Is WVU a Regional Host? Here's When We'll Find Out + Why Sabins Feels Confident

Close, but no cigar.

West Virginia fell one win short of capturing its first-ever Big 12 tournament crown on Saturday, dropping a 9-0 game to the Kansas Jayhawks, a team they swept on the road earlier this season.

While the game ultimately turned into a laugher, it's not indicative of how close this game was for the majority of the night and how the Mountaineers could have had the momentum in the early/middle innings. They stranded a runner on third in back-to-back innings early in the game and then left the bases loaded in consecutive innings (5th & 6th). Things quickly got out of hand when Steve Sabins turned to the bullpen, surrendering back-to-back-to-back jacks.

It was not the showing the Mountaineers wanted to have by any means, but the result should have zero impact on their ability to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament.

Tonight, at 8:30 p.m. ET, the NCAA will reveal the 16 hosts and then release the entire field of 64 during its selection show on Monday. The NCAA will announce the hosts on social media and in a press release. We will have the news the second it comes out as well.

Sabins is pretty comfortable with where things stand and reiterated, following their win over Arizona State in the semifinals, that he believes they have the resume needed to host.

“I do (feel good). And I said that after the regular season. That’s not news. The team certainly is deserving, and I think we’ve checked just about every box humanly possibly. We lost two series the entire year, and then you come out in the tournament and win a couple games against really good teams, so I think we’re in a really good position to do that.”

Some may look at last night's beatdown as something that would greatly impact their resume, but in reality, it doesn't. It's difficult to beat a top 15 team four times in a row, especially after you took the first three from them on their own field. Let's not forget, West Virginia mercy ruled the Jayhawks in that series finale, and in the four-game total, the Mountaineers outscored Kansas 22-14.

Assuming the NCAA selection committee does the right thing, which is something you should probably never do when it comes to those folks, it will be the first time the Mountaineers have hosted a regional since 2019.

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