WVU Baseball: Mountaineer sophomore named All-American
By Phil Poling
It’s been an exciting week for the WVU baseball program. Two players were chosen in the MLB Draft, while another earned All-America honors.
Must Read: Two 'Eers chosen in MLB Draft
West Virginia University’s Braden Zarbnisky earned third-team All-American honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). The sophomore pitcher/designated hitter was one of two utility players on the third team.
Zarbnisky, who wears the number 26, led the Mountaineers with a .336 batting average and a .417 on-base percentage.
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The sophomore controlled things from the mound as well, sporting a team-best 2.75 ERA in 23 appearances. Without starting any games, Zarbnisky went 6-2 and recorded six saves for head coach Randy Mazey. His 39.1 innings pitched were 7th-most on the ‘Eers, and he only surrendered 12 earned runs while striking out 46.
Zarbnisky and the Mountaineers rallied to a 36-26 record in 2017 and were within two games of a Super Regional. Their Regional appearance was the first for WVU since 1996. With Mazey’s track record, Zarbnisky’s potential and a little bit of Morgantown magic, next season could be a special one in Almost Heaven.