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Sun, July 12, 2026 at 6:49 p.m. UTC·2 min read
The West Virginia Mountaineers are pumping guys into the draft, as right-handed pitcher Ian Korn becomes the fifth member of the Old Gold and Blue to be selected, getting taken with the 298th overall pick (10th round) by the San Francisco 49ers
Korn was the Division II National Pitcher of the Year last season at Seton Hill, posting a sub-2.00 ERA (1.81), building on the 1.72 ERA he had in nine relief outings the year prior
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Most assumed, myself included, that Korn would be a surefire piece of West Virginia’s starting rotation in 2026, but instead, he played a key role out of the bullpen as a bulk innings guy. He was more than just an innings eater, though. Korn was the Swiss Army Knife of West Virginia’s pitching staff. It didn’t matter the situation, head coach Steve Sabins felt comfortable putting him in up five, down five, needing length, or a high leverage spot where he just needed a couple of outs. He was the first guy Sabins turned to in a weekend series, and he consistently delivered.
Korn was cruising in relief against Kentucky in the Morgantown Regional and then gave up a pair of homers that tied the game up, blowing a 5-1 lead. Fortunately, the Mountaineers were able to win the game and advance to supers, giving Korn a chance to finish his career in a Mountaineer uniform on a stronger note
After a poor start from Chansen Cole in the first game in Omaha at the College World Series, Korn calmed things down and pitched six strong innings, earning the win. For much of the season, he was among the top three pitchers in the Big 12 in ERA, ultimately finishing with a 3.39 mark
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While he can certainly be a starter in the minor leagues, I feel he is best suited to be a middle relief/late innings guy. He’s a no-nonsense guy, a strike thrower with plus stuff. Even as a 10th-rounder, Korn has the skillset to make it to the big leagues
Updated Mountaineer MLB Draft checker
Competitive Balance-B (No. 72 overall): RHP Dawson Montesa -> St. Louis Cardinals
Round 3 (No. 91 overall): LHP Maxx Yehl -> Kansas City Royals
Round 6 (No. 175 overall): SS Owen Henne -> St. Louis Cardinals
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Round 8 (No. 236 overall): OF Paul Schoenfeld -> Arizona Diamondbacks
Round 10 (No. 298 overall): RHP Ian Korn -> San Francisco Giants
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/westvirginia as WVU P Ian Korn Selected by the San Francisco Giants in MLB Draft
