MORGANTOWN — West Virginia baseball will start its season with some high expectations.

The Mountaineers were announced as No. 3 in the Big 12 in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The conference coaches each vote on the poll and aren’t allowed to vote on their own team.

This is the highest ranking for the head coach Steve Sabin’s squad since joining the Big 12 in 2013. The Mountaineers were ranked No. 4 this time last year.

WVU finished as the Big 12 regular-season champion and lost to Arizona in the semifinals. In the NCAA Tournament, WVU won the Clemson regional and then lost in the Super Regionals to LSU. The Tigers won the National Championship in 2025.

The Big 12 runner-up, TCU, received the No. 1 spot heading into the 2026 season, receiving 13 of 14 votes. The Horned Frogs almost won 40 games last season, and three of four preseason player accolades were given to TCU. Arizona, the defending champs, is the other team ranked ahead of the Mountaineers at No. 2 and received one first-place vote.

Right-handed pitcher Chase Meyer was the lone Mountaineer named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Last year, Meyer was one of WVU’s more dominant pitchers and went 9-2 with a 3.94 ERA, 63 strikeouts in 48.0 innings, while holding opponents to a .192 batting average.

The Mountaineers start their season shortly. WVU heads down to Georgia to face Georgia Southern to open the season on Feb. 13, and its first home game is on Feb. 24 against Canisius. Both games are expected to be broadcast on ESPN+.