MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For the first time since September 2019, the West Virginia Black Bears took the field against Mahoning Valley at Monongalia County Ballpark on Monday night, but that is just about the only similarity between then and now.
The 2020 Minor League Baseball season was canceled due to COVID-19 and Major League Baseball also announced a drastic overhaul to Minor League Baseball. As a result, the New York-Penn League was no more, and the Black Bears needed a new home.
Monday night’s season-opener — an 8-1 Mahoning Valley win — was West Virginia’s debut in the MLB Draft League, which is intended to help draft-eligible players earn exposure prior to July’s draft. It is no longer the short-season affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Instead, high school and college prospects will get a chance to showcase their skills this summer, and one of those is Morgantown’s own Caleb Taylor.
His college season ended about two weeks ago, and last week, he found out he made the Black Bears roster.
“It’s all pretty cool — I was shocked,” Taylor said. “This is a great opportunity, and one of my coaches at Potomac State helped me with trying to get on the team. I want to thank the organization for giving me the opportunity to come play.”
Taylor’s true freshman season at Potomac State was wiped out due to COVID-19, but he burst onto the scene this year with the Catamounts. He hit .414 in 140 at bats, playing in 43 games, finishing with nine home runs, 24 extra-base hits and 62 RBIs.
In his final season with the Mohigans, Taylor was named second team all-state at catcher and was named the Johnny Bench Award winner for West Virginia, which goes to the best catcher in the state.
Now, Taylor hopes the step up in competition will help him at the plate by seeing faster pitches around the mid-90s, and also working with a near-professional pitching staff as a catcher.
In his Black Bears debut, he went 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
There is a strong North Central West Virginia connection with the Black Bears early this season with Taylor, as well as Gyorko, a Morgantown native and University High alum, leading the squad. Preston High alum Jimmy Galusky is a member of Gyorko’s coaching staff, and both previously manned shortstop for WVU.
The starting pitcher for the Black Bears, Kevin Dowdell, is committed to the Mountaineers after finishing a season Calhoun Community College in Alabama. He went 2 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on five hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Things got away from Dowdell in the 3rd inning, allowing all five of his charged runs in the frame as the Scrappers took a 5-0 lead. They continued to take onto their lead with a run in the 4th inning and two in the 6th. West Virginia scored its only run in the 7th on an arrant Mahoning Valley throw.
With most Division I programs still playing, it is expected a major roster overhaul will take place when the postseason comes to an end. With many of the players currently on the team, many submitted paperwork and were scouted by Prep Baseball Report before ultimately being chosen to make the team.
The current roster came to town this weekend and had its first practice Sunday, so it was a quick turnaround before the season-opener.
“With this being a developmental league, you kind of sit back and watch the kids play,” Gyorko said. “There’s not a whole lot of strategy going on, you want to teach these kids and then watch them play.”
The Black Bears will host Mahoning Valley again Tuesday int he final game of a short two-game series. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
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