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Dominion Post
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Morgantown baseball set to battle George Washington in state tournament semifinals
CHARLESTON – For the second consecutive season, the Morgantown High School baseball team earned a spot in the state tournament as the Region I champions and will meet MSAC champion George Washington on Friday night at Go-Mart Ballpark in Charleston in the semifinals of the WVSSAC Class AAAA baseball tournament. The Mohigans, also winners of a conference title as the OVAC 5A champions, return to the state tournament for a second consecutive year after sweeping Region I postseason play. Morgantown went 4-0 in the playoffs, defeating its rival, University, and Wheeling Park in back-to-back series. The Mohigans (ranked No. 4 in the latest MetroNews Coaches Poll) have won 13 of their last 15 games. Offensively, WVU signee Weston Mazey leads the team with 33 runs scored. Mason Bowers paces the lineup with a .395 batting average and a team-best 40 hits. Vinnie Aloi leads Morgantown with 31 RBI, while freshman Jackson Bredeson follows closely with 29 RBI and a team-leading eight doubles. On the mound, Maddox Boggs (9-2, 1.35 ERA) and Vinnie Aloi (7-2, 2.22 ERA) have combined for 16 wins. Judd Messerly, a Potomac State signee, has posted a 1.34 ERA in 10 appearances and has three saves. 'Last year, there was a huge sense of excitement with it being the first time in a while that our program has been there,' MHS head coach Pat Sherald said. 'This year, there's the same excitement, but there's also a lot of purpose as far as taking care of business. We got a taste of it last year. We are going to go out and play as hard as we can and play our brand of baseball.' George Washington returns to Charleston following a runner-up finish in 2024 and enters the tournament as the Region III champions. The Patriots posted a 4-0 mark in the postseason with wins over South Charleston and St. Albans. WVU commit Slade Barton tossed a no-hitter in the 4-0 regional title victory over the Red Dragons. After a 3-4 start to the season, GW found its rhythm, winning 12 of its next 13 games. The Patriots are 4-2 this season against fellow state tournament qualifiers, including two victories over top-seeded Hurricane. In the Mountain State Athletic Conference title game, Chuck Kelly delivered an inside-the-park, walk-off home run in the seventh inning to secure a second win over the Redskins. 'George Washington has four very talented pitchers, but that's what you expect this time of year,' Sherald said. 'We know we will see the best from everyone, but it's all about what we can control and what we do out there. We must follow our game plan and maintain a no-nonsense approach. We will seek opportunities to capitalize on and position ourselves for success. We just plan to go out and play quality Mohigan baseball.' First pitch is scheduled to be thrown 50 minutes after the conclusion of the first Class AAAA semifinal between Hurricane and Hedgesville, which is set for 5:00 p.m.
Dominion Post
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
University softball poised to defend state championship, battles Jefferson in Game 1
MORGANTOWN – After claiming their first-ever state title last spring, the University High School softball team is eyeing another milestone: becoming the inaugural Class AAAA state champion. Ranked sixth in the latest MetroNews Coaches Poll, the Hawks enter the tournament with a 3-2 record against fellow state qualifiers. 'We'll go down there and make a strong showing again,' UHS head coach Mindy Parks said. 'I really believe that. This team has it all the way through.' The Hawks boast a potent offense, averaging 7.8 runs per game, while their defense holds opponents to just 2.1 runs per contest. Senior Olivia Masoner anchors the lineup with a team-best .500 batting average, recording 42 hits in 84 at-bats. Maddie Campbell has been the Hawks' all-around standout, leading in home runs (6), runs scored (37), and RBIs (36). Campbell also dominates in the circle with a team-leading 1.49 ERA. University heads into the postseason with confidence, having swept regional rival Morgantown in two tightly contested matchups, 4-3 and 2-0. UHS will face off against Jefferson in Game 1 on Friday at 9:30 a.m. in Little Creek Park in South Charleston. The Hawks split a pair of contests with the Cougars during the regular season in Morgantown in the Mon County Classic. Jefferson won the first game 5-0 before the Hawks avenged the defeat 24 hours later, 3-2. One Significant difference for UHS this year is the presence of Masoner on the field at the state tournament, as she was sidelined with an injury last May. Despite not playing, she still called all of the pitches for her pitchers, Campbell and Sophia Lehosit. 'Olivia does a really great job calling pitches,' Lehosit said. 'Maddie and I have full trust in her. Her calling pitches is kind of routine for us now.' 'She knows these girls. She's grown up with them since they were little,' Parks added of Masoner. 'Just having that relationship, more than anything, it starts with the friendships and relationships. They know each other so well.' Another massive difference for Parks and her team this season is that they've been here before, having captured their first title last season. Having that confidence can make all the difference as the Hawks aim to make a statement from the opening pitch. 'It was so new to us last year, and we didn't know what we were walking into,' Parks said. 'We just wanted to get there, but once we got there, we wanted to win. Again, we want to do more than just show up.'
Dominion Post
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Trinity Christian softball to make first state tournament appearance in program history
MORGANTOWN – When the Trinity Christian High School softball team takes the field on Wednesday morning in Game 1 of the 2025 WVSSAC Class A state softball tournament, they will do so with confidence and with pride. The Warriors enter the week as the Region I champion and will face off against top-ranked Pendleton County (29-2) at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday to begin play. 'For the players to have reached this point to be among the final four teams is remarkable,' TCS assistant coach Dan Lohmann said, who will act as head coach at the state tournament due to scheduling conflicts with head coach Bryan Phillips. 'There has been a steady build of the program, and I'm not sure we thought this would be possible in our fourth year since the program restarted. That just speaks to the player's belief in themselves and their teammates.' The Warriors are making their inaugural appearance in the state tournament, marking a significant milestone for a program that was reestablished just four years ago. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Trinity Christian School (TCS) secured only a single victory. Before the current season, the program's most recent sectional championship occurred in 2010. Trinity concluded the regular season ranked ninth in the MetroNews Coaches Poll. 'We want our girls to have the same approach of being resilient and to stick together when things aren't going our way,' Lohmann said. 'They have been able to come back from some type of deficit in all five games this postseason. Sometimes when the stage is bigger, we feel like we have to do more, but we want them to have the mindset of doing the same things that got us here.' Pendleton County enters the tournament as the Region II champion. The Wildcats have held the top spot in the MetroNews Coaches Poll for the final three weeks of the regular season and lead the state with 29 victories. Their only two losses have come against state tournament qualifiers from higher classifications. The Wildcats have outscored their postseason opponents by a combined margin of 57-4 over four games. 'Pendleton County is an excellent team,' Lohmann said. 'We need to be able to play sound defense, communicate clearly, and take advantage of any opportunities we may have at the plate.' TCS finished regular-season play with an 8-10 record and was in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Despite this, the Warriors have demonstrated a remarkable turnaround, compiling a perfect 5-0 record in sectional and regional competition. In their regional championship victory over Magnolia, Trinity overcame a three-run deficit in the seventh inning to secure a 9-8 win. The Warriors are currently averaging 8.6 runs per game. Josalyn Phillips leads the team offensively with a batting average of .479, along with a team-high eight home runs and 33 runs batted in. Pitcher Paige Hopkins enters the state tournament with a 3.64 earned run average. While some may say the Warriors will be happy just to be making an appearance, Lohmann knows his players have a fire in them to win games, and the state tournament does nothing but stoke the flames. 'I think these girls have enjoyed proving something to themselves and being able to stand tall with other top-notch programs,' he said. 'We have asked them to take steps in overcoming challenges throughout the entire year, and to watch that grow in these players and the team has been incredibly rewarding.'
