienced a lot of different phases of life in Morgantown. Morgantown’s a great place. The state of West Virginia is a great place.”
As Deputy Athletics Director for External Affairs and sport administrator for baseball, Wells has had a front-row seat. He has often had a hand in the program’s transformation from a sporadic Big East contender to a consistent Big 12 power with three consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, back-to-back Super Regionals, and record-breaking fan support.
A program built on people who care
Wells is quick to credit others for the on-field success, including Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker, head coaches Randy Mazey and Steve Sabins, their staffs, players, administration, donors, and fans. He points to a consistent thread running through it all.
“It starts with having a lot of people that care about the program,” he said. “There was a decision made to invest appropriately in the program.”
That investment began in earnest when Oliver Luck hired Mazey, who brought vision and passion to the program. It continued with the construction of the Kendrick Family Ballpark and has accelerated under Baker and Sabins. From the outside, the results are obvious: surging attendance, Big 12 titles, and national relevance. From Wells’ administrative perspective, it’s about alignment.
The game-changing Biomechanics and Performance Center
One of the clearest symbols of commitment to excellence is the WVU Baseball Biomechanics and Performance Center, which opened in March 2025. The state-of-the-art facility was funded entirely through private donations. It was led by major gifts from Ken Kendrick and Rick and Jay Wagener, among others.
Wells played a key behind-the-scenes role, supporting the project and helping navigate the administrative and facilities side. At the same time, coaches Mazey and Sabins designed the building around what they believed the program needed.
“It’s another example of finding people who care,” Wells explained. “That building doesn’t get built without people who wanted it to happen and wanted to see WVU baseball continue to grow and be nationally competitive.”
Inside, players have access to cutting-edge technology like KinaTrax motion capture, Trackman, force plates, and a full-time biomechanist. The impact, Wells says, shows up in player development, injury prevention, and recruiting.
“You’re seeing guys take the next step in their careers and production going up,” he noted, pointing to standout 2026 performances. Maxx Yehl’s resilient season after missing the previous year due to injury is a prime example. The center’s data-driven insights help athletes and coaches identify and correct mechanical issues before they lead to bigger problems.
The facility has also become a draw for professionals. Major leaguers like Paul Skenes, Alek Manoah, and JJ Wetherholt, along with other former Mountaineers, have returned to the facility during the offseason to train there.
“You can’t put a dollar figure on your starting catcher getting a chance to catch a bullpen from the best pitcher in the majors,” Wells said of Gavin Kelly working with Skenes. “It gets the attention of recruits.”
That matters in today’s landscape. While NIL and revenue sharing are part of the equation, Wells emphasizes that top talent also wants development for the next level, and for life after baseball.
Turning Kendrick Family Ballpark into a destination
On the fan side, the investments have paid off dramatically. Attendance records have been shattered. What was once a spring afterthought for many Mountaineer fans has become appointment viewing.
Related: Action at Kendrick Family Ballpark doesn’t end with Senior Day
Wells credits several factors, including the beauty and fan-friendly layout of Kendrick Family Ballpark, affordable and family-oriented pricing, coaches who prioritize community engagement, and consistent winning.
“Baseball lends itself to being a family activity,” he said. “We’ve tried to keep prices reasonable… and make it fun.”
The human moments tell the story best. Wells’ favorite remains the 2019 NCAA Regional hosted in Morgantown.
“That electricity in the air, the huge crowds, especially for that opening night game against Fordham,” he recalled. “It showed the best of the Mountaineer fan base.”
Spring in Morgantown now has a buzz that didn’t exist before. Youth camps are packed. Kids run the bases after Sunday home games, line up for autographs from Sabins and the players, and Wells regularly gets texts from friends and fans asking if he’s at the game or how the team is doing on the road.
The big lesson: alignment
As he reflects on more than two decades at WVU, Wells offers a clear takeaway for aspiring administrators, athletes, and fans.
“Alignment is a very powerful thing,” he said. “When you have administration, university leadership, coaches, players, fans, donors, and political leaders all rowing the boat in the same direction, you make the kind of progress we’ve seen with WVU baseball.”
That alignment has turned a program that “wasn’t funded at a level fair to hold it to a higher standard” into one with realistic hopes of hosting regionals, winning super regionals, reaching Omaha, and competing for national titles.
For a guy who thought he’d only be in Morgantown a few years, Matt Wells has helped build something enduring both on the field and in the community he now proudly calls home.
