Some of the biggest pieces from the WVU baseball team’s fantastic run at the end of the 2016 season will not be back with the Mountaineers in 2017.
Ross Vance, a senior, and Ray Guerrini, a junior in 2016, have ended their careers at West Virginia and will go the professional route.
Neither Vance nor Guerrini were drafted in the recent MLB First-Year Player Draft. However, they both recently signed free agent professional deals with Major League organizations.
Guerrini will join the Seattle Mariners organization, while Vance has the potential to be a future St. Louis Cardinal.
https://twitter.com/Emtastic22/status/743250461227106304
Congratulations to Ross Vance, who will sign a contract with the @Cardinals! #HailWV pic.twitter.com/bEeRI9RTxj
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) June 13, 2016
Shortly after the WVU baseball season ended, Vance was playing in another league. He joined the United Shore Professional Baseball League’s Birmingham Bluefield Beavers. He made just won appearance, earned a win and did not allow a run in his short stay there.
He is said to be the first player from this league to selected by a Major League organization.
"“I loved being a part of the United Shore Professional Baseball League, in particular the coaching, mentoring and level of competition,” said Vance. “Any young player looking to get better and further their career should make this league their first priority.”"
In his final season with the Mountaineers, Vance was one of the team’s top pitcher. He was a starter who made 13 starts and went 7-3 in his 18 total appearances.
Vance had a 4.91 earned run average as a senior and struck out 91 batters in 91.2 innings pitched. On a negative end, Vance surrendered eight homers which was the most of of any pitcher on the WVU baseball staff.
On the receiving end of a lot of those pitches was Guerrini, who was the team’s top catcher.
In his junior campaign, Guerrini batted .289, which was fourth on the team. He started 50 games behind the dish and had 10 doubles, two triples and six home runs.
Guerrini was magnet for the ball, too, as he was hit by a pitch 12 times.
Congrats to Ross Vance and Ray Guerrini for signing pro contracts with the Cardinals and the Mariners. Way to go guys, gonna miss you.
— Coach Randy Mazey (@CoachMazey) June 16, 2016
Obviously, head coach Randy Mazey will miss both of these great players who helped his WVU baseball team to 36 wins this past season.
Vance and Guerrini each played big roles for Mazey and the Mountaineers as the West Virginia program is on the rise within the Big 12 Conference.