West Liberty, W.Va. – A highly anticipated 2024 season will begin for the West Liberty University baseball team on Friday, February 23, as they are set to open the year with a 4-game neutral site series against Malone. The Hilltoppers and Pioneers are slated for a 12 and 3 p.m. first pitch at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.

GAME DETAILS

• Location: Mason, Ohio (Prasco Park)
• First Pitch (Friday): 12 p.m. first pitch in game one and a 3 p.m. first pitch in game two
• First Pitch (Saturday): 12 p.m. first pitch in game one and a 3 p.m. first pitch in game two

WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES

• West Liberty went 21-30 (15-15 MEC) during the 2023 season, finishing third in the MEC North Division and advanced to their eighth conference tournament appearance in the past 11 years.
• The Hilltoppers were picked to finish third in the North Division of the 2024 MEC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll, totaling 33 points and a pair of first place votes.
• As a team WLU hit .271 with 410 hits, 92 doubles, three triples, 42 homeruns, 267 RBI, and 285 runs scored through 51 games played a year ago.
• West Liberty returns seven of their eight starting position players from a year ago, which includes Jacob Sherman who was Honorable Mention All-MEC in 2023 and Will Balgo who was the MEC Freshman of the Year in 2023 and was named Preseason Honorable Mention All-Atlantic Region by the NCBWA entering 2024.
• Sherman was second on the team with a .327 batting average a year ago and held a .907 on-base plus slugging percentage. He ranked tied for the most doubles in the MEC last season with 20 and totaled 55 hits, the most by a WLU returner.
• James Salvatori returns after leading the team with a .333 batting average last season and added a .866 on-base plus slugging percentage. He collected 48 total hits, ten doubles, and three homeruns.
• Balgo held a batting average of .325 and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .924 a year ago. He totaled 39 hits, seven doubles, and six homeruns to drive in 33 RBI. He ended the 2023 season with a hit in 22 of the last 25 games he appeared in, which also included ten multi-hit games in his last 16 contests.
• The Hilltoppers' pitching staff recorded an ERA of 6.71, allowing 415 hits and 228 walks, while throwing 253 strikeouts. Opponents held a .283 batting average against WLU pitchers.
• On the mound the Hilltoppers return starting pitchers Drake Dobson and Ethan Conley are the top two returning starters while five key relief pitchers are back.
• Dobson, who was 4-5 in 2023, posted an ERA of 6.02 and a WHIP of 1.76 as he held opponents to a .221 batting average. He totaled 52.1 innings pitched in 14 appearances and ten starts as he threw 43 strikeouts.
• Leading the relief pitchers is utility player, Trevor Thomas, who made 13 appearances and pitched 18.2 innings last season. While posting a 1-3 record on the mound, he led the MEC with six saves as he recorded an ERA of 3.37, a WHIP of 1.39, and held opponents to .217 batting averages.
• Eric Burkle enters his 12^th season as the head coach at West Liberty with a career record of 221-281 during his time with the Hilltoppers.

MALONE STORYLINES

• Malone enters this weekend's games with a record of 0-2 this season after falling to West Virginia State by scores of 5-2 and 6-3 in Institute, West Virginia, on Friday, February 16.
• The Pioneers were picked to finish tenth in the 2024 GMAC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting a 24-26 (11-21 GMAC) record in 2023 and finished fifth in the GMAC North Division standings.
• As a team MU has hit .235 with 12 hits, one double, five RBI, and five runs scored through two games played this season.
• Devin Brown has posted the highest batting average this season for Malone at .429, hitting 3-for-7 and scoring one run.
• Jake Aleman has notched the lone extra base hit of the season for the Pioneers, hitting 2-for-5 with one double, one RBI, and one run scored.
• The Pioneers' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 5.25, allowing 15 hits and four walks, while throwing nine strikeouts. Opponents have held a .288 batting average against MU pitchers.
• Mark Bunch and Josh Salinas are the top two pitchers for Malone, recording ERAs of 0.00 and 1.75 after starting each of the first two games of the season. Bunch has limited opponents to a .125 batting average in 2.0 innings pitched, allowing only one hit, while Salinas has held opponents to .250 hitting in 4.0 innings pitched and has thrown three strikeouts.
• Tom Crank is in his 21^st season as the head coach at Malone with a career record of 557-437-1 during his time with the Pioneers.

SERIES HISTORY

• Malone holds a 15-3 series lead since 2019, however West Liberty has won two of the last three games.
• In last season's 4-game series in Mason, Ohio, the Hilltoppers and Pioneers split as WLU won games two (4-2) and four (8-7) and MU won games one (6-3) and three (5-3).