West Stays Hot While the Rest Go Cold: Mountaineers’ Slump Overshadowed by Star Hitter’s Surge
In a stretch of games where the West Virginia Mountaineers’ offense has looked more like a flickering light than a roaring fire, one bat has remained consistently ablaze—J.J. West.
While the rest of the Mountaineers lineup continues to struggle with timing, plate discipline, and clutch execution, West has been a beacon of production. Whether it’s lining doubles into the gap or working deep counts for hard-earned singles, West’s presence in the batter’s box has become WVU’s most reliable offensive weapon during an otherwise frustrating slump.
Over the last two series, as the team has stumbled both at home and on the road, West is hitting a blistering .412, with 3 home runs, 9 RBIs, and an on-base percentage that’s nearly 100 points higher than the next best starter. He’s reached base in 10 straight games and looks locked in at the plate while his teammates search for answers.
This isn’t just a hot streak—it’s damage control.
In a lineup that was expected to have depth and punch, the recent downturn has been concerning. WVU has batted a collective .217 over its last six games, scoring just 11 runs total in that span. Key veterans have gone ice cold, and promising underclassmen have yet to find rhythm against elevated competition.
But West? He’s thrived against both elite arms and middle relief. He’s shortened his swing with two strikes, gone the other way when needed, and stepped up in high-leverage moments when no one else could seem to break through. It’s no surprise that opposing teams are starting to pitch around him more and more—because right now, he’s the only Mountaineer swinging like a player in midseason form.
Head coach Randy Mazey, never one to overstate, acknowledged West’s impact while carefully pointing to the need for a full-team turnaround.
“J.J.’s been tremendous,” Mazey said. “He’s been our spark, our constant. But baseball’s not a one-man game. We need the other guys to match his focus and execution.”
The quiet bats around West are beginning to loom large. If the Mountaineers want to stay in the hunt for a postseason bid—or even stay afloat in a tough Big 12 schedule—they can’t continue to lean on one player to carry the offensive load. Situational hitting has been poor, strikeouts have piled up, and the timely hits that defined the team early in the season have all but disappeared.
West, for his part, has deflected praise and remained focused on the team.
“I’m just trying to do my job,” he said after a recent loss. “It doesn’t matter if I go 4-for-4 if we don’t win. We’re going to keep grinding. That’s what this group does.”
That mentality is why West is not just the Mountaineers’ best hitter right now—he’s their heartbeat. But even the strongest heart can’t keep a team alive on its own.
The Mountaineers need more than West. They need answers. And they need them soon.
