Does WVU Save Maxx Yehl? Projecting the Rotation for Morgantown Regional

Just like it was heading into the Big 12 Conference tournament, the pitching strategy by Steve Sabins is going to be heavily talked about in the days leading up to and during the Morgantown Regional.

With WVU taking on No. 4 seed Binghamton on Friday, Sabins could opt to push Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl to Saturday, lining him up against the winner of Wake Forest/Kentucky. There are two reasons why that may not happen, though.

First, pitchers are creatures of habit. Trust me, I used to be one, and I didn't like getting thrown out of my weekly routine. None of them do.

Now, Yehl did pitch on Thursday last week as opposed to his normal Friday start, so it wouldn't be the first time his routine got switched up. This time, though, he would be gaining an extra day of rest instead of losing one. I know you don't want to look ahead, but as a coach, you do have to keep these things in mind...if you want Yehl to start game one of a super regional (most likely at UCLA), you would probably like to have that full week of rest going into it. Then again, he's a veteran and knows how to take care of his body, so it shouldn't be an issue if he does go into it on six days' rest.

The second part of it is going back to what Sabins said a week ago, which was basically to win the game in front of you. Yehl gives WVU the best chance to do that when he's available, and believe it or not, No. 4 seeds have burned teams who didn't start their ace on plenty of occasions. It may sound silly to worry about Binghamton, but just ask LSU, which lost to Little Rock last year in the Baton Rouge Regional.

When asked on Monday if there were any pitching plans yet, Sabins responded, “Not yet. We got to go look. My wife, as soon as Binghamton was announced, she was like, ‘Is that good?’ I said, ‘I haven’t done a lot of scouting reports on Binghamton in my free time this spring.’ So I have no idea what they’re doing. Obviously, they’re an incredible team. I remember years ago, they had an $80 million anonymous donation to their program, where they built a state-of-the-art facility. Incredible resources, and it’s obviously helped them recruit at a high level and be successful. They’re going to be a hell of a team, but we just need to go look at some general matchup stuff. Left versus right and how they’ve done offensively, and where they stack up, and what pitcher may be a good matchup for them.”

So, how do I see it going?

Friday vs. Binghamton

Paul Schoenfeld, Chansen Cole — WVU Athletics Communications

Projected starter: Chansen Cole

Cole could be a good option against Wake Forest because he will live down in the zone against a power-hitting team, but you can't predict who you will face on Saturday. Most years, Cole would be this team's No. 1 arm, so really, you're not going to have a massive drop-off in the quality of starting pitching you'll get in this game.

Since his complete game against Kansas State, Cole has pitched five, 5.1, and five innings. If he is efficient, he could give Sabins some length and save as many arms as possible, in addition to Yehl's for Saturday. The Bearcats have just two guys in their lineup hitting over .300, so I wouldn't expect him to get barreled up a ton.

If I'm being totally honest, I think West Virginia would be in good shape if they threw Dawson Montesa, but I'm not sure Sabins wants to re-insert him into the rotation while also pushing BOTH Yehl and Cole back a day.

Don't forget, Sabins was a part of that staff in 2019 that elected to pitch Nick Snyder in game one against Fordham, saving Alek Manoah for game two.

Saturday vs. Wake Forest/Kentucky

Projected starter: Maxx Yehl

Assuming WVU is able to take care of business against Binghamton, WVU will have the advantage on the mound with the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year going against Wake/Kentucky's No. 2 arm...if they go this route.

Wake Forest's offense is dangerous, slugging .506 as a team with 90 homers. They aren't much of a threat on the bases, but do have an elite base stealer in Javar Williams, who has swiped 31 bags in 35 attempts. Yehl can keep him closer to the bag, being a lefty, and is much quicker to the plate than Cole.

If WVU gets out of the regional and has to hit the road, Sabins can roll him out there next Friday, knowing that he can be just as effective on six days' rest. Or if he likes the setup of Cole eating up a bunch of innings, he can keep the rotation the same.

Sunday vs. TBD

Projected starter: Ian Korn

Korn, in my opinion, is going to become the rubber arm for the Mountaineers in the NCAA Tournament, especially if they go with the strategy I'm predicting them to use, which is to have him available to come in relief in game one and then be available to start game three, just like he did in the Big 12 tournament. He is super reliable, and if you can reach Sunday without him having to throw, WVU is in a great spot.

I did consider him as a Friday starting option, but you don't want to have to use him in that opener if you don't have to. You would much rather he be available for Kentucky/Wake. If all goes well in a Chansen Cole start and he gives WVU six or seven innings, you can probably rely on some young arms to carry you to the finish line, depending on how many runs are on the board.

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