Way-Too-Early Projection of West Virginia's 2027 Starting Lineup

Yes, the season just ended, and there's a ton that can and will change with this West Virginia baseball roster ahead of the 2027 season. That said, I always like to look at where things currently stand to see what it could look like a year from now.

My 2027 projected starting lineup

1. CF Armani Guzman

Guzman coming back would give a significant boost to West Virginia's chances of returning to Omaha. He would undoubtedly be one of the most electrifying players in all of college baseball, and if he adds a little power, his draft stock will improve. I do believe he will get drafted this summer, so it just boils down to where he goes and what the contract offer is. WVU may be able to keep him for his senior year.

2. C Gavin Kelly

Kelly is not draft-eligible, so he will be back for one more season and is going to be one of the top players in the nation. There's no need to worry about him hitting the transfer portal either, so you can go ahead and get that out of your head. He's locked in.

3. LF Colin Coonradt (Johnson County CC)

The JUCO transfer played first base, DH, and left field this past season, so I would expect him to be one of those guys who gets moved around a little bit at the beginning of the year. Hitting though? Whew. This dude packs a punch. This season, he hit 37 homers, collected 109 RBI, and had a .430 batting average. Having a guy with this much slug (1.009) gives Kelly elite protection.

4. DH Ryan Piekutoski (USC Sumter)

This is where we could see some guys rotating. Coonradt and even Zahir Barjam could fill in the DH spot occasionally. Piekutoski played third this year, but he's not starting there over Hall. The glove wasn't great, finishing with a .875 fielding percentage, but boy, does the bat play. He hit .463 with 25 homers, 82 RBI, and also had 22 stolen bases.

5. RF Jack Cannon (Le Moyne)

Because he's not coming from a Power Four school, Cannon may not be getting the attention he deserves. He finished 2nd in all of Division I in hitting (.439) and in steals (51). He's got some pop too, hitting 10 homers on the year.

6. 2B Matt Ineich

I know Ineich played shortstop all year, but I truly believe his future is at second base, and with the options the Mountaineers have, they should be able to move him over to the right side. A pretty good fielder, he just doesn't have the range or arm strength to be great at short. They'll need him to be better with the bat next season, though. He hit a wall over the last two months of the year and didn't get the ball elevated very often.

7. 3B Tyrus Hall

Hall showed some really nice things with the bat late in the season. Now, he just needs to be more consistent, and it starts with being able to put the ball in play on breaking balls. If he can eliminate a good chunk of the swing and miss there, he could turn into an All-Big 12 caliber player.

8. 1B Ryan Maggy

If they decide to play Coonradt here, it would bump Maggy to a bench role, but I think this kid will be ready to start next season. A ton of potential here, although there will be some growing pains, just like there is for any young player with little experience.

9. SS Owen Henne (Seton Hill)

Not exactly sure what we'll see from the shortstop spot. It could be Henne, Matthew Robaugh, Zahir Barjam, or someone else. For now, I'll go with Henne, who hit .401 this season with the Griffins. He hit five long balls, drove in 39 runs on the year, and has 41 steals for his career.

Top bench guys

IF: Zahir Barjam, Matthew Robaugh

OF: Maxwell Molessa, Seth Williams (Galveston CC)

C: Cash Williams (Tennessee)

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