Bayou Clash: Steve Sabins Previews WVU’s Super Regional Showdown at LSU
MORGANTOWN — With the fire of Mountaineer resolve burning in his eyes, West Virginia associate head coach Steve Sabins stood before a sea of reporters, each of them hunting for a soundbite that would capture the drama awaiting in Baton Rouge. But what Sabins delivered was more than just quotes — it was a manifesto of underdog defiance.
“We’re not going down there to admire their stadium,” Sabins said bluntly, referencing LSU’s infamous Alex Box Stadium, often called the “Death Valley of college baseball.” “We’re going to win.”
This weekend, the unranked West Virginia Mountaineers will face No. 3 LSU in a Super Regional that has already become the most controversial pairing of the NCAA baseball tournament. Fans and pundits alike are questioning whether the selection committee deliberately stacked the deck, placing a gritty but geographically isolated WVU squad against the SEC powerhouse. LSU, fresh off a controversial walk-off win against Oregon, comes in with swagger — but WVU is fueled by scars.
Sabins, known for his tactical mind and occasionally incendiary interviews, did not mince words. “They say we haven’t played anyone. They say our RPI isn’t strong. That’s cute,” he said. “But they forget we’ve got pitchers who’ve thrown in freezing rain, in front of 400 fans in March, who now get to silence 12,000 screaming Cajuns.”
And there’s no denying the Mountaineers have heat. Sophomore ace Ryan Kinney, a former overlooked Ohio recruit, has emerged as one of the tournament’s most electric arms, boasting a 1.83 ERA and a 97-mph fastball that turned heads during the regional. In the bullpen, senior closer Mark “The Undertaker” Benson—infamous for staring down opposing hitters like a WWE villain—has not given up a run since April.
But LSU isn’t without its demons. Whispers of internal tension between head coach Jay Johnson and his pitching staff have leaked from Baton Rouge. Rumors surfaced after Johnson was seen berating his bullpen coach mid-game during their regional finale. “We’re fine,” Johnson said when asked about the incident, before abruptly ending his presser.
Sabins, for his part, offered a final shot. “You’ve got a team with six All-Americans and a $40 million stadium,” he said. “We’ve got a bus, a chip on our shoulder, and a fanbase that would walk barefoot to Louisiana if they had to.”
The matchup promises fireworks — not just between the chalk lines, but in the dugouts, the grandstands, and the headlines. And if Sabins’ prediction proves true, LSU might find themselves not in Death Valley, but buried under the rising tide of West Virginia grit.
One thing’s certain: baseball’s genteel image may not survive this Super Regional. And Steve Sabins wouldn’t have it any other way.
