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Steve Sabins could find his next star pitcher in this West Virginia native

This Mountaineers could have their next ace pitcher on their roster based on one sophomore's early summer league performance.
ByJoseph Smith|
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Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Steve Sabins walks to the dugout before the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Steve Sabins walks to the dugout before the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You can never have too deep of a pitching staff in college baseball, and often, the teams that make it the farthest in the postseason are those that have several talented pitchers to roll out during the treacherous weeks of May and June.

This was a weak point that kept the West Virginia Mountaineers from the College World Series in 2025, and it was an area Steve Sabins worked to fix last season – which led to a trip to Omaha. And with starters Maxx Yehl and Ian Korn set to depart the program, alongside several relief pitchers, there will be plenty of spots to fill next season.

Sabins has worked to bring an impressive set of transfers in on the mound this offseason, but as summer league action is now in full swing, it's looking like the Mountaineers have an in-state native on the roster who could play his way into a spot as well.

Weston Smith puts up impressive numbers representing WVU baseball in Appalachian League action

Weston Smith, a Hurricane, W.Va native, managed to make it on the mound to see limited action for the Mountaineers as a freshman, but you could have missed him if you weren't attention. He made six appearances for the Mountaineers, tossing 101 pitches over 5.2 innings.

He gave up four runs and posted a 6.35 ERA, but that can be a bit misleading – three of those runs came when he was tossed into the disastrous clash with Pitt while the Mountaineers were already trailing 19-1. But now, he's wiping the taste of the Backyard Brawl – his last appearance of the season – out of his mouth in the MLB Draft Appalachian League this summer.

He's packing some serious heat onto his ball pitching in the league this summer, hitting a top velocity of 95.6 miles per hour on his pitches this summer – good for the sixth-best pitching velocity in the league so far this season.

This is elite arm strength – the type you expect to see on a major league pitcher. If Smith can continue gaining command and developing his arsenal with in-game experience this summer, then he could easily develop into a starting pitcher for after another offseason of work at in West Virginia's top-tier facilities.

Fans will want to keep a close eye on Smith this summer, and again next spring when the Mountaineers get their season underway.

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