MORGANTOWN òòò½ÊÓƵ” By his own admission heading into the 2023 college baseball season, J.J. Wetherholt understood why he was being overlooked.
His freshman season had been solid, but nothing spectacular, he said, and Wetherholt realized he had much to prove.
That mission was accomplished in a big way, as the WVU infielder put together one of the finest individual seasons in college baseball.
Wetherholt wasnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t on the preseason all-Big 12 team or mentioned as a preseason All-American candidate. By the end of the 2023 season, there was no keeping him from elite status.
òòò½ÊÓƵœIòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve had this conversation before, but those guys didnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t believe in me until they had no choice but to believe in me,òòò½ÊÓƵ Wetherholt said at the start of this season.
In 2023, Wetherholt became the first WVU player to lead the nation in hitting, finishing with a .449 batting average. He added 16 home runs, 60 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.
He finished with 16 games of three or more hits, had a 13-game hitting streak to begin the season and also had a 10-game hitting streak later in the year.
It all led to being named Big 12 Player of the Year, as well as being a first-team All-American.
On Saturday, Wetherholt was named the Hardman Award winner, which goes to the stateòòò½ÊÓƵ™s top amateur athlete, as voted by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
Wetherholt will be honored at the 77th annual Victory Awards Dinner on May 5 in Wheeling.
òòò½ÊÓƵœI want to say thank you to the West Virginia Sports Writers Association for honoring me with the Hardman Award,òòò½ÊÓƵ he said. òòò½ÊÓƵœIt means a lot to me, and I also want to say thank you to my coaches and teammates who have helped me get to this point thus far. I really appreciate it.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Wetherholt, from Mars, Pennsylvania, won the award, with WVU offensive lineman Zach Frazier finishing second and WVU womenòòò½ÊÓƵ™s basketball guard J.J. Quinerly taking third.
òòò½ÊÓƵœWeòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve had some great offensive players here, but we havenòòò½ÊÓƵ™t had anybody thatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s captured the attention of the whole community like J.J. has,òòò½ÊÓƵ WVU baseball coach Randy Mazey said. òòò½ÊÓƵœHeòòò½ÊÓƵ™s one of the best players Iòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve ever coached. Iòòò½ÊÓƵ™d be willing to bet that people in the community, when they go to work and get a drink at the fountain, theyòòò½ÊÓƵ™re talking about J.J. Wetherholt. Heòòò½ÊÓƵ™s that dynamic of a player and heòòò½ÊÓƵ™s captured the interest of this community.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Wetherholtòòò½ÊÓƵ™s season also led the Mountaineers to a share of their first Big 12 regular-season championship, and they finished with 40 wins for just the second time in program history.
WVU advanced to the NCAA tournament, where it was eliminated in the Lexington Regional.
Wetherholt is projected as a top-five pick in the 2024 MLB draft, and could become WVUòòò½ÊÓƵ™s third overall No. 1 selection, following basketballòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Mark Workman (1952) and òòò½ÊÓƵœHotòòò½ÊÓƵ Rod Hundley (1957).
òòò½ÊÓƵœThe sky is the limit for that kid,òòò½ÊÓƵ Mazey said. òòò½ÊÓƵœHe can accomplish a lot at this level, a lot at the next level and the level after that.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Frazier took second place after anchoring a WVU offensive line that led the Mountaineers to a 9-4 season and a victory over North Carolina in the Dukeòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Mayo Bowl.
The Fairmont native played in 47 career games for the Mountaineers at center. WVU led the Big 12 in rushing last season, averaging 228.9 yards per game.
A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Quinerly helped lead the WVU womenòòò½ÊÓƵ™s basketball team to a 25-win season, which ended in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
She was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-Big 12 after averaging 19.8 points per game and finishing with 97 steals.
The Hardman Award is sponsored by the Gazette-Mail.