In the weeks leading up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a detailed overview of each state in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will list the state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best tools, as well as providing mini-scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2 players.

West Virginia State-by-State List

West Virginia Overview:
Thin Year for Mountain State, After Producing Two Premium Picks in 2010

West Virginia high schools rarely produce premium-round draft picks, but 2010 was an exception. Just three picks apart, early in the second round, the state had two local boys snapped up, Nitro High righthander J.R. Bradley with the 56^th overall selection, and West Virginia University infielder Jedd Gyorko, at No. 59. Gyorko had attended an in-state high school before a highly-successful three year career with the Mountaineers.

In the 46-year history of the baseball draft, Bradley and Gyorko were the fifth and sixth highest players ever selected from West Virginia.

There was a big void after those two, though, with no other player from the state taken in the top 20 rounds. Only six players from West Virginia were drafted altogether.

With the notable exception of Bradley and Gyorko, the state may be just as thin this year. No player is projected to go in the first 10 rounds.

Though it failed to even qualify for the Conference USA post-season tournament, Marshall University (20-31, 7-17 in conference) may make the biggest impact on the draft, with up to 5-6 possible selections. Thundering Herd lefthander Mike Mason should be the first player taken, even though he won just three games on the season and posted a 4.83 ERA. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Mason impressed scouts with a fastball in the 88-91 mph range, topping at 92, which he maintained deeper into games than in the past, and by adding a cutter this spring.

There are two arms on the Marshall staff that probably have more upside than Mason, righthander Joe Church and lefthander Greg Williams, both sophomores. They combined to throw only 30 innings between them this spring, though, and undoubtedly are too risky to warrant being selected in an early round.

The 6-foot-5 Williams (1-1, 5.82) can throw his fastball from 88-92 mph, but has struggled in three years to develop command of his secondary stuff, limiting his pitching opportunities. The 6-foot-1 Church has the best raw stuff on the Marshall staff with a fastball that touched 96, but he is coming off Tommy John surgery and was wildly inconsistent this spring. There were times when his fastball didn’t even crack 90. With another year under his belt, Church could become a dominant closer in 2012 and possibly emerge as the state’s best draft.

Unlike last year when it had Gyorko in the lineup, West Virginia (28-27, 14-13) qualified this spring for the Big East Conference tournament as a No. 4 seed. But it had no player that came close to approaching the magnitude of Gyorko, the best hitter in WVU history. Senior outfielder Grant Buckner (.364-8-46), who succeeded Gyorko as the team’s top hitter, should be the best draft, but is considered just a generic senior sign in the middle rounds.

Potomac State provided the state with an upbeat development as it landed a berth in the Junior College World Series. It should also be a factor in the draft as 6-foot-5 sophomore third baseman Nate Antone is considered the most projectable position player in the state for this year’s draft. Antone hit a robust .449 for Potomac State, though slugged only three homers.

The high-school ranks are so thin this year that there may not be a single selection.

West Virginia in a Nutshell:

STRENGTH: Marshall pitchers.
WEAKNESS: High-school talent.
OVERALL RATING (1-to-5 scale): 2.

BEST COLLEGE TEAM: West Virginia.
BEST JUNIOR-COLLEGE TEAM: Potomac State.
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Martinsburg.

BEST OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, West Virginia Connection: Alex Foltz, of, James Madison (attended high school in East Hardy).
TOP 2012 PROSPECT: Matt Frazer, of, West Virginia University.
TOP 2013 PROSPECT: Aaron Blair, rhp, Marshall University.

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS
Draft History: Chris Enochs, rhp, West Virginia U. (1977, Athletics/1st round, 11th pick).
2006 Draft: David Carpenter, c, West Virginia U. (Cardinals/12th round).
2007 Draft: Adam White, of, West Virginia U. (Indians/9th round).
2008 Draft: Tyler Kuhn, ss, West Virginia U. (White Sox/15th round).
2009 Draft: Tobias Streich, c, West Virginia U. (Twins/5th round).
2010 Draft: J.R. Bradley, rhp, Nitro HS (Diamondbacks/2nd round).

TOP PROSPECTS,GROUPS ONE and TWO

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