Virginia Tech has landed a commitment from Kennesaw State right-hander Daniel Powell, as he announced on social media.
Powell was one of the best relievers in the country to open his junior season, and that performance earned him recognition along the way. The College Baseball Foundation named him to its National Pitcher of the Year Award watch list during the season, one of 142 pitchers nationally and just six from Conference USA to make the cut.
He'd also been tabbed to the NCBWA's Stopper of the Year preseason watch list. At the time of the National Pitcher of the Year nod, Powell carried a 3-0 record with two saves and a microscopic 0.60 ERA, leading Conference USA in all three categories, while his 0.87 WHIP and .133 batting average against also topped the league among relievers.
He finished the year just as strong, closing his junior campaign with a 3.27 ERA across 55 innings, with 64 strikeouts against 24 walks — a workload and strikeout total that ranked him among the top relief arms in CUSA all season. ‘
The 6-foot-2, 182-pound righty out of Atlanta adds to a Virginia Tech pitching staff that's losing significant pieces this offseason, with Brett Renfrow, Griffin Stieg, Danny Lazaro and Aiden Robertson all out of eligibility or facing MLB Draft decisions.
He's the latest addition in what's shaping up to be an active portal cycle for John Szefc's program, joining first baseman Evan Hankins (Tennessee) and fellow pitchers Mike Staiano (Elon), Aiden VanDeHatert (Dallas Baptist), Chris Torres (USC Upstate) and Nate Bennett (Niagara) as confirmed commitments.
