Everything Steve Sabins Had to Say After West Virginia's Loss to LSU
Everything Steve Sabins Had to Say After West Virginia's Loss to LSU originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A trip to the College Baseball World Series is on the line for LSU or West Virginia. The Tigers won the first game 16-9 and have a chance to punch their ticket to Omaha with a win later today.
Advertisement
The West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Steve Sabins was asked about his team's efforts after the game. 'Proud of the guys. Kept fighting throughout the entire game. Put up a two spot in the ninth when we were trailing by a significant margin. Had 11 hits, really competed well against a high-end pitcher in Kade Anderson, one of the best in the country. I think he's one of the top strikeout guys in the nation, and I thought our offense did a really nice job. Played competitive baseball. Game slipped away from us a little bit out of the bullpen. Asked a lot of guys to compete at a high level. Quite a few kids that hadn't been in a scenario like that before…And we had some great things happen. We had some struggles throughout the game. I certainly know that we kept fighting. So, proud of the guys,' said Sabins.
Coach Sabins was also asked about the pitching performance of Griffin Kirn. He said,' I felt like Griffin was out of gas. His velocity was lower than it had been in weeks. His crispness was lower than it had been in weeks. His command was less than it had been in weeks. So we have a really good team. It takes our depth and it takes everybody, if we're going to win at the highest levels. So we didn't think that he was the best option there.'
Finally Sabins talked about what his message to the team will be going into this next game. He said, 'Just this is what we've done all season. This is a series. I told them that if you lose Game 1 of a Regional, you've got to win four games and you're in a loser bracket. It's a very different scenario.
This is more traditional baseball. This is what we've been doing all year. You've got to go win a series. If you can get to a Game 3, everything changes. It's all about winning [Sunday], playing for the season, playing for your teammates, and then you get to Game 3 and that's when things can get really fun.'
Advertisement
Watch the full press conference here:
Related: Livvy Dunne Shares Revealing Swimsuit Photos
Related: Livvy Dunne Wants to Make 'Hot Girl Fishing' a Thing
Related: Livvy Dunne is Officially a Supermodel after Walking the Runway at Miami's Swim Week
Related: Some Fans are Disgusted by Livvy Dunne's Latest Viral Video
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
36 minutes ago
- USA Today
What happened when LSU and Arkansas played during the regular season?
What happened when LSU and Arkansas played during the regular season? An All-SEC matchup awaits LSU baseball in Omaha as it faces Arkansas to open the College World Series. Both sides will send their ace pitchers to the mound for Saturday's matchup in all-conference first-teamers in Kade Anderson and Zach Root. The Tigers took the first matchup between the pair in the regular season. The Razorbacks have yet to lose a game in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. They defeated Creighton twice and North Dakota State in the regional along with a two-game sweep of Tennessee in the Fayetteville Super Regional. All but one game was decided by four or more runs. LSU made things interesting in the Baton Rouge regional, needing a championship game-win over Little Rock to get through to super regional. The Tigers handled West Virginia inside Alex Box Stadium, earning them a chance to win their second national championship in three years. The regular season series in early May between LSU and Arkansas gave fans a bit of everything, from extra innings to a mercy rule. What happened during the regular season series between LSU and Arkansas? To start off the series in Baton Rouge, Anderson and Root took the mound on Friday. The Tigers' southpaw allowed three runs over 5.2 innings and struck out 10 while Root struck out six and gave up two runs. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Ethan Frey's sacrifice fly allowed Jared Jones to score from third base, sealing the 5-4 victory. LSU cemented the series win in seven innings on Saturday. In the 13-3 win, the Tigers clubbed four homers. Jake Brown went yard twice with five RBI while Frey batted in four runs on two hits. Anthony Eyanson picked up the win, hurling six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts. Arkansas salvaged the series finale with a 7-4 win on Sunday. Three Razorbacks finished with two hits while their bullpen held off the LSU offense. Casan Evans, one of eight Tigers pitchers to see action, took the loss as he allowed four runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings.
New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo says Justin Martinez will undergo Tommy John surgery
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks already have lost a top starter to an elbow injury; on Friday, they lost a top reliever. Manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that Justin Martinez will have Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season. In Arizona's June 9 win over Seattle, Martinez called for a trainer after striking out two and walking a batter in the ninth inning. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained ulnar collateral ligament. Advertisement This has become a theme for Arizona, which has struggled to find footing in the National League West. The Martinez news comes days after the Diamondbacks lost Corbin Burnes with a torn UCL. Arizona in December had signed the ace right-hander to anchor the rotation along with Zac Gallen, and also to help the Diamondbacks return to the postseason. He made 11 starts. 'Sometimes this game is extremely tough and unforgiving, and it can just rip you apart,' Lovullo said. 'The way I look at it is, I've got 26 kids out there that are playing every single day, and when you see one or in this case four or five or six — maybe even more, I don't know what the exact number is — go down and you have to pull them off the field, it's painful. … Yeah, I'm over it. I'm definitely over it.' In March, the Diamondbacks signed Martinez to a five-year deal worth $18 million with the expectation that he would play a prominent bullpen role until he was ready for the closer's job. After a decent start, Martinez in May went on the 15-day IL with a shoulder issue. He returned but struggled to return to form. In 17 games, the hard-throwing right-hander had a 4.11 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings. This marks the second time Martinez will have Tommy John surgery. He also had the procedure in 2021 as a minor leaguer. Lovullo has had to juggle his bullpen all season, mostly because of injuries. Arizona relievers entered Friday's game against San Diego with a 5.21 ERA, which ranked 14th in the National League. Veteran right-hander Shelby Miller has filled in as Arizona's closer when needed and pitched well. Before the season, the Diamondbacks lost left-hander Jordan Montgomery to Tommy John surgery. They also have gone without top relief pitcher A.J. Puk, out since April because of a flexor strain. Lovullo said Friday that Puk's pitching program has been paused and that the pitcher will soon visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles because of arm discomfort. Advertisement 'We got to exercise a lot of caution with usage of guys,'' said Lovullo, adding that the Diamondbacks aren't the only team to face such adversity. 'We've got to follow the protocols and the belief system that we have here with our medical team and really reinforce the thought that it's extremely important that these athletes have a breaking point and we can't get close to that.'
New York Times
40 minutes ago
- New York Times
Cubs lose pitchers' duel, but Cade Horton continues to show he's unafraid of the big moment
CHICAGO — Even before the game started, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell wasn't interested in moral victories. In a fun matchup of two young, highly talented starters, Counsell wanted to add to his team's win total. So, when asking him what would account for success against Paul Skenes, one of the best pitchers in the game, the answer was obvious. Advertisement 'Winning,' Counsell said. 'What else is there? We can make up a story. We can make up a narrative. But if we don't win, it's not going to be a good narrative. That's what we're trying to do.' The Cubs couldn't accomplish that primary goal Friday afternoon, as they fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 in extra innings. But for those eager for a pitching duel, the buildup to Friday's matinee at Wrigley Field lived up to the hype. On an overcast, misty day on the North Side, nearly 40,000 fans showed up to watch Skenes take on Cubs rookie phenom Cade Horton. The matchup was much-anticipated and delivered. Perhaps it wasn't an old-fashioned, low-scoring affair where each starter goes deep into the game. Those are rare in this era of baseball. But if this is the modern-day version of an ace-off, it was surely entertaining. Skenes is a Cy Young favorite who debuted just a year ago and has quickly become arguably the best arm in the game. He delivered five shutout frames, striking out five Cubs and walking two while allowing just four hits. Horton hasn't reached ace status yet, but he outperformed Skenes on Friday, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four, walking one and allowing just three hits. His stuff is nasty with a cut-ride heater that sits at about 97 mph. He uses it with a pair of plus breaking balls, including one of the better sweepers in the game, and a developing changeup. 'He's pitching really well,' Counsell said. 'He's locked in, delivering good outings; he's efficient. His stuff plays in the strike zone, which is such an important thing for a young pitcher to feel. I look forward to giving him the ball next time.' Horton dropped his ERA on the season to 3.47 in seven games, and he's averaging more than five innings per outing. His strikeout rate (19 percent) probably needs to rise and likely will as he continues to get more experience. His low walk rate (5.2 percent) is incredibly impressive for such an inexperienced arm. Advertisement But Horton's bulldog mentality and ultra-competitiveness are what stand out to those around him. 'I think he has a great mentality,' Ian Happ said. 'He has a great mound presence and the right attitude for it. The ability to throw strikes and fill up the zone is super important. It allows him to get some length into games. He did a great job of just making them beat him. The stuff is really good. So the stuff will play as long as he's in the zone.' Horton has pitched in the College World Series. He made his big-league debut in New York against a talented Mets team, and his first start at Wrigley was at a packed house for the crosstown matchup against the Chicago White Sox. He has grown accustomed to these big moments and seems to relish them. 'It's fun,' Horton said. 'Iron sharpens iron. So just being able to compete against him was fun. Hopefully, we're doing it for a lot of years.' Horton knew he'd have to be on his game because runs would be hard to come by against Skenes. And that proved to be the case. The Cubs pushed Skenes' pitch count high and worked good at-bats, a small moral victory that signifies a good process. As with Tarik Skubal a week ago, Counsell was pleased with the at-bats against a top-tier pitcher. 'Frankly, even better,' Counsell said, comparing it to the game against the Detroit Tigers last Friday. 'You get him out after five innings. We did have some scoring opportunities. But they make it hard. You get some runners on, and it's still tough. We had some long at-bats in this case — maybe a little different than in Detroit. But you gotta get hits to win.' Against Skenes and the Pirates bullpen, the Cubs' bats couldn't come up with the big hit, going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. In the fifth, with Happ on first and two outs, Kyle Tucker drove a double into the left-center-field gap. Happ was looking to score, but Oneil Cruz made a good throw to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who made the relay to Henry Davis, and Happ was out easily at the plate. Advertisement 'The Tucker double, I thought they got a pretty good kick off the wall, and then the shortstop made a really nice play on the short-hop throw and made a nice throw,' Counsell said. 'Credit to their defense on that one.' Hitting with runners in scoring position can go in waves sometimes. On the season, the Cubs have the second-highest batting average and wRC+ in those situations, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. In their last 10 games, they're hitting .164 with runners in scoring position. Those include games against Skenes, Skubal, MacKenzie Gore, Zack Wheeler, Jack Flaherty and Jesús Luzardo, all of whom are pitching incredibly well this season. And it's such a small sample that it shouldn't sway opinion about what this team can do. One good game can shift the narrative. One strong series and it's just a blip in a long season. Ultimately, the most important part of Friday's game, beyond the outcome, is the continued development of Horton. In a season in which the Cubs have a strong chance to not only make the postseason but also push deep into October, their primary weakness appears to be the rotation. But Horton is emerging as a key piece to the puzzle. There's a good chance some big moments will be coming for Horton this summer and even in the fall. The spotlight is certain to be on the rookie. 'I'm not scared of the moment,' Horton said. 'I love the moment.'
