Mountaineers Picked Third, Meyer Named Preseason All-Big 12
February 05, 2026 02:00 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Feb. 4, 2026) – The West Virginia University baseball team was picked third in the 2026 Big 12 Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.
It is the highest predicted finish for WVU since joining the Big 12 in 2013.
Junior right-handed pitcher Chase Meyer represented the Mountaineers on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. In 2025, Meyer went 9-2 with a 3.94 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 48.0 innings while holding opponents to a .192 batting average.
The Mountaineers are the reigning Big 12 champions, wining their second regular-season title in the last three seasons. WVU also swept the 2025 Clemson Regional, advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second consecutive year.
TCU was selected as the preseason favorite, receiving 13 of 14 first-place votes with Arizona behind them and receiving the only other first-place vote. Following West Virginia in third was Arizona State while Kansas and Oklahoma State tied for fifth. Kansas State and Cincinnati, both regional teams in 2025, were seventh and eighth. Texas Tech, UCF, Baylor, Houston, BYU, and Utah rounded out the poll.
Sawyer Strosnider of TCU was named the Preseason Player of the Year while his teammate Tommy LaPour took home Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Arizona State's Dean Toigo, a UNLV transfer, and TCU's Noah Franco were named Preseason Newcomer and Freshman of the Year, respectively.
The 2026 season begins on February 13, when West Virginia opens a three-game series at Georgia Southern.
2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll
2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Team
*- unanimous selection
2026 Big 12 Preseason Yearly Awards
Player of the Year: Sawyer Strosnider, TCU
Pitcher of the Year: Tommy LaPour, TCU
Newcomer of the Year: Dean Toigo, Arizona State
Freshman of the Year: Lucas Franco, TCU
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
It is the highest predicted finish for WVU since joining the Big 12 in 2013.
Junior right-handed pitcher Chase Meyer represented the Mountaineers on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. In 2025, Meyer went 9-2 with a 3.94 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 48.0 innings while holding opponents to a .192 batting average.
The Mountaineers are the reigning Big 12 champions, wining their second regular-season title in the last three seasons. WVU also swept the 2025 Clemson Regional, advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second consecutive year.
TCU was selected as the preseason favorite, receiving 13 of 14 first-place votes with Arizona behind them and receiving the only other first-place vote. Following West Virginia in third was Arizona State while Kansas and Oklahoma State tied for fifth. Kansas State and Cincinnati, both regional teams in 2025, were seventh and eighth. Texas Tech, UCF, Baylor, Houston, BYU, and Utah rounded out the poll.
Sawyer Strosnider of TCU was named the Preseason Player of the Year while his teammate Tommy LaPour took home Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Arizona State's Dean Toigo, a UNLV transfer, and TCU's Noah Franco were named Preseason Newcomer and Freshman of the Year, respectively.
The 2026 season begins on February 13, when West Virginia opens a three-game series at Georgia Southern.
2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll
| Team | Points | |
| 1. | TCU (13) | 169 |
| 2. | Arizona (1) | 157 |
| 3. | West Virginia | 137 |
| 4. | Arizona State | 128 |
| T5. | Kansas | 112 |
| T5. | Oklahoma State | 112 |
| 7 | Kansas State | 87 |
| 8. | Cincinnati | 85 |
| 9. | Texas Tech | 78 |
| 10. | UCF | 66 |
| 11. | Baylor | 54 |
| 12. | Houston | 42 |
| 13. | BYU | 29 |
| 14. | Utah | 18 |
2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Team
| Pos. | Player | Team |
| C | Jack Natili | Cincinnati |
| IF | Landon Hairston | Arizona State |
| IF | Austen Roellig | Arizona State |
| IF | Travis Sanders | Baylor |
| IF | Brady Ballinger | Kansas* |
| IF | Robin Villeneuve | Texas Tech |
| OF | Andrew Williamson | UCF |
| OF | Chase Brunson | TCU |
| OF | Sawyer Strosnider | TCU* |
| OF | Logan Hughes | Texas Tech |
| DH | Dariel Osoria | Kansas |
| UTL | Noah Franco | TCU |
| SP | Owen Kramkowski | Arizona |
| SP | Nathan Taylor | Cincinnati |
| SP | Dominic Voegele | Kansas |
| SP | Tommy LaPour | TCU* |
| RP | Tony Pluta | Arizona |
| RP | Cole Carlon | Arizona State |
| RP | Chase Meyer | West Virginia |
*- unanimous selection
2026 Big 12 Preseason Yearly Awards
Player of the Year: Sawyer Strosnider, TCU
Pitcher of the Year: Tommy LaPour, TCU
Newcomer of the Year: Dean Toigo, Arizona State
Freshman of the Year: Lucas Franco, TCU
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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