Most young athletes might think twice about playing conference games on both coasts. Joe Fredericks welcomes the challenge.
Fredericks, a left-handed sophomore pitcher, announced that he’s transferring to Maryland after spending his first two years at West Virginia. He appeared in four games for the Mountaineers as a sophomore and 22 games overall. In his freshman year, he led West Virginia with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings of work.
“I really believe in the coaching staff at Maryland,” Fredericks said. “(Pitching coach) Jimmy Jackson recruited me in high school when he was at James Madison, and I’ve always been a big fan of his. They’re in a great conference in the Big Ten and they’ve got great academics. I plan on being a strength and conditioning coach when I’m done playing baseball, and Maryland has a great kinesiology program.”
Fredericks is the son of John and Anne Fredericks, the owners of WVTheTorch.com and WVSportsNation.com.
Read More: WVU Baseball Portal: Fredericks Transfers to Maryland
High on Fredericks’ list of reasons to move College Park was the Terrapins’ position in the Big Ten. Even though Maryland faces some of the longest trips in the nation by virtue of sharing a conference with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, Fredericks saw that as a positive. Maryland has three major airports within 40 miles of campus, so travel would be easier than it was from Morgantown.
His final list of transfer options made clear he wasn’t afraid of travel, as he also considered Loyola Marymount, Hawai’i and James Madison. In the end, the Terrapins’ spot in a prestigious conference played a role.
“There’s a lot of cool schools in the Big Ten and it’s spread out, which I’m a fan of,” Fredericks said. “You get to play on both coasts, and I’m used to that. At West Virginia, the travel is brutal because the closest airport is Pittsburgh. When you travel to Texas, Kansas, Arizona, you’re not getting back until early in the morning and you’re getting on a bus for an hour to get to the airport. So I’m pretty used to that already.”
More important to Fredericks are the details around the team he’s joining. Maryland coach Matt Swope is the founder of Motor Preferences, which focuses on athlete motion and mechanics. Just as important, the Terrapins offer a strong offense and a program that has reached three NCAA regionals in the past five years.
Related: 10 Years of Kendrick Family Ballpark
Maryland’s ballpark is a factor that would seem to work against most pitchers, but Fredericks is an exception. With the Terrapins’ offense designed to play to its small park, the pitcher prefers to bet on himself to keep the ball in the park. As long as he does that, the dimensions don’t really bother him. That was true at West Virginia, and he expects it to continue in College Park.
“Being a part of an offense that’s putting up runs gives you a better chance to win,” Fredericks said. “Their stadium is a small field, but I’m a sinker pitcher, so that’s an advantage for me. I have a very high ground ball rate, so I’m not worried about that aspect.
“There’s really good coaching and good offense at Maryland, and I’m excited for that. Jimmy Jackson has a good culture, and that was a big thing in making that decision.”
Although Maryland and West Virginia are historic rivals, recent history says that Fredericks probably won’t have to make the trip back down Interstate 68 to Morgantown anytime soon. The Terrapins and the Mountaineers have only met on the diamond once in the past six years, an 8-6 West Virginia win in College Park.
Related: Mountaineers In the Minors
Unless they meet in NCAA competition, Fredericks probably won’t have to face his former school, and that’s fine with him. He holds no ill will toward the Mountaineers and cherishes his two years in Morgantown.
“I loved it there,” Fredericks said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything; I love my teammates and coaches, they’re great people and they’ve got a great program. I’ve made a lot of friends over the past two years.
“I’ve learned how to be a professional about things (at West Virginia). Randy Mazey was big on that, and it was the same thing with Steve Sabins. I think that’s helped me a lot in my career.”
Barnett Chooses Penn State
Joining Fredericks in the Big Ten is Spencer Barnett, who started 28 games for the Mountaineers in 2025. Barnett announced that he will continue his career at Penn State.
Barnett batted .278 with four home runs for West Virginia this past season, but did not play in the postseason outside of one at-bat against LSU. He split his time between several infield positions, but spent most of his time at third base and second base.
Related: Mountaineers in the Majors
Barnett is likely to return to Morgantown as a visitor, as the Mountaineers routinely schedule non-conference games with the Nittany Lions. His fourth and final home run of the year came in his new home ballpark, as he homered in a 3-2 loss in University Park.
Perazza Joins Florida Atlantic
Michael Perazza will continue his career at Florida Atlantic, where he will have two years of eligibility left. Perazza was an occasional starter over two years in Morgantown, mostly playing left field in 54 appearances with 25 starts. He batted .233 as a sophomore but did not play after the Mountaineers’ series with Texas Tech.
At Florida Atlantic, Perazza joins a program that finished 37-21 last season, but was not selected for postseason play.
Marot Chooses Charleston Southern
Utility man Alex Marot will transfer to Charleston Southern, joining a program that fell two wins shy of making the NCAA tournament last year.
Marot hit a respectable .273 as a redshirt freshman, but only got four at-bats against Big 12 competition. His last appearance came in the series against Houston, which happened in April.
He joins a Buccaneers squad that went 31-22 and finished third in the Big South last year. Charleston Southern reached the league championship game, but lost to the South Carolina Upstate squad that played in West Virginia’s regional.
Van Kempen Picks Pirates
Gavin Van Kempen will join an NCAA tournament squad, as he’ll compete for East Carolina in his final season of college.
Van Kempen had a sharp 3.14 ERA in his sophomore season, but struggled through 2025. In 22.1 innings against Big 12 competition, he posted an 8.06 ERA.
