Monday was the final two games in the Baseball Bonanza hosted by our West Virginia Tech University Golden Bears 🐻.
Our goal through this process is to prove that WVU-T and Linda K Epling Stadium can and should be a major player in the World 🌎 of NAIA Baseball. Mission Accomplished by everything that I witnessed !
Fisher College Falcons and our Golden Bears 🐻 split the getaway twin bill. Fisher captured the opener 7-1 and Tech responded by taking the seventh and final game by a score of 11-5.
Final numbers :
Georgia Gwinnett 3-1
WVU-Tech. 3-2
Fisher College 1 -4
The crowd Sunday afternoon was by far the largest of the season, by a wide margin. Our Golden Bears 🐻 highlight came in the ending of a 15 game winning streak that belonged to #2 GGC.
We staged a seven game in two plus days NAIA showcase and it benefited the Schools 🏫 involved as well as the City of Beckley, West Virginia.
West Virginia Tech University Baseball will travel to Owensboro, Kentucky this weekend for a playoff like three game set with Brescia University. Sweep the series and the Golden Bears 🐻 will pull into a tie for fifth place.
The top four spots are all but secured with an epic series taking place this weekend between the two teams that have distanced themselves from the pack.
Top Four
The final weekend series has IU Southeast coming to Beckley, making the set with Brescia University even more important. Winning two out of three in Owensboro will keep the goal of postseason play alive while a sweep would be Awesome.
Midway Eagles closes out with IU Columbus and Brescia, leaving a window of opportunity for WVU-T to secure a tournament invite.
WVU-T continues its non-conference Baseball ⚾️ fest with a doubleheader in Beckley today versus Fisher College.
Linda K Epling StadiumKevin Burress and Tammy Tobler
We begin a new week by trying hard to put the finishing touches on our seven game College Baseball ⚾️ series in Beckley, West Virginia before driving 🚗 back the 104 miles to Cavalier Park for tonight’s Softball game versus Galax High School.
Not sure how many times that announcing ball games has included two states and three contests but here we go!
The quest this weekend here in Beckley has been to show our program and the city as a legitimate player in the World 🌎 of small College Baseball. The multi million dollar facility that is Linda K Epling Stadium even comes with a back drop that would fit in a Norman Rockwell painting 🖼.
The Fisher College Falcons will head back to Boston after play today while the Golden Bears 🐻 will set their sights on Owensboro, Kentucky and the HUGE weekend series that awaits at Brescia University.
At some point the decision has to be made about when to turn things over here and head South, allowing for traffic on the Turnpike. We have a special Ceremonial First Pitch tonight as we acknowledge that time that Paul Nester invested in the beautification of Cavalier Park.
Tonight is our fifth attempt to host on third of nine Home games. Spring weather plays tricks on schedules at both the High School and College level. Both teams enter the night with 3-4 records and Head Coaches that both have serious ties to Carroll County High School.
The two steps 🚶♂️that need to fall between the three ball games ⚾️ and the drive involves both Christy Shupe and Adrienne Harris. Two young Ladies that give up their time to direct Sports teams at CCHS in the Springtime. The Boys Tennis team plays today across the parking lot and getting a team photo 📷 to use for when we share their results from matches would be a big get and today is one of a handful of opportunities.
In regards to trying to time out meeting up with Coach Harris today, this is something that is important for her and anything that I can do to assist her and her efforts is highly relevant.
Tonight is Varsity only as Galax High School 🏫 doesn’t field a Junior Varsity Softball team. The upside there being it won’t a quadruple header but at the same time Alexis Dalton and Terry Warf miss out on another chance to coach up our younger Cavaliers.
The last piece of business will be to try and keep up with the Girls Tennis 🎾 match and two Boys Soccer ⚽️ matches being played tonight over at Floyd High School.
Coming full circle 🔵 about how Coach Nester managed to land at the top of the Totem Pole that is our efforts. Nester is at the final stages of a lifetime spent Coaching our youth and is trying hard to make the experience for his team both highly competitive and equally enjoyable for all involved. That deserves all the time and respect that I can spare.
Tonight will be special for two reasons, first being that he will be coaching against a former player and second, Coach will be watching 👀 his Awesome Big Brother toss out the First Pitch !
Monday has started now and will be another Day in the Neighborhood. Just this time it will include two States.
It will be fun to look back 18 hours from now and check the report card.
Have yourself a Blessed Day 🙌!
8:40. Arrival @ Stadium 8:50. Setup BP 9:10-9:50 Tech BP 9:50-10:30. Fisher BP No Infielder/Outfield… 10:55. Intro/Anthem 11am Game Time
Left to Right – Scott Dulin, Lawrence Nesselrodt and Jeremy Sheetinger.
Three College Baseball programs that are spread across the eastern seaboard met for a second straight day on Sunday. This time it was a round robin triple header, beginning at 11:00 am and ending shortly after 8pm.
Georgia Gwinnett College won the opener 10-3 over Fisher and exacted revenge over West Virginia Tech 13-5 in the middle game. After the final out the Grizzlies loaded up the bus 🚌 to head back to Lawrenceville, Georgia.
The #2 ranked program in the NAIA wrapped up its stay at 3-1 and now sits at 36-4 on the season.
West Virginia Tech scored five runs 🏃♂️in the bottom of the first in the night 🌙 cap and held on for a 5-3 victory over Fisher College.
Ryan Kessinger and Lawrence Nesselrodt
One of the highlights in the day was getting to welcome Three Rivers District member, Alleghany High School to Linda K Epling Stadium 🏟. The Cougars Baseball ⚾️ team and Coaches took in part of the day long action 🎬. Making the 82 minute drive 🚗 over made for a fun day for the Cougars and added to the largest home crowd of the season.
Ness greeting the Cougars in between games.
Kessinger was a staple in the Golden Bears 🐻 lineup for his four year stay back when the School was still located in Montgomery and played our home games at East Bank, WV.
Games 6 & 7 of the seven game series are set for Monday morning 🌄 and then the Falcons will head back to Boston.
West Virginia Tech University currently sits 1+1/2 game back of the sixth and final post season slot. Midway(Kentucky) is the team to catch as the final two weeks play out.
Oakland City can pull into a tie for the top spot by defeating Midway at home today and if they do so, the Golden Bears 🐻 will be just one game behind!
Midway faces Brescia & IU Columbus in their final two weekend series.
Golden Bears 🐻 now 1 game behind Midway and 3 behind Brescia with six to play.
A.S.P.N on The Hill 