OMAHA, Neb. – Gavin Kelly’s last swing of the season put him in the WVU baseball history books.

His final words were even stronger.

“I just want to say thank you to all the seniors, the staff and to all the people behind the scenes helping WVU baseball,” Kelly said Wednesday, just after the Mountaineers were eliminated from the College World Series following a 12-7 loss against North Carolina. “It’s been a tremendous season and I’m just really thankful to be a part of it and to share it with my best friends.”

In his final at-bat, Kelly – who rotated this season between playing second base and catcher – blasted a ball to left field that traveled 428 feet. It cleared the bleachers and ricocheted off the restrooms behind them, a majestic shot fitting for the history books.

Kelly’s home run – his second in as many games – gave him 19 for the season. That ties him with both Mark Landers (1994) and WVU assistant coach Jedd Gyorko (2010) for the most in a season.

It was a record that came into play only in the second half of the season, as Kelly’s bat began to heat up with the weather. By the end of the first Big 12 series of the regular season – on March 15, against Baylor – Kelly had just two home runs.

By the time WVU (47-17) was getting set for the Big 12 tournament, Kelly had circled himself near the record.

His home runs came in bunches, to which he credited former WVU teammate Sam White, who is now playing in the minors in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

“He shared some stuff with me,” Kelly said. “And I have a Sam White, almost, tribute in my locker back home. So, he blesses me. He just shared some stuff with me that has helped me almost, I guess, become a home run hitter.”

Since the month of May began, Kelly’s final tally is 13 home runs over his final 24 games. He hit six over 11 games in the NCAA tournament.

Once Kelly’s athletic and running abilities, as well as his talent for being able to play multiple positions are accounted for, it’s easy to see how the Pittsburgh native is projected as a top draft pick for the 2027 MLB Amateur Draft.

That is still a year away. With the emotions running through WVU coaches and players following the loss against the Tar Heels, the draft was the furthest thing from his mind.

“The goal is to win a national title, and we were close,” Kelly said. “So, it hurts, but just really proud of the group. We came back from crazy deficits and then had some crazy games in the regionals and even before, so just really proud of the group.”

Kelly was 3 for 5 against North Carolina on Wednesday. He wrapped up his remarkable sophomore season with a .382 batting average and 63 RBIs. The RBIs are tied for fifth-most – also tied with Gyorko – in a season among WVU hitters.

The stats will get filed away, maybe into the journal Kelly keeps throughout the season. Maybe he’ll put them up on the notes he tapes to his bathroom mirror, notes he uses to motivate himself to keep working and to keep getting better.

The numbers do not define who Kelly is. Who he is as a teammate always has.

“These are some of my best friends for life,” Kelly said. “Just being able to share the field here with them means a lot. All the hard work that’s been put in to get here is really special. And just blessed to be a part of it.”