WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University senior mound ace Mark Smyth was one of six Mountain East Conference players to earn Preseason All-Atlantic Region honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Smyth, a returning first-team All-Mountain East Conference starting pitcher from Bloomingdale, Ohio, was a second-team All-Region pick on the NCBWA's annual preseason honor roll after an outstanding junior season.

The former Edison High School standout went 6-2 on the mound for Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers last spring. He had 8 complete games in 9 starts and posted a sparkling 2.49 ERA while holding opposing hitters to just 52 hits in 61.1 innings pitched. Smyth surrendered only 9 extra-base hits all season.

Joining Smyth on the Preseason All-Region Team were Shepherd's Sam Crater, J.J. Sarty and Jacob Carney along with Notre Dame's Jake Welch and Concord's Andy Szamski. Crater and Sarty were first-team All-Region selections with Carney, Welch and Szamski earning second-team status.

West Liberty was also one of five MEC squads to receive votes in the NCBWA's Preseason Atlantic Region Top 10 poll. Shepherd was No. 5 with West Virginia State checking in at No. 9. The Hilltoppers, Concord and Notre Dame were listed among teams also receiving votes.

West Liberty is scheduled to open the 2016 campaign on Feb. 20 with a doubleheader at St. Augustine's (N.C.).