Kelly, Yehl Named National Player of the Year Semifinalists
May 14, 2026 03:11 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Sophomore Gavin Kelly and redshirt junior Maxx Yehl have both been named semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy while Kelly was also named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
Kelly leads the Mountaineers in nearly every offensive category including batting average (.391), home runs (12), RBI (46), hits (72), OPS (1.178), slugging percentage (.696), and total bases (128). A versatile defender, he has played 26 games behind the plate and 20 games at second base with a .985 fielding percentage, including throwing out 38% (9-for-24) would-be base stealers.
Yehl has been a force on the mound for WVU this season, coming off Tommy John surgery in 2025. He is 7-1 and currently leads the Big 12 with a 2.04 ERA while striking out 79 batters in 66.1 innings pitched. The Portville, N.Y. native is coming off his best start of the season where he went the distance at No. 7 Kansas, striking out nine in a 4-1 victory.
Kelly becomes the third Mountaineer to be named a Golden Spikes semifinalist, joining Alek Manoah (2019) and JJ Wetherholt (2023) while Kelly and Yehl are the third and fourth Howser semifinalists, also now joining Manoah and Wetherholt.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Kelly leads the Mountaineers in nearly every offensive category including batting average (.391), home runs (12), RBI (46), hits (72), OPS (1.178), slugging percentage (.696), and total bases (128). A versatile defender, he has played 26 games behind the plate and 20 games at second base with a .985 fielding percentage, including throwing out 38% (9-for-24) would-be base stealers.
Yehl has been a force on the mound for WVU this season, coming off Tommy John surgery in 2025. He is 7-1 and currently leads the Big 12 with a 2.04 ERA while striking out 79 batters in 66.1 innings pitched. The Portville, N.Y. native is coming off his best start of the season where he went the distance at No. 7 Kansas, striking out nine in a 4-1 victory.
Kelly becomes the third Mountaineer to be named a Golden Spikes semifinalist, joining Alek Manoah (2019) and JJ Wetherholt (2023) while Kelly and Yehl are the third and fourth Howser semifinalists, also now joining Manoah and Wetherholt.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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