In his lone season at West Virginia, center fielder Paul Schoenfeld made a seamless transition from the Division II level while carving out a key role on the Mountaineers as the team’s every day No. 3 batter.
That success helped lead to Schoenfeld being drafted Sunday in the eighth round with the 236th overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Schoenfeld becomes the first WVU senior and positional player drafted this year. The Mountaineers had two players picked on Saturday as right-handed pitcher Dawson Montesa was chosen with the 72nd pick by the St. Louis Cardinals and lefty Maxx Yehl went shortly after to the Kansas City Royals a pick No. 91.
A native of Wichita, Kan., Schoenfeld played one season at Butler Community College before moving on to Colorado Mesa for the next three years.
For the Mavericks, Schoenfeld hit .400 with 16 home runs and 108 RBI over 122 games and 100 starts before opting to play at a higher level.
At West Virginia, Schoenfeld was second on the team in batting average (.327), hits (83) and stolen bases with 26 swipes on 32 attempts.
Schoenfeld totaled 27 extra-base hits, including 19 doubles, while tying for the team lead with four triples.
WVU OF Paul Schoenfeld has been selected in the 8th round of the MLB Draft (Pick No. 236) by the Arizona Diamondbacks. pic.twitter.com/0vPq7kM49j
— Joe Brocato (@joebrowvm) July 12, 2026
The last of Schoenfeld’s four home runs will live on in WVU lore as one of the most important hits in program history. It came on May 31 against Kentucky in the ninth inning, and the two-run blast to right broke a 9-all tie and lifted the Mountaineers to an 11-9 victory in what was an elimination game for West Virginia. WVU topped the Wildcats the next night in 10 innings to win the Morgantown Regional.
The left-handed hitting Schoenfeld also exercised high level plate discipline throughout the season with 40 walks nearly matching his strikeout total of 41.
Earlier Sunday, the St. Louis Cardinals selected shortstop Owen Henne in the sixth round with pick No. 175. Henne, who played three seasons at Seton Hill, committed earlier this offseason to play his senior campaign at WVU.
A native of Wexford, Pa., Henne became the first player drafted directly from a Division II program this year.
In the ninth round, former West Virginia pitcher Chase Meyer was selected with the 277th pick by the Chicago Cubs. Meyer was a member of the Mountaineers in 2024 and 2025 and started the 2026 season with the team before being dismissed from the program the first week of March.
A right-hander, Meyer was a key piece of the team’s staff in 2025 when he finished 9-2 with a 3.94 ERA and 63 strikeouts across 22 appearances and 48 innings.
Meyer committed to Arizona State in June.