WOAY- Several local college baseball players heard their names called this week in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft.
West Virginia pitcher Jacob Watters was selected in the fourth round, 124th overall by the Oakland Athletics.
Watters was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection.
The junior right-handed pitcher went 3-7 with a 6.22 ERA in 18 appearances during the 2022 season. After starting the season in the bullpen, Watters became part of the rotation. He finished the season with 75 strikeouts in 59.1 innings of work.
Watters’ teammate, outfielder Victor Scott II, is headed to St. Louis. Scott was taken in the fifth round at 157th overall by the Cardinals.
Scott batted .278 this season, with six home runs and 47 RBI. He also scored 44 runs and stole 38 bases, which are both single-season program records.
The junior is the highest-drafted WVU outfielder since Darrell Whitmore was selected in the second round by Cleveland in 1990.
Bluefield Ridge Runners catcher Haydn McGeary was selected in the 15th round, 443rd overall, by the Chicago Cubs.
The Colorado Mesa product is the reigning Appalachian League Player of the Week. Last week, McGeary led the league in hits, runs scored, average, OBP, slugging and OPS.
McGeary is batting .403, with four home runs and 28 RBI this summer.
West Virginia pitcher Trey Brathwaite was the third Mountaineer to be taken off the board. The fifth-year senior was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 16th round at 483rd overall.
Brathwaite was an All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2022 and was also named to the All-American Third Team. He went 3-0, with a 1.7 ERA, 36 strikeouts and eight saves.
Incoming West Virginia freshman Gavin Van Kempen was also drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 20th round.
One Marshall baseball player has signed his first professional contract. Ryan Leitch has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Herd catcher finished this season with a team-high 17 doubles. He also batted .307, with 43 RBI and 12 home runs in 53 games.
