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The West Virginia Mountaineers and head coach Randy Mazey have announced the signing of 15 players to National Letters of Intent. The group includes eight pitchers, five position players and two two-way players.  The Mountaineers went 36-26 in 2017, including a 12-12 mark in the Big 12 Conference. The group is the first to be ranked among the top 30 recruiting classes in the country in the history of the program.

 

2018 EARLY COMMITS

Ryan Bergert, RHP, Glenoak HS (OH)
PBR Rank: #35 in OF Class of 2018 
PBR Notes: 6-foot-1, 185-pounder made a significant jump in velocity during his junior year which vaulted him onto the national recruiting scene. Formerly a two-way prospect, Bergert now sits 86-88 while with an advanced curveball at 76-78. The righty impressed at the WWBA 17U national championships in July where he punched out 13 batters among the 17 he faced in five scoreless innings of work.

Drew Britt, RHP, Downingtown West HS (PA)
PBR Rank: #29 in PA Class of 2018
PBR Notes: (6.14.17) 6-foot-5, 220-pound strike-thrower. Pitched out of a high three-quarter slot and stayed on-line to the plate with a compact lead arm. Fastball sat 82-85 with late armside run when down in the zone. Threw slider at two different speeds: 70-72 with a bit of a bubble and bigger break, and 73-74 with tighter spin as more of a chase pitch. At times, can try to be too quick in the stretch and not get weight to back leg. Did not allow a baseball to be elevated against him in three innings of work. Britt committed on June 20, one week after his outing in this event, to West Virginia.

Alec Burns, 1B/OF, Souhegan HS (NH)
PBR Rank: #25 in New England Class of 2018 rankings
PBR Notes: (8.8.17) 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-handed hitting first baseman and right-handed pitcher. Defensively, excellent around the bag, the glove is above average and the arm has plenty to it. Threw 78 mph across the diamond with ease. Ran a 4.6 down the line with minimal effort. The movements are athletic. Tee exit velocity of 95 mph. The bat has serious juice to it, should hit for above average power at the next level. Hits out of an even footed start, the front foot has a big pick up and put down to it as the ball approaches. The path has lift to it, the hands work clean to the ball. Serious chance with flattening of the path.

Lawrence Butler, 1B/3B/OF, Westlake HS (GA)
PBR Rank: NA
PBR Notes: Butler is among the top rated first basemen in Georgia's Class of 2018 and is rated among the top 10 players nationally at the position by several publications. He is an athletic, sub-7.0 runner that has a chance to also play some corner outfield at the next level. A 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-handed hitter, Butler uses a leg-hang stride and creates barrel whip with loose hands which allow him to backspin the baseball with regularity. As his frame continues to fill out he is likely to develop into a consistent power threat from the left side of the plate.

Austin Davis, SS/2B, Conrad Academy (FL)
PBR Rank: NA
PBR Notes: 5-foot-10, 160-pound middle infielder is a two-sport standout. Orlando native has been an all-area selection in both baseball and football during his high school career at Conrad Academy. 6.60 runner has the athleticism to also potentially fill a spot in the outfield if a need arises. Average arm strength with good feet and a soft glove hand defensively. Right-handed hitter has a short stroke, with little wasted movement that should play well at the top of the order.

Phillip Dull, SS/RHP, Chestnut Ridge HS (PA)
PBR Rank: #9 in PA Class of 2018 rankings
PBR Notes: (7.12.17) - 6-foot, 180-pound athletic body frame. West Virginia commit is currently ranked No. 10 overall in Pennsylvania's class of '18. Athletic two-way player who recorded a 6.77 60-yard dash. Defensively the infielder showcased good actions, while playing through the baseball. Fields with his hands out in front of his body and offers a quick release to go along with his arm strength. Right-handed hitter starts his swing from an open stance using a leg kick for added power before landing back to even. Has a fluid load with his hands moving back past his shoulder getting close to an armbar and finishes with a two-handed follow through. Has strength in his swing and quickness to his bat and showed the ability to use both sides of the field. Hit a homerun over the left field fence and another one off the left field fence during his round of batting practice.

Brock Helverson, RHP, Perkiomen Valley HS (PA)
PBR Rank: #6 in PA Class of 2018 rankings
PBR Notes: (4.13.17) 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander sat 89-91 topping at 92 mph in the first inning from a low 3/4 arm slot. Sat 86-88 for the majority of the game after that with significant arm-side run. Free, easy delivery that is far from max effort. Also displayed occasional feel for a changeup that sat 77-80 with heavy fade and a seldom used slider at 75-77. Command was an issue early, but managed to work through it for seven strikeouts vs. two walks on the day. Threw CG 3-hit shutout and showed ability to hold runners with 1.35 delivery time out of stretch.

Madison Jeffrey, RHP, Cabell Midland HS (WV)
PBR Rank: #183 in WV Class of 2018 rankings
PBR Notes: (9.30.17) What a difference a weekend made for Madison Jeffrey. Jeffrey came into the weekend with some recruiting interest but after his performance on the mound he started hearing from D1 schools around the midwest before committing to West Virginia. A right-hander that is mechanically efficient with a very live arm. Fastball had regular run, sitting 87-92 mph. Also spins a breaking ball that flashed signs of a plus offering at 72-77 mph. The 11/5 shaped curveball has tight spin with depth. Although his future looks to be on the mound he also impressed at the plate. A lefty swinger that doesn't get cheated. Possesses a well above average combination of strength and bat speed that shows in swing. Drove multiple extra base hits in game and flashed pull side power. Ran a 7.15 60-yard dash and was up to 88 mph off the tee.

Gabe Kurtzhals, RHP, Boswell HS (TX)
PBR Rank: NA
PBR Notes: 5-foot-9, 160-pound righty gets a lot out of his frame. Sits consistently in the mid-to-upper 80s while touching 90 mph. Also commands an above average curveball in the mid-70s. Kurtzhals hails from Fort Worth, Texas in the heart of Big 12 territory. He has performed well on the national travel circuit as a member of the East Cobb Athletics. Likely a late inning bullpen arm at the next level, Kurtzhals has a three pitch mix that should allow him to battle for innings early in his career.

Jeremy Lapp-Barger, RHP, Century HS (MD)
PBR Rank: #21 in MD Class of 2018
PBR Notes: (8.16.17) Lapp-Barger began the move to the mound last fall and has continuted to increase his stock since. The transition took some time as he became more comfortable, but you saw the naturalness in the switch that you don't always get when you see a position player make the move the mound. He kept a fluid, natural delivery that synced well with his loose arm action. Lapp-Barger climbed up to 87 this spring and has been even better this summer, culminating with a commitment to West Virginia. Lapp-Barger moved up 10 spots to No. 21.

Theo McDowell, RHP/IF, Salisbury HS (CT)
PBR Rank: #10 in New England Class of 2018 rankings
PBR Notes: (8/4/16) On the mound, drawing a ton of attention, as he stands 6-foot-4, 155-pounds. The frame is rail thin and the body will get some weight on it as it grows. The arm is free on the backside and quick out front, ¾ slot. You can really project him on the mound, as it's easy for him. The fastball has good life and run to it, sitting 84-86, touching 87 mph. The spin pitch is a short slider and was just ok in Indianapolis. I've seen it better but it was 68 mph on Friday. Showed the makings of a good changeup in warm-ups. Positionally, ran a 6.95 on the laser in his 60. In the infield, showed solid hands and the ability to throw. The pivot work needs some coaching as do the prep steps, helping him get through the ball properly. The arm has plenty to it, throwing 82 mph across the diamond with easy effort. Offensively, tee exit velocity of 91 mph. The backside has a little collapse to it but the hands work freely. The path needs to flatten for plate coverage, which should be a simple fix for him. Swung the bat better late on Friday and on Saturday. Very interesting guy to follow and recruit as he continues to grow and get better. I love the potential on the mound. Since this evaluation McDowell has seen a velocity spike on the mound now sitting 87-91.

Zach Ottinger, RHP, Lassiter HS (GA)
PBR Rank: NA
PBR Notes: 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-hander with a long, projectable frame and room to continue to add strength to his frame. A Marietta, Georgia native, Ottinger has played more high level travel baseball than the average player with the WWBA hosting national events in his back yard several times a year. His fastball sits in the upper 80s and his breaking ball is above average at 77-79. Ottinger also commands an 80 mph changeup as a third college ready offering. 

Daniel Ouderkirk, RHP, Spotswood HS (VA)
PBR Rank: #24 in VA Class of 2018
PBR Notes: (4.6.17) Ouderkirk is a lanky 6-foot-9, 205-pound right-handed pitcher. Throws from a low three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action and easy effort. Shoulders are closed and level, flies into an open landing with hips fired before footstrike, athletic finish. Arm is late at times, backing up slider and causing him to work up. Worked only from the stretch. Fastball had late run, sitting 85-87. Slider was 71-77 and was inconsistent. At the higher end of the range, it had late, sharp 10/4 break and was a very good pitch, at the lower end it tended to float and back up. In the innings when he was mechanically in sync, command was good. 

JJ Sousa, OF/IF, Matanzas HS (FL)
PBR Rank: NA
PBR Notes: 6-foot-1, 175-pound left-handed hitter with an advanced approach at the plate. Performed very well at the national level this summer as a member of Chet Lemon's Juice. Athletic left-handed hitter has shown the ability to hit for average and power numbers are likely to increase with added strength gains to his projectable frame. Ability to hit and play multiple defensive positions gives Sousa an excellent chance to break into the lineup early in his college career.

Tevin Tucker, OF/IF, Prince George HS (VA)
PBR Rank: #7 in VA Class of 2018
PBR Notes: (5.15.17) Hits from a slightly closed set up with hands above the shoulder. Works hands in load to strong position. Shows bat speed at the dish with free hands and good extension through contact. Nice rhythm on the day as he went 2-for-2 driving two balls, one through the gap for a double. Smooth actions in the field, quick first step and covers ground well. Clean, quick exchange to throw, throws show some carry across the diamond. 4.59 on the turn on his double to the gap. A lot of projection in this athlete who will only get better. Great motor around the diamond, always moving around the dugout and stayed engaged in the game throughout a 11-1 victory.