WATCH: D1Baseball.com Editor Aaron Fitt Previews West Virginia Baseball
D1Baseball.com has West Virginia ranked at No. 14 in its Preseason Top 25, the highest preseason ranking the team has received in program history.
D1Baseball.com co-editor and national writer, Aaron Fitt, discussed the reason behind the aggressive ranking and what we can expect from WVU baseball in 2021 in an exclusive interview with Mountaineer Maven Host Lauren Withrow.
On West Virginia’s Aggressive No. 14 Preseason Top 25 Ranking:
West Virginia’s power on the mound is what stands out the most to Fitt. Because many strong arms returned to the NCAA for another season after the 2020 MLB draft was cut back to only five rounds, pitching will be tougher than ever.
“I just really like the pitching, first and foremost. I think that’s going to be something that separates the really dangerous teams in college baseball this year from everybody else. It feels like there’s a lot of position player talent back all around the country, especially in light of the shortened five-round (MLB) draft, when we usually have 40 rounds. There’s a lot more players back for a fourth year rather than playing pro ball. The teams that have really big arms that they can throw at you stand out. I think West Virginia fall into that category.”
Fitt highlighted junior LHP Jackson Wolf and sophomore RHP Ryan Bergert as WVU’s biggest weapons on the mound.
“Certainly, the one-two punch at the top of the rotation Jackson Wolf and Ryan Bergert is as good as there is in the Big 12 and really goes toe-to-toe with anybody in the country. Wolf was off to a great start last year to turn the corner. After having some ups and downs his first couple years in the program, he really blossomed into a star. He’s a big, tall lefty with a tough angle. He comes right at you with three quality pitches. I think he’s ready to make a run at the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, and Bergert is right there with him. He (Bergert) is a power righty with a totally different look. Throwing 90-94 mph with life and can really spin the breaking ball.”
However, West Virginia’s talent extends beyond the mound to the back of the bullpen. Fitt expects that freshman RHP Jacob Waters, sophomore RHP Madison Jeffrey, and sophomore RHP Zach Ottinger will all add depth to WVU’s pitching lineup.
“That’s the thing that I like most about this team, the top of the rotation, but also the bullpen. I was really impressed the day that I saw West Virginia in the fall was just how many power arms they can run at you. Whether its Jacob Watters or Madison Jeffrey or Zach Ottinger, it’s a lot of guys with velocity, with mid-90s heat. That’s something that the coaching staff talked about this fall: they had at least a dozen guys throwing mid-90s over the course of their fall. That really matters. That allows you to mesh up with people late in the game and play that matchups left and right. I think that’s really going to matter more than ever this year.”
On West Virginia’s Potential MLB Prospects:
LHP Jackson Wolf and RHP Ryan Bergert are at the top of Fitt’s list of the Mountaineers' MLB prospects.
“If you look at the left-hander, Wolf, the body is just how you draw it up. There’s a lot of projection probably even left there. The velocity is starting to climb already. If he can just prove to scouts that he can spin a really good breaking ball consistently, then I think he can be a top-two rounds pick.”
“And Bergert, it wouldn’t shock me, if he pitches his way into the top 50 picks, maybe the top round. It’s just a matter of the track record… he’s got to show that he can do it over the long haul in the Big 12. He hasn’t had a chance to do that yet because of the pandemic last year. The only thing that’s missing for him is experience and he’ll get that this year.”
Beyond the pair of star pitchers, Fitt predicts that Jeffrey and Watters could also make their way onto MLB rosters following should they fulfill their projected development at WVU. He named redshirt freshman RHP Daniel Ouderkirk as a potential sleeper prospect.
“I mentioned Madison Jeffrey and Jacob Watters, (those are) two really big arms to watch at the back of the bullpen. A sleeper prospect that I really like is Daniel Ouderkirk, a 6-foot-9 massive human being who’s got his fastball up to I think 97 mph in the fall. Secondary stuff he’s really developing. He’s just getting back from injury and he’s just getting stronger and stronger the more time he’s removed from surgery. That’s a guy that could be emerging this year.”
While West Virginia’s arms stand out, the Mountaineers’ roster also boasts a handful of position prospects. Fitt included freshman CF Victor Scott, freshman C/IF Matt McCormick, and junior C Paul McIntosh on his short list of potential pros.
“Victor Scott is a really exciting pick to click in the lineup. He’s really a five-tool center fielder. He’s not a huge guy, but he’s really quick twitch and athletic. He can run and there’s real bat speed from the left side. There’s just a lot of things to like about him so he’s an emerging for sure in his second year in the program.”
“Matt McCormick can really hit. He can play both corner infield spots and he can catch a little bit, but the bat is the carrying tool. I think he’s a prospect.”
“Paul McIntosh behind the plate is definitely a prospect because he’s got some of the best raw power in the Big 12—he can hit the ball a mile.”
On Young Talent And The Program’s Future:
West Virginia’s 37-man roster currently includes 24 freshmen.
“I think they’re rolling. They’ve done a really good job recruiting. This might’ve been their highest ranked recruiting class in our rankings. It’s really just a balanced class with some really good arms.”
The marquee name of WVU’s Class of 2021 is RHP Tyler Chadwick, who was recruited out of Marshall, Wisconsin (Marshall HS).
“Tyler Chadwick is the headliner, that’s maybe the biggest name recruit they’ve had to get through the draft out of high school and show up on campus. That’s a potential first round pick in a couple years. He’s a big body righty with current stuff and is projected to add more as he matures.”
Fitt highlighted some of the Mountaineers’ top rookies who he expects will lead the team over the next two to three years. He expects Chadwick, RHP Carlson Reed, and LHP Ben Hampton to be the future of WVU’s pitching rotation.
“I think he (Chadwick), Carlson Reed and Ben Hampton are three freshmen that you can really build the program around going forward on the mound.”
WVU’s freshmen impress across the board. Fitt selected C McGwire Holbrook, Util./RHP Ben Abernathy, and IF/RHP Nathan Blasick as his positional freshman to watch.
“You’ve got some nice pieces positionally in that group as well. Look at McGwire Holbrook, who’s a pretty highly ranked prep catcher who can hit. They’re pretty high on him. They like Ben Abernathy. Nate Blasick is a guy that I know Coach Mazey thinks is just born to hit. That guy’s going to put up a lot of numbers over his career in the Big 12.”
Above all, Fitt applauded West Virginia’s recruiting effort and success, citing geographical elements as a major disadvantage for the program.
“It’s a strong group, and I think you’ve got to give the coaching staff a lot of credit. It’s not an easy place to establish a winner. If you look at the history of the Big 12, at these programs that have better weather and better in-state talent, frankly, that’s something that’s a disadvantage for West Virginia. They have to recruit nationally because high school baseball in the state just isn’t as strong. They’ve done a good job establishing their brand, it’s kind of a blue-collar brand. They don’t care about playing in nasty weather early in the season. They’re tough, they can handle it, and they look for players who are wired that way.”
On Biggest Obstacle Between WVU and Omaha:
Before the 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mountaineers recorded their best 16-game season start (11-5) since 2009.
West Virginia has their eyes set on Omaha, but they will have to outperform the rest of the Big 12 to get there. D1Baseball.com has five Big 12 teams ranked in its Preseason Top 25: No. 3 Texas Tech, No. 9 Texas, No. 10 TCU, No. 14 WVU, and 20. Oklahoma State.
“I think (the biggest obstacle) is the strength of the conference. It’s going to be a meat grinder. We were pretty aggressive with our ranking. No. 14 is the highest they’ve ever been ranked preseason. They’re still behind three teams in the Big 12 in our ranking: Texas, TCU and Texas Tech all look pretty loaded. Oklahoma State looks dangerous as always. Oklahoma had to reload a little bit, but that’s a really good club. Kansas State has very, very exciting pitching. They might have their best team since their Super Regional team a decade ago.”
If the Mountaineers want to make it to regionals, Fitt says they cannot let off the gas throughout Big 12 play.
“It’s going to be a battle all the way through and not every team in the league can go to Regionals. It really is important to get off to a good start in conference play and fight from a position of strength going forward in the league. That’s the biggest obstacle—just how competitive it’s going to be. Anybody could falter at any time. You can play in Kansas and think, “well, okay, I’ve got a chance to catch my breath a little bit, this is supposed to be the last place team in the league,” but Kansas has a lot of talent, too, they’ve got veteran players. There isn’t going to be any weekend where you can catch your breath.”
West Virginia opens their season on February 19th with a four-game series on the road against Georgia State. The Mountaineers will begin conference play on March 26th with a three-game series against Kansas in Morgantown.
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