MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 18, 2021) – West Virginia University baseball coach Randy Mazey has announced the addition of six student-athletes joining the program for the 2022 season.
The group features five transfers, as well as one freshman to complete the 22-man, 2021 signing class. Joining the Mountaineers are right-handed pitchers Trey Braithwaite (Winchester, Virginia), Zach Bravo (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Theo Millas (Burnaby, British Columbia), Chase Smith (Marietta, Georgia) and Will Watson (Brampton, Ontario) and catcher Dayne Leonard (Spring Green, Wisconsin).
Trey Braithwaite/RHP/Navy/Winchester, Va.
Braithwaite arrives to WVU following four seasons at Navy, where he became the school’s all-time saves leader, with 17. He finished with a 4-2 mark and a 4.44 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched for the Midshipmen last season, tallying three saves. In all, he struck out 38 batters last spring. For his career, Braithwaite has logged 67.1 innings of work, earning a 6-4 record and a 3.07 ERA. He has been featured on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Watch List in multiple seasons and was placed on the All-Patriot League Team in 2019 and 2021. Prior to his time at Navy, Braithwaite attended Millbrook High, helping the squad to a Virginia 4A state runner-up finish, along with conference and regional titles in 2014, and a district title in 2015. The son of Todd and Yvonne, Braithwaite is majoring in integrated studies and has one season of eligibility remaining.
Zach Bravo/RHP/Lamar/Albuquerque, N.M.
Bravo joins the Mountaineers following two seasons at Lamar, where he appeared in 16 games, all of them starts. He finished 5-2 with a 3.50 ERA in 61.2 innings in 2021, totaling 47 strikeouts, including five starts with five or more strikeouts. He also went 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA in a shortened, 2020 campaign. Bravo began his collegiate career at Eastern Arizona College in 2018, before playing at Butler Community College in 2019, recording a combined 162 strikeouts in 141.1 innings of work in those two seasons. Additionally, he was drafted in the 29th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. The son of Reuban and Tiffany, Bravo, who attended Rio Rancho High, is majoring in integrated studies at WVU and has one season of eligibility remaining.
Dayne Leonard/C/Virginia Tech/Spring Green, Wis.
Leonard comes to West Virginia after playing the 2021 season at Virginia Tech, where he appeared in 34 games, including 28 starts, for the Hokies. He hit .212 with a home run, 14 RBI, six doubles and 12 runs scored in 85 at-bats. Prior to that, Leonard spent two seasons at Des Moines Area Community College, totaling three doubles, three runs scored in eight RBI in just 14 games in 2020. He also was an all-conference performer at River Valley High for coach and former MLB pitcher, Bob Wickman. The son of Tim and Robin, Leonard is majoring in sport and exercise psychology and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Theo Millas/RHP/LSU/Burnaby, British Columbia
Millas arrives to WVU from LSU, where he appeared in 11 games for the Tigers as a freshman in 2021. He finished 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 15.0 innings with six strikeouts and five earned runs allowed. Prior to that, Millas attended Ecole Alpha High and played on the Canadian National Baseball Team. He was named an Under Armour High School All-American in 2019, after posting a 4-0 mark with a 0.21 ERA. Additionally, he yielded just six hits in 27 innings on the mound that season. The son of Tellis and Evelyn, Millas is majoring in sport management and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Chase Smith/RHP/Pitt/Marietta, Ga.
Smith joins the Mountaineers after playing four seasons at Pitt from 2018-21. In 129.2 career innings, he earned an 8-10 record with a 3.33 ERA, eight saves and 107 strikeouts. Of note, all 89 of his career appearances have come out of the bullpen. In 2021, Smith led the Panthers with 26 appearances, to go along with a 2-2 mark and a 5.47 ERA in 26.1 innings of duty. He has notched at least one save in each of the past four seasons, including five as a sophomore in 2019. He also made the most pitching appearances (33) in Pitt’s single-season history that year. Smith attended Pope High, the same high school as former Mountaineer Braden Zarbnisky, where he helped the squad to back-to-back regional titles and the Class 6A state championship in 2017. The son of Brian and Jenny, Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Pitt and is enrolled in the sport management master’s program at WVU. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Will Watson/RHP/David Suzuki Secondary/Brampton, Ontario
Watson arrives at West Virginia from Brampton, Ontario, where he attended David Suzuki Secondary School. A Principal’s Award recipient as a senior, Watson played for the Canadian Baseball National Team, as well as Chi Town Cream and the Fieldhouse Pirates. Additionally, Watson was a member of Team Ontario in the Canada Cup. He helped Chi Town win a pair of national championships, including the 2021 Perfect Game U-18 World Series. The son of Kevin and Jackie, Watson plans to major in criminology at WVU.
The group features five transfers, as well as one freshman to complete the 22-man, 2021 signing class. Joining the Mountaineers are right-handed pitchers Trey Braithwaite (Winchester, Virginia), Zach Bravo (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Theo Millas (Burnaby, British Columbia), Chase Smith (Marietta, Georgia) and Will Watson (Brampton, Ontario) and catcher Dayne Leonard (Spring Green, Wisconsin).
Trey Braithwaite/RHP/Navy/Winchester, Va.
Braithwaite arrives to WVU following four seasons at Navy, where he became the school’s all-time saves leader, with 17. He finished with a 4-2 mark and a 4.44 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched for the Midshipmen last season, tallying three saves. In all, he struck out 38 batters last spring. For his career, Braithwaite has logged 67.1 innings of work, earning a 6-4 record and a 3.07 ERA. He has been featured on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Watch List in multiple seasons and was placed on the All-Patriot League Team in 2019 and 2021. Prior to his time at Navy, Braithwaite attended Millbrook High, helping the squad to a Virginia 4A state runner-up finish, along with conference and regional titles in 2014, and a district title in 2015. The son of Todd and Yvonne, Braithwaite is majoring in integrated studies and has one season of eligibility remaining.
Zach Bravo/RHP/Lamar/Albuquerque, N.M.
Bravo joins the Mountaineers following two seasons at Lamar, where he appeared in 16 games, all of them starts. He finished 5-2 with a 3.50 ERA in 61.2 innings in 2021, totaling 47 strikeouts, including five starts with five or more strikeouts. He also went 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA in a shortened, 2020 campaign. Bravo began his collegiate career at Eastern Arizona College in 2018, before playing at Butler Community College in 2019, recording a combined 162 strikeouts in 141.1 innings of work in those two seasons. Additionally, he was drafted in the 29th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. The son of Reuban and Tiffany, Bravo, who attended Rio Rancho High, is majoring in integrated studies at WVU and has one season of eligibility remaining.
Dayne Leonard/C/Virginia Tech/Spring Green, Wis.
Leonard comes to West Virginia after playing the 2021 season at Virginia Tech, where he appeared in 34 games, including 28 starts, for the Hokies. He hit .212 with a home run, 14 RBI, six doubles and 12 runs scored in 85 at-bats. Prior to that, Leonard spent two seasons at Des Moines Area Community College, totaling three doubles, three runs scored in eight RBI in just 14 games in 2020. He also was an all-conference performer at River Valley High for coach and former MLB pitcher, Bob Wickman. The son of Tim and Robin, Leonard is majoring in sport and exercise psychology and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Theo Millas/RHP/LSU/Burnaby, British Columbia
Millas arrives to WVU from LSU, where he appeared in 11 games for the Tigers as a freshman in 2021. He finished 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 15.0 innings with six strikeouts and five earned runs allowed. Prior to that, Millas attended Ecole Alpha High and played on the Canadian National Baseball Team. He was named an Under Armour High School All-American in 2019, after posting a 4-0 mark with a 0.21 ERA. Additionally, he yielded just six hits in 27 innings on the mound that season. The son of Tellis and Evelyn, Millas is majoring in sport management and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Chase Smith/RHP/Pitt/Marietta, Ga.
Smith joins the Mountaineers after playing four seasons at Pitt from 2018-21. In 129.2 career innings, he earned an 8-10 record with a 3.33 ERA, eight saves and 107 strikeouts. Of note, all 89 of his career appearances have come out of the bullpen. In 2021, Smith led the Panthers with 26 appearances, to go along with a 2-2 mark and a 5.47 ERA in 26.1 innings of duty. He has notched at least one save in each of the past four seasons, including five as a sophomore in 2019. He also made the most pitching appearances (33) in Pitt’s single-season history that year. Smith attended Pope High, the same high school as former Mountaineer Braden Zarbnisky, where he helped the squad to back-to-back regional titles and the Class 6A state championship in 2017. The son of Brian and Jenny, Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Pitt and is enrolled in the sport management master’s program at WVU. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Will Watson/RHP/David Suzuki Secondary/Brampton, Ontario
Watson arrives at West Virginia from Brampton, Ontario, where he attended David Suzuki Secondary School. A Principal’s Award recipient as a senior, Watson played for the Canadian Baseball National Team, as well as Chi Town Cream and the Fieldhouse Pirates. Additionally, Watson was a member of Team Ontario in the Canada Cup. He helped Chi Town win a pair of national championships, including the 2021 Perfect Game U-18 World Series. The son of Kevin and Jackie, Watson plans to major in criminology at WVU.
