Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
OMAHA, Neb. – Three members of the West Virginia University baseball team have earned All-America honors following the Mountaineers’ historic 2026 season.
Redshirt junior pitcher Maxx Yehl was named a Perfect Game First Team All-American and a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Second Team All-American. Sophomore infielder Gavin Kelly earned Second Team All-America recognition from both Perfect Game and the NCBWA, while sophomore pitcher Chansen Cole was selected to the NCBWA Second Team.
Yehl has anchored WVU’s pitching staff this season, compiling a 9-2 record with a 2.10 ERA and 105 strikeouts across 90.0 innings pitched. His ERA leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks sixth nationally. Among his numerous accolades this season, Yehl was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, NCBWA District 2 Co-Player of the Year, and was selected as one of five finalists for National Pitcher of the Year.
Cole has enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Mountaineers, posting a 10-1 record with a 2.85 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 94.2 innings. His 10 victories lead the Big 12 and rank eighth nationally, making him the first WVU pitcher to reach double-digit wins in a season since 2003. Earlier this year, Cole earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was selected to the Morgantown Regional All-Tournament Team.
At the plate, Kelly has been one of the nation’s most productive hitters, batting .384 with 17 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 89 hits. His offensive production also includes 21 doubles, three triples, and 66 runs scored. Kelly’s standout season has already earned him All-Big 12 First Team honors, NCAA Morgantown Regional Most Valuable Player recognition, and NCBWA District 2 Co-Player of the Year accolades.
The selections make Yehl, Kelly, and Cole the 29th, 30th, and 31st All-Americans in school program history. Yehl and Kelly become the sixth and seventh Mountaineers to earn All-America recognition from Perfect Game and the first since JJ Wetherholt in 2024. The trio also gives the Mountaineers 16 NCBWA All-Americans, the program’s first since Wetherholt in 2023.
Yehl’s First Team selection marks another milestone, as he becomes the first WVU player named a First Team All-American by any outlet since Wetherholt in 2023 and just the third player in program history to earn Perfect Game First Team All-America honors, joining Wetherholt (2023) and Alek Manoah (2019).
Photo Credit: Shanna Rose
