The sophomore infielder is primed to go above and beyond his successful freshman campaign. Cole Austin went for .221/.270/.359 in his first year in a Mountaineer uniform. He was selected to the 2016 All-Big 12 rookie squad last year and has so far avoided the dreaded sophomore slump.
Through seven games this season, Austin has the team’s highest on-base percentage (OBP) at .485 and is second in batting average (BA) at .370. He’s also mashed two homers in as many games against the defending national champion Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, where WVU swept the champs. Austin will be posted up at the hot corner this season alongside sophomore shortstop Jimmy Galusky, who aims to lock down the left side defensively for the Mountaineers.