By: Shanna Rose
MORGANTOWN, W.Va – West Virginia catcher Logan Sauve and starting pitcher Griffin Kirn were named to the All-Big 12 First Team on Tuesday afternoon.
Seven other Mountaineers received Big 12 honors.
Outfielder Kyle West and Starting pitcher Jack Kartsonas earned spots on the second team while Gavin Kelly was named to the All-Freshman Team. Reese Bassinger, Chase Meyer, Jace Rinehart and junior Sam White were all earned honorable mention status.
It is the fourth straight season in which WVU had multiple selections on the first team and at least three selections across the top two teams.
Sauve’s selection to the first team is his second All-Big 12 honor of his career after being named an honorable mention as a freshman in 2023. The junior has played in 47 games and is hitting .287 with seven home runs, six of which came against Big 12 opponents, and 33 RBI. He is second on the team with 41 runs scored and is a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts.
Kirn had a stellar season for the Mountaineers, finishing with a 4-2 record. The senior posted a 3.36 ERA and had team-high 83 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched in 14 starts. Among qualified pitchers, he had the fifth-lowest ERA and the sixth-most strikeouts in the conference Kirn has three double-digit strikeout outings, including a season-high 14 against Utah.
West led WVU with a .352 clip and a 1.109 OPS, fifth-best in the Big 12. He also led the team with nine home runs, a .616 slugging percentage and a .493 on-base percentage. In conference action, the senior has posted a .381 batting average with six home runs. It is his second All-Big 12 selection after being an honorable mention in 2024.
Kartsonas led all Big 12 qualified pitchers with a 2.29 ERA in 55.0 innings this season. He made 17 appearances on the mound with six starts, all of which came in conference play. He is 6-2 on the season and has 63 strikeouts against just 13 walks. The senior went 5-1 against Big 12 opponents and held hitters to a .226 batting average.
Kelly played in 44 games and made 38 starts at multiple positions, including catcher, second base, and the outfield. He hit .304 with a home run, 32 RBI, and 30 runs scored. The freshman stole 14 bases, which is second-most on the team. He is the first Mountaineer to be named to the All-Freshman Team since JJ Wetherholt and Chris Sleeper in 2022.
Bassinger went 6-1 this season with a 3.95 ERA in a team-high 25 appearances out of the bullpen. He struck out 36 batters and walked just 10 in 54.2 innings, the lowest among all Big 12 qualified pitchers. The senior picked up five saves this season, tied for most on the team and sixth-most in the Big 12.
Meyer went 8-2 on the mound this season in 19 appearances. He led WVU with eight wins and was second in the league. The sophomore had 57 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched and held opponents to a .179 batting average while producing a 3.54 ERA. He earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors after striking out a season-high nine in 3.2 scoreless innings against Oklahoma State.
Rinehart hit .333 this season in 50 games while making 46 starts in the outfield. He led the Big 12 with 20 doubles while hitting eight home runs and tallying a team-high 50 RBI. His 58 hits and 102 total bases also led the Mountaineers. In Big 12 play, The senior batted with a .346 average and drove in 32 runs, sixth-most in the Big 12 in conference games.
White earns All-Big 12 honorable mention status for the second consecutive season after batting a .352 clip, which is tied for the best on the team. Despite missing nine games, the junior was second on the team with 57 hits, 39 RBI, and 15 doubles. He had four home runs, 40 runs scored, and nine stolen bases.
