Predicting Who Will Pitch for WVU in the Elimination Game Against Troy

Steve Sabins has a ton of options, thanks to the two days of rest in between their first two games.

Jun 12, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers starting pitcher Chansen Cole (35) walks to the dugout with West Virginia Mountaineers catcher Matthew Graveline (0) before the game against the Troy Trojans at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Trying to figure out who Steve Sabins will give the ball to on Tuesday afternoon is about as difficult as trying to hit a bullseye with a blindfold on. There are several options on the table, and there's no telling which route he'll go. With it being an elimination game, I'd imagine whoever it is won't have an incredibly long leash if they run into trouble because he needs to keep things in check.

We could see each of WVU's top arms if needed, aside from Maxx Yehl, of course. Sabins even hinted at the possibility of going back to Chansen Cole again, who got hit around against this very Troy team last Friday.

"Cole didn’t have a very long outing; he threw 55 pitches, and Cole is very good, obviously. Troy got him a little bit, but my bet is that they wouldn’t have the same amount of success just because Cole can make adjustments and is a great pitcher. But great options."

He also mentioned Carson Estridge, Dawson Montesa, Ian Korn, and Ben McDougal by name, for what it's worth.

So, who will Sabins turn to?

Jun 12, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers starting pitcher Chansen Cole (35) throws against the Troy Trojans during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

It sure felt like Sabins was hinting at Cole getting a shot at redemption against the Trojans, so that's what I'm guessing is going to happen. He's going to ride with one of the horses that got him here, regardless of what happened Friday.

The season is on the line, and just because your best pitcher available got tagged against this lineup a few days ago doesn't mean it'll happen again. Just look at what happened to Maxx Yehl against Kentucky, for example. He failed to make it out of the first inning against them, and then two days later, he tossed a gem against the same lineup.

If it's not Cole, I would expect it to be Montesa. It would be in the same situation for him as his start against Wake Forest, pitching in game three and facing elimination. He handled that pretty well, going a strong 7.1 innings in what was arguably his best outing of the year. If he could go five or six and get you the win without having to use Cole, Sabins could go to him against North Carolina on Wednesday.

From the start of May up until his start against Troy, Cole had been dominant. In those 39 innings, he struck out 52 batters while walking just six, pitching to the tune of a 2.77 ERA.