PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – App State junior right-handed pitcher
Gage Peterson was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the seventh round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday.
The 2026 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year, Peterson becomes the 50th draft pick from App State and the ninth under the leadership of head coach
Kermit Smith. His seventh-round selection is the highest for a Mountaineer since Jack Hartman was drafted in the fourth round in 2020. He becomes just the sixth player in program history to be drafted in the top seven rounds. The Mountaineers have had at least one player selected in each of the last four drafts.
Peterson was sensational in his lone season with App State. The transfer from Walters State Community College tied for second in the Sun Belt with 107 strikeouts, the second-most in a season in program history, trailing only Xander Hamilton's 115 in 2023.
Peterson also ranked second in the Sun Belt in wins (8), opponents' batting average (.196) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.35), third in WHIP (1.16) and sixth in ERA (3.28). He was named a first team all-league selection.
The Jonesborough, Tenn., native recorded six quality starts on the season and pitched at least five innings in seven of his final eight outings. He struck out at least six batters in 14 of his 15 starts, highlighted by 11 strikeouts against Presbyterian on March 7 and 10 against ULM on April 11. Peterson also fanned nine in seven scoreless innings against No. 16 Coastal Carolina on March 14. He tossed seven scoreless innings in a win over College World Series participant Troy on May 2.
A top 500 national prospect out of David Crockett High School, Peterson began his collegiate career at Walters State Community College where he led the Senators to a national runner-up finish at the 2025 Junior College World Series. Peterson owned a strikeout rate better than 11 per nine innings in each of his two seasons, while pitching to a sub-3.50 ERA both years.
Peterson was named a top 50 draft prospect in the Sun Belt upon transferring to App State and was named to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List midway through his junior campaign. Peterson was ranked among the top 250 draft prospects by MLB.com.
