MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University baseball coach Randy Mazey has announced that 12 student-athletes have signed to join the Mountaineers for the 2017 season.
The class is ranked No. 41 in the nation by Perfect Game, the highest-rated class in program history.
Kevin Brophy (Randolph, New Jersey/Morristown Beard School), Patrick Ferguson (Pittsburgh/Pittsburgh Central Catholic), Isaiah Kearns (Lewistown, Pennsylvania/Mifflin County), Sam Kessler (Mount Sinai, New York/Mount Sinai), Gibson Krzeminski (Ontario, Canada/St. Anne), Alek Manoah (Miami/South Dade Senior High), Ryan McDonald (Charleston, South Carolina/West Ashley), Zachary Miller (Lawrenceville, Georgia/Mountain View), Jordan Scott (Conyers, Georgia/IMG Academy), Kade Strowd (Fort Worth, Texas/Mansfield Legacy), Riley Troutt (Bartow, Florida/Bartow Senior High) and Frankie Vesuvio (Armonk, New York/Byram Hills) will make up the 2017 freshmen class.
“I am really excited about this year’s class,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “This is the type of class that can carry us to a level of baseball where we’ve never been before. Assistant coaches Derek Matlock and Steven Trout have worked hard to get this class together, and I can’t wait to get them here so we can see them play.
“This is the first class that has players that have been recruited to our new facility. It’s the most talented class we’ve had, and the benefits of the new ballpark will really start to show when this class arrives at West Virginia.”
Mazey is beginning his fourth season with the Mountaineers, and this year’s recruiting class is the first to be ranked inside the top 50 after they were ranked No. 51 last year. West Virginia was No. 53 in 2014 and No. 69 in 2013, Mazey’s first year. WVU was not ranked in the top 100 in the two year’s before Mazey and his staff arrived in Morgantown.
A three-time all-conference and two-time Underclass All-State selection, Brophy comes to WVU from Randolph, New Jersey. The infielder plays at the Morristown Beard School for coach John Sheppard. As a junior, the lefty hit .425 with 26 RBI, three home runs, three triples and seven doubles. He is ranked No. 80 nationally among shortstops and No. 1 in New Jersey by Perfect Game.
Brophy wants to be a general manager of a sports team and plans to major in sports management at WVU. His sister Megan is a junior on the WVU rowing team.
Mazey on Brophy: “We really feel like Kevin is a tremendous player. He has a chance to make an immediate impact in our lineup at multiple positions. He’s very versatile. He loves West Virginia, has a sister that is a rower here and we are very excited to have him.”
Ferguson comes to Morgantown from Pittsburgh and plays for head coach Frank Craska at Central Catholic High. The first baseman was a 2015 Perfect Game Underclass All-America Honorable Mention selection, and a 2015 Quad A WPIAL Champion and First Team All-Section honoree. Ferguson is the No. 4-ranked catcher in Pennsylvania and ranked No. 32 overall in the state by Perfect Game.
Ferguson intends to major in finance at WVU. His parents are James and Karen, and his father was a wrestler at Slippery Rock University. Ferguson has one sister, Emily.
Mazey on Ferguson: “A big, strong left-handed power-hitting first baseman from the Pittsburgh area, Patrick has a chance to hit a lot of home runs in college. He has a great work ethic and just loves being a Mountaineer.”
A pitcher and third basemen from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, Kearns attends Mifflin County High School and plays for head coach Bernie Howard. A Perfect Game Underclass All-American Honorable Mention honoree in 2014 and 2015, he is the top-ranked third baseman in Pennsylvania and ranked No. 7 overall in the state by Perfect Game.
Kearns is undecided on what degree to pursue upon arrival in Morgantown next fall. His parents are Todd and Toni Kearns.
Mazey on Kearns: “Isaiah has tremendous tools. He is a two-way guy that has a great feel for pitching and has a lot of power at the plate. He is very athletic and we feel like he has a chance to be a very good player at West Virginia.”
Kessler is a pitcher from Mount Sinai, New York, and is coming off a 2015 season where he was named to the Perfect Game Underclass High Honorable Mention team. He attends Mount Sinai High and plays for Eric Reichenbach. A four-year member of the varsity baseball team, Kessler was named to the 2014 Perfect Game All-Tournament Team and tossed a complete game no-hitter with 10 strikeouts at the 2014 Perfect Game 16u WWBA Tournament. He ranks No. 13 in New York among all players by Perfect Game.
Kessler is undecided about his major at WVU, but aspires to play in the major leagues after his career with the Mountaineers. He has two sisters, Machaeyla and Devon, and his parents are Brad and Meghan.
Mazey on Kessler: “Sam is a right-handed pitcher from New York that may bring the best breaking/curve ball in this class of pitchers. He loves to compete and has a great personality that is fun to be around and we look forward to him making an immediate impact as a freshman.”
From Ontario, Canada, and a member of Team Ontario at the Canada Cup Games in 2015, Krzeminski hails from Ontario, Canada. He attends St. Anne High and plays for coach Steve Burke. The outfielder hit .500 with 32 RBI, two home runs as a junior and was named to the 2015 All-City team. Krzeminski is a two-time Ontario Championships winner and also won a pair of state championships.
While he is undecided on a major at WVU, Krzeminski wants to play in the MLB after his time with the Mountaineers. His parents are Michael and Lori, and he has one brother.
Mazey on Krzeminski: “Gibson is a tremendously talented hitter from Canada that we feel can step in here and have a great amount of success as a hitter. There is the potential for him to show a lot of power in our new ballpark.”
Manoah is a Miami native and was a First Team ABCA Rawlings All-American and Under Armour All-American in 2015. The right-handed pitcher and first baseman plays for South Dade Senior High and head coach Fred Burnside. As a junior, Manoah hit .492 with five home runs and 32 RBI and earned First Team All-Dade accolades, in addition to his All-America honors. As a freshman, he helped lead his team to the Class 8A state title. Manoah is ranked No. 11 overall in the state of Florida and No. 82 nationally by Perfect Game. Among right-handers, Manoah is No. 3 in Florida and No. 27 nationally.
Manoah’s brother, Erik, is a pitcher in the New York Mets farm system. Manoah also has a sister, and his parents are Erik and Susana. He wants to major in broadcasting at WVU and hopes to be an analyst at ESPN.
Mazey on Manoah: “Alek is two-way guy from Miami that has the chance to be one of the best players to ever play at West Virginia as both a pitcher and a hitter. He has tremendous arm strength and a great feel for pitching, but is also a tremendous hitter with tremendous power. We are looking forward to him getting here and having a great career for the Mountaineers.”
A pitcher from Charleston, South Carolina, McDonald was named to the 2015 All-Region team and the Perfect Game WWBA All-Tournament Team. A 2014 Perfect Game Underclass All-American, McDonald attends West Ashley High and plays for coach Tyson Azevedo. He is ranked No. 6 overall in South Carolina and No. 145 nationally among righty’s by Perfect Game.
McDonald plans to major in sport management and wants to be an agent or coach after graduating from WVU. His parents are Gary and Kelly, and McDonald has one brother, Travis, and a sister, Kayli.
Mazey on McDonald: “A really big right-handed pitcher with tremendous arm strength, Ryan has a tremendous fastball and he loves being a Mountaineer. We are looking forward to him developing and being a tremendous pitcher for us in the future.”
Miller is a Lawrenceville, Georgia, native and is an All-Region Second Team honoree. He attends Mountain View High and plays for Jason Johnson, where he is a three-time varsity letterman and advanced to the Elite 8 at the 2014 state tournament. As a junior, Miller batted .308 with 33 hits, 16 RBI and scored 25 runs and stole 25 bases. As a sophomore, Miller also lettered on the football team. Perfect Game ranks him as the No. 26 outfielder in Georgia and No. 105 overall in the state.
Miller hopes to pursue a degree in business and wants to be a corporate lawyer. His sister, Taylor, plays softball at Mercer University, while his brother, Malcolm, played soccer at Michigan. Miller’s parents are Terry and Tyese.
Mazey on Miller: “Zachary is an athlete from Georgia that is very mature and is a great student that comes from a great family. His athleticism is off the charts and he has the chance to develop into a superstar in the Big 12 Conference.”
Scott is a Conyers, Georgia, native and comes to WVU after a season at prep school at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The switch-hitting outfielder plays for Nolan Neiman at IMG, after he attended Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy and played for coach Doug Campbell. Scott hit .390 in 2015 and is ranked the No. 29 shortstop in the country by Perfect Game and is a 2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American. He also earned the Blue Collar Award with his football team.
Scott looks to major in animal science at WVU and aspires to be a veterinarian after graduation. His parents are Monique and David, who played football at Alabama. Scott’s uncle, Godfrey Scott, played football for Georgia Tech and the Carolina Panthers.
Mazey on Scott: “Jordan may be the best athlete in this class. He is a switch-hitter with power from both sides, and can run a 6.4-6.5 60-yard dash. He is a great kid that comes from a great family and he loves West Virginia. He can play multiple positions, hit home runs, steal bases, and is also a great defender. We are looking forward to him making an immediate impact in our lineup.”
Strowd is a pitcher from Fort Worth, Texas. A 2015 Underclass Honorable Mention All-America honoree by Perfect Game, Strowd attends Mansfield Legacy and plays for David Walden. He was named to the 2015 Perfect Game 17u WWVA All-Tournament Team. He is the No. 78th-ranked right-handed pitcher in Texas and No. 221 among all players in the state, according to Perfect Game.
Strowd’s parents are Russell and Lorraine.
Mazey on Strowd: “Kade continues our connection of right-handed pitchers from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. Kade, like the others before him has a chance to come in and pitch a lot as a freshman. He is super excited to pitch in the Big 12 Conference and we are excited to have him.”
Troutt is a Bartow, Florida, native, and was named to the all-county team the past two seasons. The right-handed pitcher attends Bartow Senior High and plays for Daniel Payne, where he had a 1.76 ERA with one save and struck out 52 in 35 innings of work as a junior. Troutt is a two-time Perfect Game Underclass Honorable Mention All-American. Perfect Game ranks him as the No. 34 righty in Florida and No. 142 overall in the state.
Troutt hopes to major in exercise science or biomedical engineering at WVU. He has two brothers and one stepsister, and his parents’ names are Tim and Shannon.
Mazey on Troutt: “Riley continues our Florida connection. He has a very explosive fastball and a really good breaking ball. We feel he can step into the Big 12 Conference and have success immediately.”
A 2015 state champion and New York State Player of the Year, Vesuvio comes to Morgantown from Armonk, New York. The right-handed pitcher and outfielder attends Bryam Hills High and plays for Scott Saunders, where he hit .368 with 35 hits, seven home runs and stole 21 bases, while posting a 1.58 ERA with eight wins on the mound with 88 strikeouts in 70.2 innings of work. A team captain as a junior, Vesuvio owns the team record for strikeouts and home runs. Vesuvio is the No. 5 player overall in New York by Perfect Game and No. 74 nationally among right-handers.
Vesuvio is undecided on his major at WVU and his career aspiration after his playing career concludes with the Mountaineers. His parents are Frank and Melissa, and he has one sister.
Mazey on Vesuvio: “One of two right handed pitchers from New York, Frankie is a two-way guy that also plays centerfield. He can really run and has a great arm. We are looking forward to him helping us as a pitcher and a hitter and making an immediate impact.”
