MORGANTOWN W.Va. – A WVU baseball program record was quietly embedded into the Mountaineers’ loss Friday night.

Noah Short set the WVU record for most career appearances by a pitcher. It was the 73rd time Short toed the rubber as a Mountaineer. He beat righty Chris Enourato’s previous record of 72 from 2004-2007.

The high volume of Short’s appearances comes as a byproduct of his unique role in the WVU bullpen. He is a specialist in damage-control, often entering mid-inning, and with runners on base, to mitigate any momentum from the opposing team.

“It is difficult for you to do unless you accept the fact that that’s your job,” head coach Randy Mazey said following Short’s appearance against Oklahoma. “He accepts the fact that that’s his job, to come in and get one or two hitters out. That’s all he does.”

In 21 appearances this season, Short has only completed a full inning three times, and he has not pitched more than one inning in any games this season. An ideal appearance from Short lasts under 10 pitches.

“It is hard sometimes, not touching the mound for a little bit, and then coming in for some of the biggest outs of the game,” Short said. “As I’ve become older, I’ve learned from teammates before me that have given me some good tips. But [the key] is just staying locked-in and focusing on that one pitch [which] could be my last pitch of the day. So executing that [with] my full effort is definitely the most important part.”

He is currently four appearances away from matching his single-season best 25 appearances in 2021. With the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Regionals looming, Short can distance himself from Enourato on the WVU leaderboard.