Several former West Virginia Mountaineer baseball stars are making debuts and playing well at the professional level this season. This includes one former WVU pitcher who recently received his second call-up to the big leagues.
Kade Strowd earned his second shot at the MLB after he was called up by the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. Strowd was first called up to play for the Orioles in late April this season A few weeks later, the right-handed pitcher who played three seasons in Morgantown received a new chance to earn his spot on the major league roster.
Strowd was called up on Sunday and made an appearance in the Orioles game on Sunday. The former Mountaineer pitched one inning, getting his first career strikeout. Unfortunately, Strowd gave up one run on two hits in the one inning that he worked.
The bad news — Strowd’s second stint in the majors was also a very short one. He was sent back down to the Norfolk Tides just two days later, with the only appearance being the one inning pitched on Sunday.
Just a few weeks ago, Strowd was called up on April 28 but did not manage to record an appearance on the mound before being optioned to Norfolk on April 29.
Strowd joins another Mountaineer who also heard his name be called to make his MLB debut in 2025. Ryan Berget was called up by the San Diego Padres on April 26. Bergert and Strowd spent one season as teammates during the 2019 season.
During his three seasons (2017-2019) with WVU, Strowd was 10-16 with a 5.31 ERA. The 6’2” righty put together his best season in his junior year. Going 5-6 with a 4.73 ERA while logging an impressive 83.2 innings pitched, Strowd showed he could be a workhorse on the mound.
Mountaineer fans are hoping to see Strowd get another chance at the big leagues in more of a permanent role.