MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -West Virginia quarterback Pat White apologized Thursday for his comments that accused Mountaineer baseball coach Greg Van Zant of not pursuing black athletes.
White has been selected three times in baseball’s amateur draft. He was asked Tuesday at the Big East football media day in Newport, R.I., whether he had spoken with Van Zant about the possibility of playing college baseball.
White said Van Zant “wasn’t interested” in having him on the team and was “not too high” on black players. There were no blacks on the 2008 WVU baseball roster.
“Thinking back on my recent comments at Big East media day, I believe that I may have overstated my feelings on college baseball and the WVU baseball program,” White said in a statement released by the university. “I have not played collegiate baseball in the past because I have concentrated on football and building on our success with my football family.
“I am sorry my comments have caused so many distractions. I am looking forward to putting this behind me and getting on the practice field with my teammates on Saturday.”
Messages left Thursday evening with the WVU baseball office and the WVU President’s Office of Social Justice weren’t immediately returned.
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