West Virginia's Kyle West (39) in action, at bat against Ohio during an NCAA baseball game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Morgantown, W. Va. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)

MORGANTOWN — Kyle West’s recollection of his conversation with WVU baseball coach went back to the old days.

Well, maybe they weren’t the old days, but certainly they were different from the current state of the program.

“He was telling me there was a time when you couldn’t pay 4,000 people to come watch a game here,” the WVU outfielder recalled. “Now, we’re playing in front of 4,000 people every game.”

There is a great sense of pride in West, a native of Hedgesville, in playing some type of role in the Mountaineers’ climb into national respectability.

He was second on the team with 14 home runs a season ago when WVU advanced to its first-ever super regional.

West leads the Mountaineers this season with a .354 batting average, as WVU (41-14) prepares to face Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, at noon Friday.

“As a West Virginia native, being able to play in a postseason atmosphere for this state and this community, it means a lot to a lot of people,” he said.

That would include many of his teammates who are also West Virginia natives, as the Mountaineers will travel to the Clemson, S.C. Regional with a roster armed with impact players from around the state.

Former Parkersburg South star Grant Hussey is the school’s all-time home run leader with 44.

Mannington native Jace Rineart leads the Mountaineers with 50 RBIs.

Ben McDougal (Bridgeport) will likely see action as a reliever, while Bryant Yoak (Big Bend) has appeared in 13 games as a relief pitcher this season.

“The pride I carry is immense,” West said. “It’s not everyday you get to play for your home state. I think it’s one of the most important things I’ve done in my career.”

The Clemson Regional has other ties to the state, as well.

USC Upstate freshman relief pitcher Cayden Mackey is a former Parkersburg South standout.

Former Morgantown High standout Ryan Fluharty also played at USC Upstate, but entered the transfer portal and is no longer with the Spartans.

WVU also has local ties on its roster who will be making a trip home to play in the regional.

Center fielder Skylar King is a Columbia, S.C. native, who was once ranked the No. 19 prospect out of the state when he signed with the Mountaineers.

WVU outfielder Ben Lumsden will be closer to home.

His hometown of Simpsonville is located just 47 miles from Clemson’s campus.

Top prospect

Of the four teams — WVU, Clemson, Kentucky and USC Upstate –in the regional, Clemson center fielder Cam Cannarella stands out above the rest when it comes to the 2025 MLB draft.

The junior is the only player on any of the rosters ranked among the top 150 prospects for the draft. He’s ranked No. 34 overall by ESPN and 38th overall by MLB.com.

Cannarella, the 2023 ACC Freshman of the Year, leads the Tigers with a .339 batting average. He also has three home runs and driven in 45 RBIs.

He’s also known for his defensive abilities, including over-the-shoulder catches on deeply-hit fly balls.

“He’s fiery, he’s composed, he’s elite defensively, and he’s still developing,” Clemson head coach Erik Bakich said. “Cam makes winning plays. Period.”

WVU pitching plan

It takes three wins to advance out of regional play, which may set up WVU’s largest pitching hurdle.

Outside of starter Griffin Kirn, the Mountaineers have found little consistency elsewhere lately.

Kirn, a senior lefty who pitched at the Division II level last season, is the only WVU starter to register a win over the Mountaineers’ last nine games.

That win came against Cincinnati in the Big 12 tournament. Other than that, you’d have to go back to WVU’s 5-0 win against Texas Tech on May 4 to find the last time a WVU starting pitcher notched a victory.

Jack Kartsonas was WVU’s starter in the Big 12 semifinal loss against Arizona, but he’s struggled as of late and allowed 10 runs over his last three starts.

“I think Kartsonas has really stabilized himself as the No. 2 starter,” WVU head coach Steve Sabins said. “He’s older. He’s a veteran and competes at a really high level. I feel comfortable with Kartsonas and Kirn.”

Kirn will likely get the start against the Wildcats (29-24).

“As a coach, when you make decisions, it feels like a lot of times it comes down to who are you willing to lose with?” Sabins continued. “I’m willing to lose with both of those guys.”

If the Mountaineers were to advance to a third game, it would likely be a pitcher-by-committee type of game.

The good news is relief pitcher Carson Estridge is set to return for the NCAA tournament after not being eligible to pitch in the Big 12 tournament.

Estridge is 3-1 with five saves this season, but has also struggled late, allowing 10 runs over his last four appearances.

The news is not so good for starting pitcher Gavin Van Kempen, who has been dealing with shoulder soreness.

“He’s working to get ready for the regional, I just don’t know if that’s a realistic possibility or not,” Sabins said. “He appears to be further away than Estridge. I just don’t feel good where GVK would be at.”