All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Baseball ‘Cats picked sixth in South Division in MEC preseason poll

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Frostburg State and Concord were voted preseason favorites to win division championships in the 2024 Mountain East Conference Preseason Baseball Poll.
 
Frostburg State (49 points) received nine of the 11 first-place votes in the north division and is picked to repeat as the division’s champions. The Bobcats are coming off a 33-win season, which included a 22-8 mark in league play. Frostburg State also advanced to the MEC Tournament Championship game a season ago. The Bobcats will be led this season by a trio of NCBWA Preseason All-Region selections in pitcher/utility Ethan Kiple, outfielder Danny Estrada and second baseman Randy Steen.
 
Wheeling was voted second in the preseason poll with 37 points. The Cardinals will be led this season by preseason All-Region selection Braden Killens. West Liberty received the remaining first-place votes and finished third in preseason voting with 33 points. Reigning MEC Freshman of the Year Will Balgo will lead the Hilltoppers into the 2024 campaign.
 
Fairmont State was picked fourth in the north division with 27 points, followed by Notre Dame with 14 points during voting.
 
In a close vote in the MEC South Division, Concord received 54 points and five first-place votes to be the division’s preseason favorite. Under the direction of 2023 MEC Coach of the Year Kevin Garrett, the Mountain Lions will be led by a pair of NCBWA preseason selections in pitcher Andrew Neff and infielder Chris Satcher this season.
 
Charleston, last season’s MEC South Division and Tournament Champions, was voted second in the south this season with 50 points and three first-place votes. UC is under first-year head coach Dean Peterson and returns infielder Drew Klaserner and pitcher Owen MacNeil to the lineup this season. West Virginia State was picked third in the south division poll with 49 points and three first-place votes. The Yellow Jackets will be led this spring by catcher Tyler Overaitis, a preseason All-Region selection by the NCBWA.
 
Glenville State was voted fourth with 33 points, followed by Davis & Elkins (23) and West Virginia Wesleyan (16).
 
The MEC Preseason Baseball Poll is selected by a vote of the league’s 11 head coaches.
 
2024 Mountain East Conference Baseball Preseason Poll
NORTH DIVISION
1. Frostburg State (9) – 49
2. Wheeling – 37
3. West Liberty (2) – 33
4. Fairmont State – 27
5. Notre Dame – 14
 
SOUTH DIVISION
1. Concord (5) – 54
2. Charleston (3) – 50
3. West Virginia State (3) – 49
4. Glenville State – 33
5. Davis & Elkins – 23
6. West Va. Wesleyan – 16
 
( ) – First-place votes
* Coaches unable to vote for own team

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Larry Kemp Riley

Larry Kemp Riley, 50, of Crawford, WV, a hunter and Appalachian Forest Products employee, died Nov. 13, 2025; he is survived by his mother Betty Riley, son Joshua, two sisters, former wife Angela, and extended family.

Carpenter Crunch Time Week 12: Narduzzi said what?

This week, Duane talks about Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, who drew criticism for dismissing the Notre Dame game’s importance. Also, he recaps his weekend high school and college game predictions.

Football Bucs to open playoffs at No. 1 Morgantown

Buckhannon-Upshur (2-8) enters the Class AAAA playoffs as the No. 16 seed and will visit top-seeded Morgantown (9-1) Friday night, their first trip to the playoffs in nine years.
BUHS Boys Soccer Feature Image

Five Buccaneers named to WVHSSCA All-State Soccer Team

Five Buckhannon-Upshur juniors — Coby Smith, Jimmie Green, Zack Simmons, Brady Hommema and Deacon Thorne — were named to the 2025 WVHSSCA All-State Soccer teams, with Smith leading the Buccaneers with 19 goals.

Buckhannon Community Theater seeks vintage toys for Rudolph production

Buckhannon Community Theater is seeking vintage toys to bring their holiday production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. to life on stage this December.

Charles W. Gibson Library to hold book sale starting November 20

The Charles W. Gibson Public Library will host a book sale November 20-22.

Supreme Court sides with St. Joseph’s Hospital, puts the brakes on new Lewis County hospital

The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital must obtain a Certificate of Need before building a new hospital near I-79 in Weston, siding with St. Joseph’s Hospital in a years-long legal battle that could determine the future of both facilities.

Help Wanted: City of Buckhannon seeking municipal office clerk

The City of Buckhannon is looking for a motivated, well-organized clerk to support its municipal and utility offices. The position is central to serving the public and helping manage the day-to-day operations of local government and utility services.

Upshur County Public Library offers Food for Fines program in November to support local hunger relief

The Upshur County Public Library will accept non-perishable food donations in exchange for reduced library fines throughout November during its Food for Fines program.