WVU OF Paul Schoenfeld Selected in the 8th Round of the 2026 MLB Draft

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected West Virginia outfielder Paul Schoenfeld in the 8th round (236th overall) of the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday.

Schoenfeld began his career at Butler Community College in Kansas and then spent three years at Division II Colorado Mesa, where he turned into one of the nation's best hitters. He hit .412 and .420 during his sophomore and junior seasons, making him a top target for West Virginia a year ago when he entered the transfer portal.

It took a few weeks into the season, but eventually, Schoenfeld settled into the starting spot in centerfield, allowing head coach Steve Sabins to move Armani Guzman to first base, giving them more athleticism in the infield.

All he did in a Mountaineer uniform was hit. There for a while, he was putting up some absurd numbers in Friday night games, which is unusual considering that's when teams are throwing their ace at you.

Schoenfeld was a huge part of West Virginia's run to the College World Series, and who knows? If it weren't for his majestic two-run blast against Kentucky in the Morgantown Regional, the Mountaineers may not have reached Omaha.

IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!!!!! PAUL SCHOENFELD!!!!

T9 | Mountaineers 11, Wildcats 9 pic.twitter.com/Rie032MLvA
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) June 1, 2026

That crack of the bat will forever be remembered throughout the state, which sent all of Kendrick Family Ballpark (and Randy's Ridge) into pandemonium. The Mountaineers trailed by three entering the top of the 9th and were staring right into the face of elimination. The bottom of the order did their job, Armani Guzman walked, Gavin Kelly hit a sac fly, a balk scored a run, and then bang! The homer from Schoenfeld to give West Virginia the lead. It will go down as one of the best moments in all of WVU sports history.

Schoenfeld finished the season hitting .327 with four homers and 52 RBI

“Just a blessing. What a run," he said with a shaky voice following their loss to North Carolina in the College World Series. "Going to Omaha for the first time. Sabes took a chance on me, and I just want to say thanks to him and thanks to the coaches, thanks to this place. Amazing fans.”

Updated Mountaineer MLB Draft checker

Competitive Balance-B (No. 72 overall): RHP Dawson Montesa —> St. Louis Cardinals

Round 3 (No. 91 overall): LHP Maxx Yehl —> Kansas City Royals

Round 6 (No. 175 overall): SS Owen Henne —> St. Louis Cardinals

Round 8 (No. 236 overall): OF Paul Schoenfeld —> Arizona Diamondbacks

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