New West Virginia transfer Joshua Surigao is going to undergo quite the change of scenery next season, transferring from Hawaii to the mountain state. Surigao's decision to join the Mountaineers was an easy one as they checked all of his boxes.
Surigao has played just one season of college baseball, but that season was played over 5,000 miles from his South Carolina hometown, as he played at Hawaii.
"Being Hawaiian, I had a great experience getting to see my culture for a year. I entered the transfer portal just to get a fresh start, also to be closer to my family. I have a two-year-old brother, so just trying to make it easier on my family to come to games," Surigao said.
Surigao appeared in just two games last season, tallying 1.2 innings pitched, while he had four strikeouts and allowed no runs.
He entered the portal following the season, and from there, he was contacted by WVU's Justin Oney.
"Coach Oney initially reached out to me. From the first conversation, I could tell he was pumped up and at first just gave me a run-down of WVU baseball. I could tell how passionate he was, and I was bought in from the first conversation," Surigao said.
Surigao added he could feel how important WVU was to the entire state, something he aspires to do.
"I learned that playing for West Virginia means more because you’re playing for the whole state. What stood out to me was the commitment from the athletic department to help student-athletes become the best version of themselves," he said.
Ultimately, the decision to come to WVU makes sense for Surigao as a competitor on the field, but also in terms of his family off of it.
"Without a doubt, getting to have my family a car ride away instead of a plane ride will be great. Getting to see them at more games will mean the world to me," Surigao said.
Surigao said he's ready to compete and learn from the very first day he steps on campus at WVU.
"I’m the kind of player that likes to compete, but I enjoy the process of getting better and always learning. I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent WVU and will give my all for this team and community," Surigao said.
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