Five WV Black Bears Players Taken in MLB Draft

By the time the 2025 MLB Draft concluded on Monday, five West Virginia Black Bears players had heard their names called by organizations across the league.

Bryan Arendt, Joe Ruzicka, Owen Puk, Cannon Pickell, and Sam Tookoian were all drafted and will take their talents to the next level. 

Pick #380 – Bryan Arendt

The first West Virginia Black Bear off the board on Monday was Bryan Arendt, a product of UNC-Wilmington. The catcher had his name called by the Athletics in the 13th round.

Related: WVU Athletic Director Baker Joins John Fredericks Wednesday

Arendt played 17 games for the Black Bears in the first half of the season, collecting six RBI and drawing eight walks. The 22-year-old is coming off an impressive senior season at UNC Wilmington, a campaign that featured Arendt slugging seven home runs and 19 doubles.

Between his time at UNC-Wilmington and several seasons of summer league play, Arendt will enter his time with the Athletics organization with an overall batting average of .236 and 129 RBI. 

Pick #489 – Joe Ruzicka

The Detroit Tigers selected the right-handed pitcher in the 16th round. Ruzicka played his collegiate career at Belmont University, posting a 4.39 ERA over his three-year career with the Bruins.

The righty started three games for the Black Bears, finishing the summer stint with a 0-1 record. Ruzicka dealt 70 strikeouts in his most recent season at Belmont and collected six wins in the process. 

Pick #531 – Owen Puk

Selected in the 18th round by the Washington Nationals, Owen Puk played just four games with the Black Bears. In his short stint with West Virginia’s MLB Draft League squad, Puk was quite impressive.

The Florida International righty pitched four innings of relief for the Black Bears. He posted a 2.25 ERA and served as the closer in two of the four appearances.

Puk has been on an upward trajectory, especially for the FIU Panthers, increasing his season strikeout total from 28 to 51 between 2024 and 2025. Puk averaged two strikeouts per relief appearance in his time with the Black Bears. The pitcher is no stranger to the world of Major League Baseball, as his brother A.J. is currently a reliever for the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Pick #588 – Cannon Pickell

With possibly the coolest name of the bunch, Cannon Pickell was taken in the 20th round by the Miami Marlins.

Much like Owen Puk, Pickell only made a few appearances for the Black Bears this summer. Coming in as a reliever in five games for West Virginia, Pickell finished his brief stint in Morgantown with a 2.08 ERA and a 0-1 record.

The former UNC Tar Heel and Western Carolina Catamount has an overall collegiate record of 0-4, but has a win to his name from his time with the Frederick Keys in 2022. 

Pick #589 – Sam Tookoian

Just one pick after Pickell, Sam Tookoian was the final name called from the pool of Black Bears talent in the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Los Angeles Angels took the behemoth right-handed pitcher in the 20th round on Monday, standing at 6’5 and 240 pounds. Going off tangibles alone, Tookoian is built for the majors.

The 22-year-old has spent three seasons at Mississippi, where he collected a win for the Rebels in 2023. Tookoian made five appearances for the Black Bears, with two of them being starts. Despite the 0-1 record in his time with West Virginia, the righty finished with a 1.42 ERA and 16 strikeouts. He allowed only four hits in 12 total innings pitched. 

Signed, Not Drafted

Other roster members of the Black Bears were signed by organizations following the conclusion of the draft. Those players include Tyler Pettorini (Phillies), Jonny McGill (Angels), Cory Ronan (Royals), and Aiden Moffett (Cubs). 

What’s Next?

With the roster turnover in full swing for the Black Bears, very few players will return for the second half of the season. Regardless, it was a productive day on Monday for several former Black Bears.