MORGANTOWN — A year ago, Logan Sauve withdrew his name from the Major League draft feeling as if he still had more to work on and accomplish at the college level.
That move just may have paid off Monday, as the WVU junior catcher was selected by the A’s organization with the No. 5 pick in the seventh round.
Sauve was one of five Mountaineers selected through the 20-round draft.
Outfielder Kyle West was selected by the New York Yankees in the 13th round with the 404th overall pick and pitcher Robby Porco went right behind him at 405 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pitcher Griffin Kirn also went to the A’s in the 14th round as the 410th overall selection, while outfielder Skylar King went in the 15th round (448th overall) to the Boston Red Sox.
Sauve came back for his junior season and developed into an all-Big 12 first-team catcher. He batted .276 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs.
While not ranked among the top 250 prospects, Sauve was still taken with the 200th overall pick. The signing bonus value for that pick is estimated at $304,200.
A native of Boiling Springs, Pa., Sauve came to WVU as the No. 1-ranked high school catcher out of Pennsylvania. Over three years, he played in 151 games, hit 20 home runs and drove in 97.
Sauve, the first WVU catcher drafted since 2019, was a crucial piece to the Mountaineers’ consecutive super regionals the last two seasons.
He will likely be assigned either to the A’s Class A team in Stockton, Calif. or to the A’s rookie-league team in Arizona to begin his professional career.
Athletic success runs in the family, as Sauve’s father, Jeffrey, was a two-sport athlete at Clemson and went on to play for the Green Bay Packers after being drafted by the Boston Red Sox.
West began his college career in Division II at the University of Charleston. He transferred to WVU following his sophomore season and made an instant impact.
In two seasons with the Mountaineers, West played in 115 games and connected on 25 home runs. His batting average improved 79 points from his junior to senior season after batting .339 this season.
Porco, a 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher, has flashed a high-velocity fastball in the upper 90s since his freshman season.
Control has been an issue with 66 walks in 67 2/3 innings over his three seasons, but he is 6-2 over his college career.
Kirn came to WVU last season with one season of eligibility remaining after pitching four seasons at Division II Quincy (Ill.) University.
He became the team’s ace and finished 5-3 with a 3.36 ERA. He struck out 103 hitters over 99 innings.
King became a full-time starter in center field this season and batted .291 with three home runs and 13 stolen bases.
No signing bonus money is assigned to picks after the first 10 rounds, but teams do generally offer compensation to those drafted in the later rounds.
Kirn and West are both out of college eligibility, but Porco and King have the right to return to college for their senior seasons with the hope of improving their status for the 2026 draft.
Draft picks have until 5 p.m. on July 28 to sign with the team that drafts them.
