GLENVILLE, W.Va. — With 23 wins in the regular season, Gilmer County has taken up residence in the MetroNews Class A baseball rankings for much of the spring. The fourth-ranked Titans have a mix of youth and experienced veterans and they are led by senior pitcher Bryant Yoak.
His impressive stats have caught the attention of professional scouts that have been posted up behind home plate with radar guns and cameras at the ready.
“It is pretty crazy. It got crazy really fast. It started off with like three or four and now we’re at a dozen. It gets pretty crazy sometimes,” Yoak said.
“It does get my nerves a little bit. But I am able to just reset, take a deep breath and I’m fine. Sometimes it does help me. I can rear back, chuck one and blow it by a kid and feel really good about it.”
Yoak committed to play at West Virginia University in 2022 while playing at Calhoun County and he officially signed with the Mountaineers in November.
“It means everything. Since I was little I always dreamed of being a Mountaineer and playing for the baseball program up there. They have an amazing coaching staff and a really good class I am going up there with. I am really excited and it is a huge blessing.”
If Yoak is selected in the Major League Baseball Draft this summer, he could have a decision to make on whether or not to go pro right out of high school. His first priority is to help Gilmer County navigate a challenging sectional that contains defending state champion Wahama.
“I love Coach [Ben] Hall. I love all these guys like they are my brother. It is just an amazing atmosphere.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys but they are really mature when it comes to their skills. We have a really solid team and I think we are going to make it.”
Prior to last Thursday’s LKC semifinal victory against Tyler Consolidated, Yoak had not allowed an earned run in his first eight appearances. He owns a 0.51 ERA and a record of 6-1. Yoak has struck out 97 batters in 41 innings while walking just ten.
“I am getting better at generally everything. I can always work on command. I can always get a little more break on a pitch. I can always execute a pitch more. I am always working on things.”