Just hours before West Virginia's first-ever Men's College World Series game, Mountaineer head coach Steve Sabins received one of college baseball's highest honors.

Sabins was named the 2026 Mike Martin National Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association after leading WVU to unprecedented success in just his second season as head coach.

The Mountaineers enter Omaha with a 45-15 record and have won five consecutive postseason games, including victories over Wake Forest, Kentucky, and Cal Poly on their historic run to the College World Series.

Under Sabins, West Virginia has posted back-to-back seasons of 44 or more wins, the two winningest campaigns in program history, while compiling an 89-31 record over the last two years.

The award recognizes Sabins' leadership in guiding the Mountaineers to their first-ever College World Series appearance and cementing one of the greatest seasons in West Virginia baseball history.