West Virginia baseball is set to open its season on the road this weekend with a three-game series against Georgia Southern. But before the Mountaineers throw their first pitch, they’re already facing a bit of adversity on the mound.
Chase Meyer, the team’s highly regarded arm and a key piece of the pitching staff, won’t be in the starting rotation to kick things off. He’s still working his way back from a broken finger, and while he’s available, his role will be limited to bullpen duty for now. Not ideal, especially when you’re opening the season away from home.
But here’s where things get interesting - and potentially promising.
With Meyer sidelined from starting duties, the door swings wide open for someone else to step up. And in college baseball, especially early in the season, these are the kinds of moments that can reshape a rotation or even a season. It’s the next-man-up mentality, but with real opportunity attached.
“You never know how it'll turn out necessarily,” said head coach Steve Sabins. “But maybe it gives someone else an opportunity to start and get off to a great start and build confidence.”
That’s the mindset you want from your skipper. Sabins isn’t downplaying the loss - Meyer’s talent is real, and his presence on the mound matters - but he’s also looking at the bigger picture.
Early season injuries, as long as they’re not season-ending, can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. They force depth to emerge.
They test your roster in meaningful ways before the grind of conference play begins.
And let’s be honest - this is exactly the kind of test that can reveal whether a team has the kind of internal competition and resilience that championship-caliber clubs are built on. Someone’s going to get the ball in a spot they probably weren’t expecting. What they do with it could shape the rest of the season.
So while Meyer’s return to full strength is something to watch, the spotlight now shifts to the unknown - the arm that gets the nod, the innings that suddenly matter more, and the chance for a new name to make an early-season statement.
West Virginia’s season is already throwing a curveball. Now we’ll see who’s ready to swing back.