MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia baseball’s Blaine Traxel has been named as one of 61 student-athletes to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation.

“This watch list may be the most competitive that we have ever had to consider,” said Chris Snead, award co-chair. “There are a number of terrific pitchers that we had to make difficult decisions about. However, some of those initially left off the list may be able to pitch their way back into consideration.”

The award will be presented later this year by the College Baseball Foundation.

Traxel is having a stellar first year with the Mountaineers as a graduate transfer from California State, Northridge. In nine starts this season, he is 5-3 with a 3.34 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched.

His most notable accomplishment is his NCAA-leading four complete games, having gone the distance against Arizona, VCU, UNC Greensboro, and Xavier.

The Mountaineers will be back on the diamond, Wednesday night against Pitt at PNC Park before returning to Morgantown for a weekend series against TCU.