Sabins, Korn discuss missed chances, NCAA Tournament focus after loss
West Virginia left Arizona without the trophy, but there was still plenty to unpack after the loss to Kansas in the Big 12 Championship game.
Head coach Steve Sabins and pitcher Ian Korn discussed the missed opportunities, the team’s mindset moving into the NCAA Tournament and what still lies ahead for the Mountaineers after the 9-0 loss.
The opportunities were there all night
Sabins kept coming back to how close the game felt despite the final score. West Virginia stranded 10 runners and repeatedly put pressure on Kansas but never delivered the key hit needed to change the game. Sabins pointed to several moments where one swing could have flipped the outcome.
“We had a lot of offensive opportunities,” Sabins said. “You’re envisioning a two, a double here to clear them, is how you win a ball game and win a title. Didn’t happen today for us. But certainly had those opportunities.”
Sabins also addressed the strange bases-loaded sequence in the sixth inning that briefly appeared to unravel before WVU escaped without an out being recorded. He explained the play wasn’t designed chaos, but rather players reacting in real time, trying to create a scoring opportunity.
Fatigue may have played a role
When discussing the offensive struggles overall, Sabins said there were likely multiple factors involved, including the grind of tournament baseball, late nights and travel across time zones. But he also stressed the importance of remaining aggressive at the plate rather than trying to guide balls into play in pressure moments.
“You wanna see guys be aggressive,” Sabins said. “You wanna see them challenge the fences on every swing.”
Even with the loss, Sabins believes the Mountaineers accomplished an important goal by likely securing a regional hosting spot through their tournament performance.
Sabins still liked the way his team competed
While the final innings got away from West Virginia after Kansas broke the game open with several late home runs, Sabins made it clear the score did not reflect how competitive the game actually was.
“For sure, and we mentioned that just way closer than the score would indicate,” Sabins said.
Sabins also used the loss as an example of the standard his team has tried to maintain all season. He emphasized that the biggest issue for him is never physical mistakes as much as lapses in focus or effort, especially when adversity hits.
“That’s really the challenge every day when you show up in the yard, you turn the scoreboard off and you play every pitch of every game,” Sabins said. “And that’s why we’ve won a bunch of games.”
The focus now shifts to the NCAA Tournament
Looking ahead, Sabins said the focus now turns toward recovery and getting players back into a normal routine before regional play begins next weekend.
He also pointed to the possibility of hosting postseason baseball in Morgantown as motivation moving forward.
“If we get an opportunity to host a regional and get 5,000 fans in a sold-out stadium with crazy West Virginians, that’s gonna be the best and most fun electric atmosphere in the country,” Sabins said.
Korn discussed handling different roles this season
Korn, who started Saturday after previously pitching in relief earlier in the tournament, discussed the preparation involved with staying ready for any role during postseason play.
“No matter what role it is. No matter what situation,” Korn said. “I’m gonna do anything possible with our trainers, with our coaches to communicate and make sure we’re ready to go.”
The right-hander also reflected on his jump from Division II baseball to a major role for West Virginia this season, crediting attention to detail following Tommy John surgery for helping improve his game.
“Ever since that surgery, I’ve been able to pay more attention to what really matters,” Korn said. “And that’s going out there and being a great teammate.”
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