BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Three West Liberty University baseball players earned All-Mountain East Conference honors on Tuesday when the league coaches announced the results of their annual All-Conference balloting.
First baseman Will Balgo was voted MEC Freshman of the Year while senior outfielder Ty Helmke was a second-team All-MEC selection and fellow outfielder Jake Sherman was an honorable mention choice in the league-wide voting.
Balgo, a freshman first baseman from St. Clairsville, Ohio, exploded onto the MEC scene this spring as he settled into the cleanup spot in Coach Eric Burkle‘s lineup. After getting off to a slow start, he caught fire down the stretch and helped fuel West Liberty’s late-season climb up the MEC standings. Balgo raised his batting average 128 points as WLU went 11-6 over the last 17 games to clinch an MEC Tournament spot. The righty slugger hit .444 with 24 hits in 54 at-bats over that span, driving in 19 runs and posting a .508 OBA to go along with an eye-popping 1.286 OPS.
It’s the second All-MEC honor for Helmke, a speedy senior centerfielder from Johnstown, Ohio who was a first-team All-MEC pick two years ago. An elite table-setter for the WLU attack from his leadoff spot in the order, Helmke hit .318 with a .408 OBA and .948 OPS with 21 extra-base hits and a team-high 8 home runs. He finished the regular season with 56 hits, scored 44 runs and was 20-for-23 on stolen base attempts – all team-highs.
Sherman is also a repeat honoree. The sophomore outfielder from Newark, Ohio was an honorable mention pick as a true freshman last spring. One of the top clutch hitters in the Hilltopper lineup, he led West Liberty with a team-high .338 batting average while stroking out 53 hits – including 20 doubles – to go along with a .427 OBA and .930 OPS.
Charleston catcher Tyler Dellerman was the MEC Player of the Year with Concord ace Andrew Neff earning MEC Pitcher of the Year honors. Concord head coach Kevin Garrett was voted MEC Coach of the Year.
Coach Eric Burkle‘s Hilltoppers open the 2023 MEC Baseball Tournament on Wednesday with a 3:30 p.m. game against No. 24-ranked Charleston at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston.
BASEBALL
2023 All-Mountain East Conference Team
MEC Player of the Year: Tyler Dellerman (Charleston)
MEC Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Neff (Concord)
MEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: WILL BALGO (WEST LIBERTY)
MEC Coach of the Year: Kevin Garrett (Concord)
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Name
C Tyler Dellerman Charleston
1B Ethan Kiple Frostburg State
1B Kyle West Charleston
2B Randy Steen Frostburg State
SS Jacob Murray Wheeling
3B Zack Saryeldin Concord
UT Chandler Ballenger Alderson Broaddus
DH Chris Satcher Concord
OF Josh Adkins Concord
OF D.J. Christian Concord
OF Fabian Escalante Glenville State
OF Danny Estrada Frostburg State
OF Giano Zuccaro Charleston
SP Tyler Lafferty W.Va. State
SP Andrew Neff Concord
SP Max Proctor Frostburg State
SP Jacob Stretch Frostburg State
RP Cole Peschl Charleston
SECOND TEAM
Pos. Name
C Tyler Overaitis W.Va. State
2B Daniel Layne Concord
SS Joe Alcorn
3B Braden Killens Wheeling
UT MJ Hunter
DH Cam Sheets Alderson Broaddus
OF TY HELMKE WEST LIBERTY
OF Trevor Jones Frostburg State
OF Ryan Kay
SP Kody McCarley Wheeling
SP Chase Norris W.Va. State
SP Chase Swain Glenville State
SP Dane Sykes Charleston
RP Ethan Kiple Frostburg State
HONORABLE MENTION
C: Thatcher Poteat (WVWC); 1B: Michael Huber (WVSU); 2B: Zach Morris (GSU); SS: Brendan Brady (CU); 3B: Connor Fizer (WVSU); Utility: Christian Boyles (WU); DH: Tommy Kegerreis (WU); OF: Christian Boyles (WU), Clay Hale (UC), Nathan Paulsen (WVSU), JAKE SHERMAN (WLU); SP: Eddie Blake (CU), Kenny Jinks (WU), Rylee Nicholas (CU), Ethan Soderna (UC); RP: Hunter Dyck (WU)
Discussion about this post