Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – As West Virginia prepares for its first appearance in Omaha, Ben Lumsden continues to shift attention away from himself despite emerging as one of the Mountaineers’ biggest postseason contributors.
After seeing limited playing time throughout the season, Lumsden has been a game changer during WVU’s postseason run. When asked about his recent success after the team defeated Cal Poly to advance to Omaha, he shifted his focus to his teammates.
“Everybody’s kind of played awesome,” Lumsden said. “It’s 1 through 9 have been unreal. All the pitchers have been, so it’s the whole team’s been incredible for 2 weeks now.”
That response has become characteristic of the Simpsonville, S.C. native, whose journey to Omaha has been defined by patience, preparation, and a deep appreciation for the program he represents.
In the day and age of NIL and the transfer portal, it is not common to see players spend multiple seasons with the same program but Lumsden chose to stay a Mountaineer for three seasons. Through changing roles, limited at-bats, and seasons that didn’t always go according to plan, he remained committed to head coach Steve Sabins’ vision.
Lumsden took an approach that can be summed up in a phrase frequently used within the program.
“Work while you wait,” he said. “You try to prepare the same every day whether you have zero at-bats or 200 at-bats.”
That mindset has paid off during WVU’s postseason run. As opportunities arose, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior was ready and contributed at a time when every game matters most.
But for Lumsden the dream of reaching Omaha is more important than individual success.
The road to Omaha wasn’t built overnight. It was built through 135 years in the making, which includes decades of growth, persistence, and players willing to invest in something larger than themselves. Even when the program’s future was bleak, the Mountaineers and former coach Mazey climbed to national relevance and set the stage for the Mountaineers’ current success.
Following Sunday’s win over the Mustangs, he repeatedly referenced former Mountaineers who helped build the foundation for the program’s historic breakthrough. All of the guys before this team contributed to this team’s success.”There’s so many guys that came before us,” Lumsden said. “Coach (Randy) Mazey, who built this program to what it is today, get as much credit as anybody in the building today.”
Many former players continue to support the program today, including several that showed up the last two weeks in Morgantown and the ones making the trek to Omaha. WVU’s milestone belongs to generations of Mountaineers.
“All the guys who came before us that we have those such good relationships with, that’s what makes it cool,” he said. “To see those guys happy for us.”
As WVU prepares for its first trip to the College World Series, the JL Mann High School alum’s story serves as a reflection of the program itself.
For Lumsden, the reward isn’t just the opportunity to play on college baseball’s biggest stage and help his team in whatever role they need.
It’s sharing that moment with the teammates, coaches, WVU faithful, and former Mountaineers who helped make it possible.
