Turning back the clock ⏰️ to just over 50 years ago, there was a 10 year old Navy Brat that was falling in love with the game of baseball ⚾️ but now found himself in rural South Georgia, far from his beloved Oakland Athletics.

Dad was stationed in Lemoore, California, when I was born back in 1963, so it was a natural thing to pull for the Oakland A’s and wow,  Was that a fun bunch of personalities. Even the owner, Charles Finley, was larger than life itself.

Joe Rudi, Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Gene Tennace, Bert ” Campy ” Campanaris were some of the stars in the field while Jim ” Catfish ” Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue and others toed the rubber. Finley tried to get Vida to legally change his first name to True so he could call him True Blue.

South of Lemoore was an expansion team called the San Diego Padres.

San Diego is a beautiful place, and they were owned for a long time by the founder of McDonald’s, Ray Kroc. There was a man with a business plan !

The Padres were never going to replace the A’s as my childhood team, but they did have a tall, lanky left-hander that was fun to watch. Randy Jones was a character, and maybe part of that at first was his larger than life afro and how it grew out under his cap.

While I can not back it up as absolute, check out the three year stretch where Jones went from losing twenty games to winning 20+ in the following two seasons. Incredible turnaround, and if anyone else has ever done it, I would like to hear about it.

Jones was a rookie back in the early 70s, and he wasn’t the only one. Fresh from Marshall University, by way of a brief stint in the minors, was Joe Goddard. My favorite part of calling a Golden Bears 🐻 Baseball game is saying Assistant Coach, the legendary Joe Goddard.

Goddard and Jones were teammates in 1972 in the Texas League, playing for Alexandria. Goddard would get the call up later that season, and Jones would get the same in the spring of 1973.

Joe has stories about how Jones threw a ” heavy ball ” back then, and while the lefty found some success, he was hindered by the Padres’ struggles. Check out the year he had in 1978, with an ERA of 2.88, Jones finished up at 13 – 14 on the season.

This past winter, Jones received his final call-up as he passed away in November. The tribute that the team held 40 years past his playing days showed that I wasn’t the only one who found Jones as lovable.

Meanwhile, Joe Goddard and I are hopeful of being around for a while yet. The added connection of the catcher who made it to the show and worked with one of my childhood heroes.

The things in the life of the Legendary Joe Goddard that pop 🎉 are much more than sharing a batters box 📦 with Hank Aaron or catching Randy Jones. The lifetime experience of teaching the game of baseball, still today as he is closer to 80 than 70, is the tip of the iceberg.

Rest in peace, Randy Jones, and thanks for the memories !

Marco and I were at Utah Tech University at the same time (two years ago), and now, most weekends, the young man from Ecuador 🇪🇨 heads out to the mound for the Golden Bears 🐻.

For seven innings yesterday afternoon, Marco limited everyone, not named Nate Montgomery to just two base hits. Montgomery collected three singles to account for 60% of the offense, but each time, WVU-T had the answer defensively !

Seven innings pitched, five hits allowed, four K’s, and just two walks. The Cougars plated 19 runs across 26 innings over the weekend series, but for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon, Marco said, ” Not on my watch.”

Three relievers combined to close out the second consecutive victory with Cam Lynch earning the save for WVU-T.

Montgomery would have had a fourth hit credited to his name if not for a very fortunate bounce in the top of the eighth inning against Tate Martino. Clinging to a 3-1 lead at the time, Martino surrendered a lead off single to Nate Wolf, bringing Montgomery up as the tying run.

The line shot was headed to right field, but fortunately, it was on top of Wolf in a heartbeat. The ball clipped Wolf on the foot, ending the play and reducing the at-bat to a fielders choice. Lady Luck was smiling on the Golden Bears 🐻 at that moment.

WVU-T added a much needed insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Nolan Copeland led off with a walk and came around to score on a double from Zach Hunt.

The top of the ninth proved to be interesting as six Cougars came to the plate, and the ball was never put into play once. Three walks and three strikeouts with Lynch closing it out by getting a pitch past Montgomery with the tying runs on base.

In order to compete in the River States Conference, you need to have an Ace who deals with the best of them. On Saturday, we had one in Marco Viteri Moran, a young man from Ecuador by way of St. George, Utah.

WVU-T plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning when Gabe Templeton reached on a hit by pitch, and Jacob Tompkins followed with a single. Reece Patterson reached on a fielders choice, scoring Templeton and later scored on an infield single by JJ Polvinale.

The third run scored in the fifth when red-hot Cody Cooper led off with his second hit of the game, and Joshua Tibbits drove him in with a pinch hit single.

When the dust settled later in the day, the Golden Bear nine had taken two of three from a talented Cougars squad. For the second time this season, we welcomed an RSC foe to Linda K Epling Stadium and prevailed !

Friday and Saturday, April 24 & and 25, we will welcome Midway to Beckley for the season ending weekend series that will include Senior Day ceremonies. One more opportunity for the folks in Beckley to take in some free baseball ⚾️ in a beautiful stadium 🏟 and root, root, root for the home team !

West Virginia Tech 12, IU -Kokomo 11 (10)

West Virginia Tech 4. IU – Kokomo 1

IU – Kokomo 7, West Virginia Tech 2

Cooper went 6 of 12 for the weekend with 4 RBI

From start to finish on a doubleheader Saturday , we spend 8 to 9 hours together, and the quality of the day is directly tied to the quality of people you have, helping you produce a show.

Today, we have struck Gold as all four of the Golden Bears 🐻 involved are walking the fine line of being totally focused yet sneak in some side stories when time allows.

Liam Craven plays on the WVU-T Basketball team, and today, he is responsible for the schools live feed of the games. Craven is from Canada 🇨🇦, sharp as can be, and handles the technology of our team. His favorite basketball player is Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets 🚀. Sports management as his major !

The next member of the team is freshman, Mason Divers. Divers is a red shirt this year as he recovers from an injury, and the recent graduate 🎓 of Charlottesville High School 🏫 has an understanding of the game beyond his years. The left-handed pitcher is learning the ins and outs of what it takes to have it appear that we are a well-oiled machine.

This afternoon, Divers is responsible for the announcing of the Golden Bears and just broke out the ” Another Golden Bear has found his way to Home Plate ” as we push our lead out to 3-1 here in the bottom of the fifth.

Michael Thor is the key 🔑 ingredient to the amount of polish we have on any given day. For folks back home in Carroll County, Thor is a younger version of Kevin Burress at Cavalier Park. The equipment is more sophisticated, but the level of commitment is spot on ! The sophomore from Nitro is also awaiting his time on the field, and when he’s not anchoring our team, he’s busy working on his degree in mechanical engineering.

Thor handles every aspect of our sound, which at this level is a substantial amount. We are now at the top of the 7th inning, so he is prepping our Harry Carry tribute that we do during the 7th inning stretch.

The fourth member of our team is Garrett Miller, and he has the job that nobody wants. Miller has to keep up with every pitch and the pitch clock ⏰️.

The scoreboard out in left center shows the number of items that Miller has to keep straight.

It’s now 2 pm, and game one of two is moving along at a pleasant pace ! We all made a guess at what time game 2 will end at the guesses range from 5:48 to 6:47 and the effort started at 10:00.

First Pitch 57° temperature 🌡/ time 12:00 on the nose 👃.

From here, I will give each of these impressive young men to add their own thoughts about themselves, things that would make their parents proud.

Mason – I was introduced to WVU Tech through Tommy Weaver (Tech baseball alum). When I found out I was going to have sit out my freshmen season I was bummed. But then that first time in the press box at Marshall University working the pitch clock, that was when I first got to meet Jerry. He stepped out of the room, and that’s when I filled in to announce a batter. From there, my teammates have loved the familiar voice coming across the speakers. I want to thank both my Dad who used to help in the press box in Little League for his great voice that I get to inherit. And I would like to thank my mom for her support of me and giving me the kindness I get to share with everyone I get to announce. Lastly, I want to thank Jerry Carter for how much help he has been to giving me the opportunity and knowledge to learn how much goes into announcing a ball game!

Game 1 goes to our Golden Bears 🐻, 4-1 and the best part was it only took 2:40 !!!

Thor – I first saw WVU Tech as a good opportunity to stay close to home and get an engineering degree. After talking with Coach Ness about potentially playing baseball here, it seemed like a no-brainer. I had the goal of playing baseball in college, and my parents were entirely supportive of it. When thinking about all I’ve learned and the people I’ve met, I can safely say I have enjoyed my time these last 2 years. I am truly thankful for all the people who have ever helped me and will help me in the future. I wouldn’t be here without my parents, friends, and family.

5:31 – end of Game #2…Cougars 7, Golden Bears 🐻 but we win the series, 2-1 !!!

Season #18 is rapidly approaching the end of the line this weekend as it’s the next to the final trip for the 2025 – 2026 season. Midway comes to town on April 24th & 25th with our annual Senior Day festivities taking place on that final Saturday.

18 years is a long time ⌛️and being life doesn’t come with any guarantees, one has to ask the question, is this the end of the journey ?

If it is, the campaign will go down as the one that stuck the closest to the original script. Playing baseball in the mountains of West Virginia in the month of February can get a little tricky at times, but after a rocky start, things settled down quite a bit.

The home opener was slated for February 21 and 22nd in Beckley but was moved over to Marshall University and eventually condensed to the ultra rare triple header ahead of a snow ❄️ storm. Three games in one day proved to be a challenge, and the 22nd was wiped from the calendar. The opportunity for this series with Lawrence Tech was made possible by the flight ✈️ back across the country for The Basketball 🏀 Classic, Take #3.

  The only true add-on game took place three days later at Go-Mart Park in Charleston (25th vs. Pikeville) and later on March 19th replaced March 17th. That move made the original 16 home dates turn into 18. Three home stadiums 🏟, all top level and enjoyable to work in. Marshall University was a first-timer and pushed the number of parks that I’ve called a game up to 12.

The questions started when I drove under the welcome 🙏 to West Virginia sign back on Thursday afternoon. How many times had that moment taken place in 18 years ? How many hotels 🏨 were slept in ? The number of West Virginia Turnpike toll booths was there along the way ?

The difference between being a 44 year old living in Luray, Virginia, and a 62 year old living in Laurel Fork, Virginia, is as big as it sounds. The years spent out on Orcas Island 🏝 in the San Juans limited the trips to just Senior Day weekends.

How many assistant coaches have worn the Golden Bears uniform over the span ? How many miles had been driven and in how many different vehicles ? We moved the campus from Montgomery to Beckley during the run, not something that happens every day, and don’t forget the part where our engineering school was gobbled up by West Virginia University.

The game on Friday afternoon flirted with taking four hours to finish, but it will go down as one of the most exciting ones along the way for sure. Today will run right at eight hours ( 1 nine inning game, followed by 1 seven inning game ) from start to finish, and then there’s the drive back home.

If this is the end of the journey, I was thrilled to hang out at  Hawks Nest Lodge one more time because it has been part of my life forever and a day. While it’s just a dot on the map to many, The Nest 🪹🪺 is my favorite place to ponder life, and it’s been that way for 40+ years.

The hotel 🏨 breakfast is now open, so it’s a good time to head downstairs. How many times have I thought that over the past 18 years ?

Baseball ⚾️ is just a game to many, but it’s bigger than that to those on the inside. It becomes part of you, but hey, it is time to go make a waffle 🧇.

Let’s play two today !

Beckley, West Virginia – West Virginia Tech University and Indiana University at Kokomo played a baseball game for the ages on Friday afternoon at Linda K Epling Stadium, with the Golden Bears rallying for the third time in a 12-11 Ruver States Conference victory.

Cody Cooper delivered a one out single in the bottom of the tenth inning to score pinch runner Carson Brown( Independence High)  from second base to cap off one of the most improbable victories in recent history.

The visiting Cougars (11-8 RSC, 15-19 overall) took leads of 6-3, 9-5, and 11-9 across the three hours and 47 minutes of baseball, yet the Golden Bears found a way to claw back against all odds.

West Virginia Tech lost starting catcher Angel Leiva to an illness after a red hot 2 for 2 start, which included a double and 2 RBI. Leiva joined Head Coach Lawrence Nesselrodt on the sidelines as the long-time Skipper was forced to sit out one game after a recent ejection at Pikeville University.

Mason Everhart slid the catchers gear on to relieve Leiva and local legend Joe Goddard went from being the bench coach to the man with the plan.

After jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead built around the Leiva double, WVU-T watched the visitors post back to back three run innings in the third and fourth innings. IU – Kokomo rode a baseball rarity to spark the surge, hitting three triples in the rally.

The first Golden Bears rally happened when Beckley native, Maddex Sims, started a two out rally in the bottom of the fourth with a home run.Gabe Templeton and Jacob Tompkins followed with consecutive doubles to trim the deficit to 6-5.

The game took a twist in the middle innings as the pitchers regained control as the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings saw just one run scored. Luke Richards was finally able to make his season debut after a question about eligibility, and the lanky left-hander contributed in his inning plus of work, recording two strike outs.

In the top of the eighth inning, the first three Cougars reached base, and the two runs scored pushed the deficit out to 9-5. The game appeared to be on the way to another close but no cigar effort until Carson Crigger stepped in the box to pinch hit in the bottom of the eighth. Brayden Kiblinger reached on an error and scored on a double by Tompkins to make it 9-6, and Crigger launched a 3-run shot to tie the score at 9-9.

Both teams had base runners in the ninth inning, but neither side broke through with the winning run. The top of the tenth saw IU – Kokomo capitalize on a rare Golden Bear misque to take an 11-9 lead, and for the third time, the Golden Bears refused to surrender.

Gabe Templeton reached base with a hit by pitch, and Tompkins followed with his third base hit to set the stage. One out later, Reece Patterson, the third catcher of the Day, sent a line drive to left center. The left fielder chose to attempt a diving grab that would have been a Sportscenter type play. The ball bounced off his glove and kicked away from both fielders, allowing the tying runs to score and left Patterson standing on second base.

Brown headed out to run, and he beat the throw home on the single from Cooper,  by the narrowest of margins, sending the team and the fans into celebration mode.

Aidan McGlothlin earned the win in relief, thanks in part to his Narrows High School teammate, Crigger.

Nesselrodt could not have been prouder of the effort that his team displayed, and it showed in his thoughts post game.

” We pulled together as a team and played with the heart of a champion today,” Nesselrodt said. ” That was a very talented team that we kept chasing down, and it has me excited about playing two more games tomorrow. “

Nesselrodt, who had been years without missing a game, will be back in the saddle at Noon on Saturday when the two teams return to Linda K Epling Stadium for a doubleheader.