The West Virginia University baseball program is taking another enormous step forward.
WVU Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker announced on Thursday an additional 140 athletic scholarships will be provided for the 2026-27 season, extending the overall scholarships to 400, including 28 going towards baseball.
“(WVU) President Benson, Wren Baker and the Board of Governors acted swiftly to address the changing landscape inside universities and athletic departments,” WVU baseball head coach Steve Sabins said. “The leadership required to accomplish something of this magnitude should not be taken for granted. Many smart, hardworking, and selfless individuals had to come together and create a shared vision of the future.
“These decisions will positively impact the lives of student athletes and reshape WVU Athletics and the University for the better. The leadership at WVU is second to none. This is a historic day in WVU history that should be celebrated. I am more proud than ever to be a Mountaineer!”
In June, the NCAA announced roster limits while increasing scholarships.
Baseball programs around the country have been operating on 11.7 scholarships. The roster was lowered to 34 from the previous mark of 40 during the summer. However, all 34 players can be on scholarship.
In an interview on “3 Guys Before the Game,’ Baker said the scholarship increase places WVU within the top two in the Big 12 and hinted the baseball program will lead the league in scholarships.
The program opened the Baseball Biomechanics and Performance Center in the spring. The state-of-the-art facility is one of a handful in college baseball.
West Virginia has been on the rise and made history the last eight seasons. The Mountaineers made their first Super Regional appearance in 2024 and returned in ’25 after capturing the Big 12 Conference Championship, the second league title in three years.
After a 21-year drought, head coach Randy Mazey returned the program to the postseason in 2017 after earning a bid to the NCAA tournament, then hosted a 2019 NCAA regional for the first time since in 64 years.
West Virginia bounced back following a four-year hiatus and has since earned three-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
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Member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
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