WVU baseball head coach Steve Sabins has been consistent on the recruiting trail, especially getting started on the class of 2027.
Earlier this month on August 4, Kadyn Hines from James Monroe High School in West Virginia, announced his commitment to the Mountaineers. Hines is a tall 6’4” right-handed pitcher who has topped out at 89 mph. Hines joins another class of 2027 recruit to commit to WVU in Mason McGill. Hines and McGill will join another 2027 pitcher Nolan Wilson.
BREAKING - In-state 2027 RHP Kadyn Hines has committed to #WVU. The 6-4 righty from James Monroe recently hit 93 MPH and adds another big arm to the Mountaineers' future rotation.
— WVSports.com (@WVSportsDotCom) August 4, 2025
Details 👉 https://t.co/n6XRKFcfds pic.twitter.com/d7AUWfVqFu
Hines has a four pitch mix, including a fastball, changeup, curveball, and slider. The 6’4” right-hander’s curveball has recorded a 2,595 rpm spin rate. The Major League Baseball average on curveballs is approximately 2,545 rpms.
Hines joins loaded pitching class in early 2027 commitments
The combination of McGill, Wilson, and Hines has WVU ahead in the pitching department for their 2027 class. The trio, including two lefties in McGill and Wilson, will give the Mountaineers three additional arms to help the team starting in the 2028 season. Pitching is something that the Mountaineers have had trouble finding at times, and it is something that a baseball coach cannot get enough of.
The 6’4” righty from James Monroe will have a chance to train and develop in the new state of the art Biomechanics and Performance Center that opened this March. Given some time in the program and access to the new Biomechanics and Performance Center, Hines will have a nice chance to develop into a Division One capable pitcher. As a rising junior in high school already touching 89 mph on the radar gun, it will be exciting to see the potential the WVU baseball program and the new Biomechanics and Performance Center can unlock in Hines.
Bringing four pitches into college will help the right-hander get a jump start into becoming a contributing pitcher for the Mountaineers. Even if his four pitches are not fully polished, the fact that Hines has experience throwing them will help him in the long run developing his off-speed pitches into competitive pitches at the Division One level.
WVU baseball fans should be excited for the new future and the little more distant future for this WVU program. Sabins has done a nice job balancing bringing in talent for the 2026 season and beyond with his recruiting this offseason.