The West Virginia Mountaineers kicked off action in the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament on Friday, as they host an NCAA Regional for the first time in seven seasons. And the Mountaineers have a benefit not every team in the tournament has – and that's a boost from one of the top players in all of college baseball.
The Mountaineers feature sophomore Gavin Kelly in the lineup, and he has been nothing but elite this season for the Mountaineers. Kelly is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, and Baseball America recently named him the No. 1 overall prospect in 2027.
And now, as the Mountaineers prepare for a postseason run, he has also been listed among the top future draft prospects in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of class.
Gavin Kelly among Top 10 pro prospects in NCAA Tournament
The best MLB Draft prospects in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of class.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 28, 2026
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On Baseball America's list of Top 10 NCAA Tournament Draft Prospects, Kelly was listed at No. 4 overall, only coming in behind UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, and UC Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora – all listed as 2026 prospects.
Kelly will certainly be a factor for the Mountaineers this weekend, as well as however long they last in the tournament. And luckily for the Mountaineers, he's been as hot as he's been at the plate all season over the past month. Entering Friday's action, he had knocked 13 home runs out of the park during, with seven of those coming in the month of May alone.
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