Where Does Reaching Omaha Rank in the Modern Era of WVU Sports History?

Breaking down the top 10 moments in Mountaineer athletics in recent memory.

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For the first time in program history, the West Virginia Mountaineers will be playing in the College World Series.

The last two weeks were jam-packed with energy and excitement in Morgantown as fans witnessed some of the most thrilling endings to baseball games you could ever imagine, and eventually watched the Mountaineers punch their ticket to Omaha.

The two-run homer by Paul Schoenfeld, the walk-off hit by Armani Guzman, and even the brilliant 7.1-inning performance by Dawson Montesa against Wake Forest got me thinking about the best moments in WVU sports history.

Instead of trying to put singular moments or plays in order, I figured we'd take a look back at some of the best wins in recent memory to see where this current WVU baseball run figures in.

Here is my top 10.

No. 10: Beat North Carolina in Women’s Soccer to play for the National Title in 2016

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I'll be the first to admit, I'm not much of a soccer guy. That said, watching that ladies' run back in 2016 was pretty special. They had everyone believing, and for a moment, it felt like WVU would bring home a national championship in a sport other than rifle. Ultimately, they fell short, but taking down North Carolina for the opportunity to play for it all needs to be recognized.

No. 9: Women’s Hoops Winning Big 12 Tournament 2017

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This was the first Big 12 championship the Mountaineers won in one of the top four sports, so you could say this is ranked too low, especially when you look ahead on this list. Then again, it didn't feel as program-changing or nearly as big for the university as the previous one. That said, it was still one heck of a tournament. Taking down Kim Mulkey and the Baylor Bears was a monumental achievement.

No. 8: Women’s Hoops Winning Big 12 Tournament 2026

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I have this past year's championship ranked higher because it was confirmation of what Mark Kellogg has been building here early in his tenure, and ultimately led to the Mountaineers hosting for the first time in forever, which was massive. Not to mention, all of the dramatic moments that occurred throughout the tournament.

No. 7: Orange Bowl Over Clemson

Jan 4, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (12) celebrates after the Mountaineers scored a touchdown during the third quarter of the 2012 Orange Bowl game against the Clemson Tigers at Sun Life Stadium. Mountaineers won 70 to 33. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-Imagn Images | Joshua S. Kelly-Imagn Images

The most dominating bowl performance at No. 7? What? Yeah, it might sound a little crazy, but let's be honest, this was more of an exhilarating moment for West Virginia fans than it was deeply special, especially when you compare it to those that I ranked ahead of it. That doesn't take away from the awesomeness of West Virginia's offense that night. Did they just score again?

No. 6: Beat Syracuse for First Perfect Season in 1988

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This is by far the oldest moment. Although it wasn't necessarily a nail-biter, defeating No. 14 Syracuse 31-9 to bring perfection and an appearance in the title game put WVU football on the map. If you think this is too low, I don't blame you. This is where things got really hard for me. I could easily throw this into the top three with no issues at all.

No. 5: Current Baseball Run, First Omaha Appearance

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This is not recency bias, I promise. This is a mixture of doing the unthinkable, finally knocking down the door, and providing a much-needed level of excitement and optimisim around the state after years of disappointment in Mountaineer athletics. It's been a rough stretch for WVU athletics, but the baseball team has been building every year for the past ten years and is now the talk of not just the entire state, but the country. Over the last two weekends, they have become the center of college baseball, and the PR WVU is getting from it is insane. Not to mention, all of the drama that went down in the regionals to even make this possible.

No. 4: Beat Kentucky, Punch Ticket to Final Four

Mar 19, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Joe Mazzulla (21) in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the St. Pete Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

West Virginia beat a Kentucky lineup that consisted of John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Darius Miller, Patrick Patterson, and DeMarcus Cousins to go to the Final Four. Incredible stuff. To do it without starting point guard Darryl "Truck" Bryant makes it even more impressive. Joe Mazzulla delivered and helped WVU to its first Final Four since 1959. That year and that team will never be forgotten.

No. 3: Men's Hoops Big East Tournament Championship

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Some may have this and No. 4 flip-flopped, and I totally understand. But here, West Virginia won some hardware, and back in 2010, winning the Big East tournament was a massive deal. That league was stacked. The drama that built up to it was storybook, too. Da'Sean Butler hitting game winners throughout the tournament and then doing it again to take the lead late...Georgetown races down the floor, puts a shot up, and misses right at the final buzzer. Instant classic.

No. 2: Fiesta Bowl Over Oklahoma

Jan 2, 2008; Glendale, AZ, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Owen Schmitt (35) runs the ball for a second quarter touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Depending on how you view it, you may believe this is No. 1 or perhaps below the two basketball achievements in 2010. I factored in the underdog story and all that happened leading up to this game. Everyone expected the Mountaineers to get blown out by what appeared to be a more talented team on paper, especially when WVU just lost its shot to play for a national title and then, to make matters worse, lost its head coach to Michigan shortly after. This truly felt like a West Virginia vs. the world type of moment, and they proved everyone wrong by bullying the Sooners. Owen Schmitt's postgame interview was the cherry on top.

No. 1: Sugar Bowl Over Georgia

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West Virginia had played in big games before, but it had never won a "big one." This win over the Bulldogs finally shattered that narrative and provided hope to the Mountaineer fanbase that one day, they could do something even bigger — win a national championship. WVU fans are still waiting for that day to arrive, but this game really opened up a new level of hope for folks. And at the time, they earned a ton of national respect. It was just the start of something truly special in that magical three-year stretch where the Mountaineers won 33 games, including two BCS bowl wins.