During a tense Saturday game at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, it looked like the West Virginia Mountaineers were running out of time.
After jumping out to an early 4-0 lead, the Tigers surged back to take a 5-4 lead with just six outs left in the game. The situation was daunting—but West Virginia’s head coach, Steve Sabins, remained calm and steady.
That calmness spread through the team, helping the Mountaineers rally once again to pull off a stunning upset of the top-seeded Clemson Tigers and punch their ticket to the Regional Finals.
“It’s not really a tactic or strategy,” Sabins said. “I’m just thinking through the game and the situations. In these big moments, it sounds like I’m calmer, but it’s more about processing things clearly.”
Experience Brings Composure
Sabins has been through plenty of high-pressure games, and that experience helps him keep his cool when the stakes are high.
“I’ve seen more big games than most,” he said. “These guys want it so badly, for themselves and the team. If the coaching staff can stay calm and focused, it really helps the players stay composed too.”
The Mountaineers showed that composure Saturday with clutch hitting in the late innings. Armani Guzman doubled in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5.
Then in the ninth, with two outs, Grant Hussey earned a walk to keep the inning alive before Sam White smashed a double off the wall, scoring the go-ahead run. WVU didn’t stop there, adding three more runs to lead 9-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.
Closing it Out Under Pressure
Chase Meyer came in for his third inning of relief, recording two quick outs before the situation tightened. With the count 2-0 and the winning run at the plate, Meyer handed the ball over to Ben McDougal.
McDougal calmly struck out the next batter in just four pitches to seal the victory.
“Seeing your leader stay calm, instead of freaking out, keeps the whole team steady,” Meyer said. “Thankfully, Coach Sabins is always collected and teaches us to be the same.”
A Team on the Brink of History
Though it’s Sabins’ first year as head coach at West Virginia, his leadership has the Mountaineers on the edge of making program history. WVU is now poised to make back-to-back appearances in the Regional Finals for the first time ever—and one more win will send them to consecutive Super Regionals for the first time.
Sabins’ calm under fire is proving to be exactly what this team needs to thrive in the biggest moments.
