BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Wheeling and Concord have been tabbed by the league coaches as the preseason favorites for the 2022 Mountain East Conference baseball season.

Wheeling is the pick to successfully defend its North Division title after finishing with 63 points (eight first-place votes). In addition to the team’s first divisional title, the Cardinals are coming off a school-record 27 wins. Wheeling returns several key players who earned All-MEC honors last spring in Chris Iazetta, Jacob Murray and Riley Cameron. 

West Liberty was slotted second in the division with 45 points, followed by Fairmont State with 39 points (one first-place vote). Frostburg State collected a pair of first-place votes and was picked fourth with 38 points, and Notre Dame was next with 37 points and one first-place vote. Alderson Broaddus rounded out the divisional poll with 24 points.

Concord was the top pick in a close vote in the South Division finishing with 57 points (seven first-place votes), just ahead of West Virginia State (56 points, four first-place votes) and Charleston (53 points, one first-place vote). The Mountain Lions return three all-region hitters in Evan Antonellis, Zack Saryeldin and Anthony Stehlin, last spring’s MEC Player of the Year. WVSU came away with the MEC Tournament title and joined Charleston in the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament in 2021.

Glenville State finished fourth in the poll with 38 points, followed by Davis & Elkins (25) and West Virginia Wesleyan (17).