active in the transfer portal so far this summer, with a lot of their additions coming on the mound.
The most recent one was left-handed pitcher Andrew Middleton from UMass, who, despite being injured, is ready to come and make a difference for the Mountaineers.
“I was off to a great start in the 2025 season as UMass was getting into conference play. Unfortunately, in the first weekend of conference play, I had some elbow pain and ended up needing Tommy John surgery. I look at the 2025 season as a learning point for myself, and focusing on getting myself back healthy and better than before,” Middleton said.
When Middleton was healthy, he was one of the best pitchers in the country in terms of strikeouts per nine innings. Middleton made just four appearances, tossing 11.2 total innings. He racked up 29 strikeouts, walking 11, giving up one hit, and no runs.
Middleton has been focused on the recovery process so far this summer, still about out from throwing again.
“The rehab is going well, I am a month away from throwing and working on getting as strong as possible before that date. On the timeline to be ready for opening weekend in the spring,” Middleton said.
Middleton first got in contact with WVU assistant coach Justin Oney, checking in with Middleton on the rehab process when he was in the portal. Things then progressed quickly, with Middleton learning about WVU and the Mountaineer coaching staff learning about Middleton.
“I first got in contact with WVU from Coach Oney reaching out through a text about how things were going, and if I had any interest.
From there, it progressed rapidly as I was very interested in WVU as a program with the culture they portrayed and the success of the program throughout the past few years. From there, I jumped on a call with Coach Sabins, and he got me down for a visit, and the rest is history,” Middleton said.
Middleton would soon take a visit to West Virginia following those talks with Sabins, with him liking the culture and facilities WVU is able to offer.
“My visit was awesome. The coaching staff was amazing, taking me around the facilities and showing me the hidden gem that Morgantown is.
But what stood out the most was the culture of the program and the way the state rallies around the program, making it feel like a family. On top of that, the coaches and facilities make development not only as a player but as a person second to none,” Middleton said.
When he’s on the mound, Middleton loves to compete with his fastball, keeping it near the top of the zone, aiming to miss barrels, and just always compete. His focus now is to bring that mentality to West Virginia, hoping to help the Mountaineers get to Omaha.
“My goals for the season are to become healthy and better than I was before the injury. On a team standpoint, Omaha is the ultimate goal. The fans should know that they are getting a fierce competitor and someone who will compete until I can’t anymore,” Middleton said.
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