Don't Be Surprised If These Two WVU Players Switch Positions

Positional flexibility — it is something that West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins wants in everybody that he brings into the program. And as we saw this past season, being able to play multiple positions not only keeps you in the lineup, but also gives the skipper the ability to play his best nine every single day.

Gavin Kelly and Matthew Graveline split time behind the plate, while Kelly also played some second base and Graveline spent a good chunk of time in left field. Armani Guzman began the year in centerfield before ultimately settling in at first base, giving West Virginia a ton of athleticism across the diamond.

With all of the pieces that Sabins added through the transfer portal this summer, it could leave the door open to moving Matt Ineich to second base or Tyrus Hall to shortstop. Maybe both.

Ineich was a sound defender all season long, committing just six errors while recording 61 putouts and 157 assists, finishing the year with a .973 fielding percentage. While he is smooth with the glove and knows where to go with the baseball, he may not have the best range or the strongest arm to play that spot next spring.

With Brodie Kresser graduating, West Virginia has a hole at second base, and it makes a ton of sense to slide Ineich over there and maybe even move Hall to short in his place. Had Owen Henne turned down his opportunity with the Cardinals to come to West Virginia, I think it would’ve been a no-brainer to start him at short and move Ineich over.

Hall was tremendous at the hot corner in 2026, snatching up everything that came his way and making the difficult plays look routine. He is a former shortstop, so it’s not like moving him there would be foreign to him. The only issue it creates is having to replace his glove at third, which will not be easy. Armani Guzman played there some toward the end of 2024, so he could be an option as well as junior college transfer Ryan Piekutoski, who had just a .875 fielding percentage at USC Sumter.

Not only do I feel that moving Ineich over to second is the best decision defensively, but it also gives them the best lineup. Colton Sims and Matthew Robaugh are a couple of intriguing options at second base; however, I’m not sure they are quite ready to step into a starting role.

Obviously, there is a ton of time to figure out the best defensive alignment, but Sabins is certainly not short (no pun intended) on options.

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