When a player goes to a Division II program out of high school to play baseball, many of these players dream of doing great at the Division II level, getting noticed, and then climbing up into the Division I ranks. Not only did one native West Virginian and WVU baseball star make such a story a reality, he took it even further, dominating at the Division I level and now earning his opportunity at the professional level of the sport.
During the 2025 MLB Draft, five WVU baseball players heard their names called. Two of those Mountaineers started as Division II players before coming to WVU, one of those being outfielder Kyle West.