By: James Gravley | WV Sports Chat
With the college baseball regular season Opening Day around the corner (February 13), it brings up the question of what the pitching rotation will look like for the Mountaineers when they open up a three-game series with Georgia Southern.
West Virginia welcomes in a load of transfers and one of the best touted freshman classes in the Big 12. In fact, several outlets have noted that this freshman class brought in by Steve Sabins and his staff will be one of the best in the country.
WVU also landed numerous transfers this offseason, but Sabins knew where the weakest link was and hit that hard while recruiting the portal.
Pitching.
That was the weak spot last year and the year prior. Both years WVU made the postseason, both years WVU was eliminated in the Super Regionals due to lack of pitching.
This year seems to be a whole different perspective as the pitching staff got an upgrade; or so it seems to be that way on paper, for now.
Below is the full list of transfers into the baseball program for the 2026 season.
•LHP Andrew Middleton – (UMass)
•LHP Joshua Surigao – (Hawaii)
•LHP Bryson Thacker – (Tennessee)
•RHP Ian Korn– (Seton Hill – D2)
•RHP Dawson Montesa – (Adelphi – D2)
•RHP Chansen Cole – (Newberry – D2)
•OF Paul Schoenfeld – (Colorado Mesa – D2)
•INF Matt Ineich – (Ohio)
•C Michael Smosna – (McMurry – D3) *no longer with the team*
•C Matthew Graveline – (Ohio State)
•OF Brock Wills – (UNCW)
•OF Sean Smith – (GA Southern)
•INF Colton Sims – (Vandy)
•C Creed Erdos – (JMU)
Back in December, I told you all that these three pitchers that transferred into the program would be names to watch in 2026.
I do believe Dawson Montesa makes a case for being an every day starter WVU. Whether he’s a weekend guy, or a midweek guy, I do believe he gets the nod in the rotation. Montesa went 8-1 with a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 105 strikeouts with just 24 walks over 72 innings with Adelphi this past season.
He is bringing that same energy and electricity to WVU this spring. And it all started with fall camp.
Andrew Middleton, who is from UMass, coming off TJ Surgery, could also make a splash in the rotation.
Ian Korn, from Seton Hill, also expecting him to be the main ace for this rotation. He brings an explosive arm to the rotation and I do figure he will be highly sought after in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Also two other names to watch out for in the flat Jon is Reese Bassinger and Chansen Cole. Bassinger enters his last year of eligibility at WVU. He is looking to help the team win a championship. Anything less than this will seem like a disappointment.
Cole, who I do believe can be a midweek guy, has one of the best sliders in college baseball. It has a K rate that’s ranked highly within the Big 12. He transferred in from Division II Newberry College whereas a freshman had 97 strikeouts while issuing just 21 walks.
Maxx Yehl, who is also coming off TJ Surgery, I do believe will see some action on the bump, but I do believe he — along with JJ Glascock — will be primary bullpen strength pieces for this rotation in 2026. Yehl told WV Sports Chat this offseason that the Mountaineers were “building something special”, and that this season he had some unfinished business this season.
Photo: WVU Baseball
