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

Wesleyan’s Poteat earns spot on MEC All-Conference baseball team

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference today announced its 2023 baseball award winners and all-conference teams following a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches.

The announcement comes one day prior to the 2023 MEC Baseball Tournament, presented by YES! Chevrolet and YES! Ford, which will be played May 10-14 at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston. Visit the MEC Championship Central page for complete tournament coverage and to purchase tickets for the event.

Charleston catcher Tyler Dellerman and Concord pitcher Andrew Neff headlined the All-MEC baseball award winners as the league’s Player and Pitcher of the Year in 2023. West Liberty infielder William Balgo was voted as the league’s Freshman of the Year. Concord head coach Kevin Garrett has been named the 2023 MEC Coach of the Year.

Dellerman, a graduate student catcher from Maineville, Ohio, batted .374 with 16 home runs and 57 runs batted-in this season for the Golden Eagles. He also scored 60 runs and racked up 15 doubles and four triples on the year. Dellerman had a .767 slugging percentage on the year.

Neff, a junior from Fredericksburg, Va., made 18 appearances for the Concord pitching staff this season and finished the year with an 11-2 record and 4.74 ERA. He recorded 86 strikeouts and allowed opposing batters to hit just .272 against him. He also recorded a pair of saves and gave up just 42 earned runs in 79.2 innings pitched this season.

Balgo, a freshman infielder from St. Clairsville, Ohio, batted .324 with six home runs and 32 runs batted-in for the Hilltoppers. He finished his first collegiate season with a .552 slugging percentage and a .398 on-base percentage. Balgo also tallied 19 runs scored and six doubles.

Garrett led Concord to a 27-19 record this season, including a 23-7 mark in MEC play to earn the league’s coach of the year accolade. The Mountain Lions enter this week’s MEC Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the south division. Garrett returned to the dugout this season and is in his 23rd season with the Mountain Lions. He has over 500 career wins at Concord.

West Virginia Wesleyan had one player earn honors — catcher Thatcher Poteat.

The 5-11 sophomore from Shady Springs, W.Va. batted .281 with 39 hits, six doubles, and knocked in 21 runs in 42 starts this season. Poteat finished with a .969 fielding percentage with 189 putouts and 19 runners thrown out attempting to steal. He also pitched 1 2/3innings this year, earning a save and not allowing an earned run.

The MEC all-conference teams are listed below. Honorees were listed as first team, second team and honorable mention.

All-MEC First Team
Pos.NameSchool
CTyler DellermanCharleston
1BEthan KipleFrostburg State
1BKyle WestCharleston
2BRandy SteenFrostburg State
SSJacob MurrayWheeling
3BZack SaryeldinConcord
UtilityChandler BallengerAlderson Broaddus
DHChris SatcherConcord
OFJosh AdkinsConcord
OFD.J. ChristianConcord
OFFabian EscalanteGlenville State
OFDanny EstradaFrostburg State
OFGiano ZuccaroCharleston
SPTyler LaffertyWest Virginia St.
SPAndrew NeffConcord
SPMax ProctorFrostburg State
SPJacob StretchFrostburg State
RPCole PeschlCharleston
x
All-MEC Second Team
Pos.NameSchool
CTyler OveraitisWest Virginia St.
2BDaniel LayneConcord
SSJoe AlcornAlderson Broaddus
3BBraden KillensWheeling
UtilityMJ HunterConcord
DHCam SheetsAlderson Broaddus
OFTy HelmkeWest Liberty
OFTrevor JonesFrostburg State
OFRyan KayWest Virginia St.
SPKody McCarleyWheeling
SPChase NorrisWest Virginia St.
SPChase SwainGlenville State
SPDane SykesCharleston
RPEthan KipleFrostburg State
All-MEC Honorable Mention
C: Thatcher Poteat (WVWC); 1B: Michael Huber (WVSU); 2B: Zach Morris (GSU); SS: Brendan Brady (CU); 3B: Connor Fizer (WVSU); Utility: Christian Boyles (WU); DH: Tommy Kegerreis (WU); OF: Christian Boyles (WU), Clay Hale (UC), Nathan Paulsen (WVSU), Jacob Sherman (WLU); SP: Eddie Blake (CU), Kenny Jinks (WU), Rylee Nicholas (CU), Ethan Soderna (UC); RP: Hunter Dyck (WU)
2023 MEC Baseball Top Honors
Player of the Year: Tyler Dellerman (Charleston)
Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Neff (Concord)
Freshman of the Year: William Balgo (West Liberty)
Coach of the Year: Kevin Garrett (Concord)

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Really Really Free Market and Community Potluck scheduled for Sunday, July 13

A community Really Really Free Market and potluck will be held Sunday, July 13, from 1–3 pm at Walnut and Chestnut streets, featuring free goods, services, food and opportunities to connect and volunteer.

Man arrested for attempted murder after allegedly attempting to run someone over in Walmart parking lot

Rayne Prince Marion Chuma was arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly trying to hit a man with his vehicle in the Buckhannon Walmart parking lot before leaving the scene.

Suspect held without bail in Brushy Fork Road robbery case

Bruno Martins Ferreira has been arrested and is being held without bail on felony robbery and conspiracy charges after allegedly participating in an armed robbery at a Brushy Fork Road residence, during which $12,000 was transferred from the victim’s bank account.

Upshur County Board of Education Agenda: July 8, 2025

The Upshur County Board of Education has released the agenda for its upcoming meeting scheduled for July 8, 2025.

City of Buckhannon calendar: July 7-11, 2025

Buckhannon has announced a series of July public meetings, bulky item and yard waste collections, family-friendly events such as Festival Fridays, deadline reminders for firefighter applications, and performances of “Mamma Mia!” at the Colonial Arts Center.

Sherry Esenwein

Sherry Esenwein, a devoted educator, animal lover, and Buckhannon native, passed away peacefully at 71 in Annapolis, remembered for her adventurous spirit, cherished family, and lifelong dedication to teaching and her beloved dogs.

Summer Basketball League kicks off

The Upshur County Summer Basketball League began its season last week, featuring multiple games with standout performances from players such as Josh Trent, Andrew Holcomb, and Sterlin Thropp, while several matches ended in forfeits.

Post 7 falls in twin bill to Charleston

Buckhannon Post 7 suffered two losses to Charleston Post 56 on Sunday, dropping the first game 14-0 by mercy rule and falling 5-2 in the second despite a late rally.

Upshur County Commission partners with development authority, eyes $550k in grants for proposed rec hub

The Upshur County Commission partnered with the Development Authority and authorized applications for $550,000 in grants, as well as a joint property transfer, to support construction of the proposed John C. Allen Regional Hub recreation complex.