App State baseball alumni were represented across every professional level during the 2025 season. From a pair of Mountaineers hearing their names called on draft day, to career-highs and a champion crowned, there were plenty of memorable moments on the diamond.
Jeffrey Springs – Athletics (MLB)
After being traded to the Athletics in December, Jeffrey Springs proved that with a clean bill of health he is fully capable of being the ace of a major league rotation. The left-hander from Belmont, N.C., pitched his first injury-free season in three years, making a career-high 30 starts for the Athletics. Springs, who pitched for the Mountaineers from 2012-15, earned a career-high 11 wins and posted a 4.11 ERA. In 171 innings, he struck out 138 batters, ranking 24th in the American League. He also ranked 12th among AL pitchers with a 1.21 WHIP. Springs' changeup remained one of the premier pitches in Major League Baseball, producing a 41.3 percent swing-and-miss rate, the fifth-highest mark for a changeup.
Chandler Seagle – Braves (AAA – Gwinnett)
After electing free agency at the end of the 2024 season, Chandler Seagle signed a minor league deal with the Braves in early 2025. He split his campaign between Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett. Seagle completed his eighth professional season, highlighted by nine doubles in 54 games, while continuing to be one of the top defensive catchers in the minors. He was originally drafted by the Padres in the 30th round of the 2017 draft.
Kaleb Bowman – Brewers (AA – Biloxi)
In his third affiliated season, Kaleb Bowman became a highly effective and often-relied-upon reliever out of the Biloxi bullpen. In 38 appearances for the Shuckers, Bowman posted a 2-1 record and a 2.76 ERA across 45.2 innings. The right-hander struck out 37 while walking just 19 and held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average. The Round Hill, Va., native posted a 1.12 WHIP, the third-best mark in the Southern League among pitchers with at least 38 appearances. He also recorded six saves. Bowman signed with Milwaukee in August 2022 after beginning his professional career overseas and in independent leagues.
Jack Hartman – Rays (AA – Montgomery)
A dominant middle reliever in 2025, Jack Hartman made 34 appearances out of the Biscuits' bullpen, posting a 2.14 ERA and four saves. Hartman finished the season with 40 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.08. He enjoyed several sensational stretches, beginning the year with nine consecutive scoreless outings and then topping that with 12 consecutive scoreless appearances from June 5 through July 20, combining for 18 scoreless innings over that span. Hartman was acquired by the Rays in 2022 in a trade for Ji-Man Choi after originally being drafted by the Pirates in the fourth round in 2020.
Xander Hamilton – Twins (Adv.-A – Cedar Rapids)
Xander Hamilton returned from injury to make 10 appearances in 2025, splitting time between the Twins' Florida Complex League affiliate and High-A Cedar Rapids. In 16.2 combined innings, Hamilton held opposing hitters to a .148 average, struck out 15 and converted his lone save opportunity. He was drafted by Minnesota in the 14th round in 2023.
Austin St. Laurent – Mariners (A – Modesto)
In his second minor league season,
Austin St. Laurent continued to showcase his versatility. St. Laurent played second base, third base, shortstop, right field and designated hitter for the Nuts, slashing .257/.361/.327 in 123 games. The Elon, N.C., native hit 17 doubles, which ranked 24th in the California League, and drew 70 walks, second-most in the league. After playing three seasons for the Mountaineers from 2022-24, St. Laurent was drafted by Seattle in the 14th round.
Jaylin Davis – Independent (York Revolution)
After beginning his season with the Milwaukee Milkmen, Jaylin Davis was acquired midseason by York, leading the Revolution to its second consecutive Atlantic League championship. Davis combined to play in 88 games in 2025, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 54 runs. The Greensboro, N.C., native rose to the occasion in the postseason, belting three homers, including two in a championship series win over High Point, just down the road from his hometown. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 24th round in 2015, Davis made his major league debut with the Giants in 2019 and most recently played in the majors with the Red Sox in 2022.
Banks Tolley – Independent (Schaumburg Boomers)
Banks Tolley continued to rake in his second professional season and first with the Schaumburg Boomers. The former collegiate All-American batted .313 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 65 RBIs in 72 regular-season games. Tolley drilled three more homers in 10 playoff games, helping the Boomers reach the Frontier League championship series. The 2024 Mountaineer posted a .927 OPS for the season for Schaumburg.
Bradley Wilson – Independent (Florence Y'alls)
Bradley Wilson enjoyed success in his first professional season, pitching in 15 games for the Florence Y'alls, and making six starts. The right-hander struck out 30 batters in 45.2 innings. Wilson debuted in late June, posting back-to-back scoreless outings (4.2 innings) to begin his career. He pitched for the Mountaineers from 2023-25, posting a career-best 4.35 ERA in his final collegiate season.
Jackson Steensma – Mariners (9th Round Draft Pick)
One of the top pitchers in the Sun Belt Conference in 2024,
Jackson Steensma led the Mountaineers on the mound by going 6-2 with a 4.03 ERA. He finished the season ranked sixth in the league in opponents' batting average (.235), seventh in strikeouts (74), fifth in strikeouts looking (24) and ninth in ERA (4.03). Steensma used a medical redshirt in 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Liam Best – Cardinals (19th Round Draft Pick)
Armed with a high-90s fastball,
Liam Best bounced back from injury to impress for the Mountaineers in 2025. He posted a 2-5 record, two saves and a 5.36 ERA, striking out 50 batters in 40 1/3 innings. After beginning the season as a high-leverage reliever, Best worked his way into the starting rotation in the final month and tossed a career-high 4 2/3 innings, striking out six, during a start in the Sun Belt Tournament against Texas State.
Steensma and Best became the 48th and 49th draft picks from App State, increasing the total to eight since head coach
Kermit Smith arrived before the 2017 season. The Mountaineers have had at least one pitcher taken in five of the nine drafts during that time. It also marked the first time since 2012 that App State had two players selected in the top 20 rounds.
