It’s easy to look at WVU Baseball’s success throughout the 2026 season and point towards young stars like sophomores Gavin Kelly and Chansen Cole. The two of them have helped lead WVU in both the batter’s box and on the mound the entire season.
However, not enough can be said for the seniors on WVU’s roster who have made their mark in their final year in college. Read more: Seniors making it count for WVU Baseball this season.
The Mountaineers have 11 seniors or graduate students on their roster, and nearly all of them have had serious impacts on WVU’s success this season.
Elite bats
Out of those 11 players, five of them have been mainstays in WVU’s starting lineup.
Leading the way has been fifth-year senior Paul Schoenfeld. The Colorado Mesa transfer has manned the crucial centerfield position with ease for the Mountaineers in every game this season.
In the field, he has proven himself to be as reliable as centerfielders come. In 47 games, he has not committed an error, as well as collecting five assists in the outfield.
Schoenfeld has also been equally as impactful in the batter’s box. His .368 batting average is best for second on the team, behind only Kelly. He’s also tied with Kelly with 16 doubles and leads the team with four triples.
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The Kansas has proved to be a massive addition to the Mountaineers this season. Another strong transfer player for this season is Sean Smith.
The Georgia Southern transfer has become one of the most consistent threats at the plate for the Mountaineers this season. Smith ranks second on the team in RBIs with 44 and home runs with eight.
UNC Wilmington transfer Brock Wills has also had his fair share of success in his first season with the Mountaineers. Similar to Schoenfeld, Wills has been a steady glove in right field with two assists and 96 putouts. He also has not committed an error in the 46 games he has played.
Wills has also contributed with a .266 batting average and 22 RBI’s.
Ohio State transfer Matthew Graveline is the final player on this list who is in his first year at WVU. And just like the others, he’s been a valuable addition to the team.
In the field, he has contributed in the outfield and behind the plate, allowing Kelly to not be the sole catcher on the team. Either way, Graveline has been effective with 242 putouts, ranking third on the team.
At the plate, the Ohio native has been just as impressive. He has amassed 30 RBIs, five home runs, and seven doubles, all good enough to rank among the top five on the team.
The last notable player on this list is graduate student Brodie Kresser. In his third year with the Mountaineers, the former Des Moines Area Community College transfer has once again been dependable in the field and at the plate.
Having to make the switch to primarily first base this season, Kresser has still been one of WVU’s best position players. He has committed just two errors in 39 games of action, while tallying 129 putouts.
Currently at the plate, he is averaging a career best .297. He’s also 27 RBI’s and two home runs up to this point.
Shutdown pitching
WVU also boasts a trio of older players who have proven themselves time and again this season. They are three of the best arms on the team.
Ian Korn has arguably been the best of that group this season. The Seton Hill transfer has played a number of roles for the Mountaineers this season. Whether it’s being forced to start or come out of the bullpen in crucial moments, the graduate student has excelled all season.
He’s third on the team with a 2.96 ERA and fourth in strikeouts with 44. Beyond just stats, though, Korn has kept WVU in multiple games with his ability to eat up multiple innings consistently.
He’s been a cornerstone in the bullpen the whole year and will continue to be throughout WVU’s push to an NCAA regional.
Reese Bassinger has been equally important out of the bullpen as well. The former Tarleton State transfer is in his second year with the Mountaineers, and he’s making it a good one.
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He has evolved into one of the most dependable and efficient arms WVU has out of the bullpen. While he doesn’t meet the minimum requirements of one inning per team game when it comes to rankings stats, Bassinger still has an impressive 3.50 ERA and 50 SO’s in 43.2 innings.
Carson Estridge is the third and final pitcher in this impressive trio. With an ERA of 3.04 in 26.2 innings, the Virginia native has once again been elite out of WVU’s bullpen.
He’s played his entire career at West Virginia, and after a shaky 2025 season, Estridge has returned to the form Mountaineer fans grew accustomed to in his first two seasons.
All three of these guys will play crucial roles as WVU’s season heats up and enters tournament play.
The rest of the group
Rounding out the group of seniors are Ben Lumsden, Luke Lyman, and Ben McDougal.
Lumsden has the most playing time among this group with 24 games played, including seven starts. Currently in his third year at WVU, Lumsden is batting .209 with seven RBI’s.
McDougal has made six appearances out of the bullpen this season, with 5.2 total innings. He currently has a 4.76 ERA.
Lyman has yet to make an appearance this season.
Make sure to stay up to date with WVU baseball as they come closer to the Big 12 tournament and NCAA regionals right here on wvsportsnation.com.
