The West Virginia Mountaineers will officially say goodbye to one of the key pieces of their pitching rotation from last season.
On Saturday, the MLB Draft got underway, and it didn't take long for WVU baseball pitcher Dawson Montesa to hear his name called. After making the leap from the Division 2 level to the Big 12, Montesa inherited a role in the starting weekend rotation on the mound for the Mountaineers, eventually playing a major role in help in the Mountaineers reach the College World Series.
Dawson Montesa headed to the St. Louis Cardinals organization to join fellow former Mountaineers
Montesa was selected earlier than many West Virginia fans likely expected, going as the 72nd overall pick on Saturday – he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Competitive Balance Round B, which comes after the second round of picks are complete. The Cardinals acquired the pick via a trade with Tampa Bay.
𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐃
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) July 11, 2026
Dawson is headed to the Cardinals!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/s6pVB5G1MX
Montesa will be joining an organization with plenty of West Virginia ties. This season, former WVU star JJ Wetherholt has arisen as a massive bat for the Cardinals in the major leagues, recently signing an eight-year extension for over $100-million with the franchise. He spent the past two years prior to 2026 working his way through the minor league teams within the organization.
Former WVU star Victor Scott II is also within the organization. He had a strong season in 2025 on the major league roster for the Cardinals, but has since been demoted to the minor leagues after a rough performance in 2026. Now, the two former Mountaineers will have another West Virginia alum alongside them in the program.
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