MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown High baseball team reached the state tournament for the first time since 1976 last season and it was a step in the right direction for a Mohigans program that struggled getting over the hump.
The problem is, the 2017 squad was loaded with 13 seniors who all contributed across the field. Of the nine starters in the lineup for MHS in the state semifinal, against Hurricane, eight are now gone. The only returnee is shortstop Quintin Smith.
Even the top two starting pitchers — Sam Britton and Conner Kelly — were seniors.
It would be hard for any team to bounce back after losing that much production and leadership, but the Mohigans sit at 12-7 as they approach the home stretch of the regular season.
First baseman and pitcher Gavin Cottle, a junior who sat behind the upperclassmen a year ago, knew it wouldn’t be easy but trusted the group that was coming back.
“We definitely knew we could play this well, and we were expecting to,” he said. “We worked hard all offseason because we knew it would be up to us to perform. We also did have a few guys that got to play last year. Quintin Smith started every game at shortstop, and Colton Matthews, Caleb Taylor and Ethan Stewart all pitched important innings. So it’s not like we came in with complete unknowns.”
Cottle took over the first base spot, which was held by Andrew Berry for the last three years. Berry was a .300 hitter and made most of the plays at first base, so he was a good example for Cottle to follow.
“Andrew Berry was also like an older brother to me during my first two years at MHS,” Cottle said. “He’s a great leader and role model who plays the game the right way. He has always been a guy that isn’t afraid to tell you if you’re doing something wrong and will help you fix it.”
Cottle missed about two weeks with a concussion, but has driven in about 20 runs and hit three home runs. He’s hitting around .250, which is something Cottle expects more from himself.
Still, he and the newcomers around him have put the Mohigans in position to compete with the likes of University and Wheeling Park in Region I.
“Everyone has taken turns stepping up and contributing,” Cottle said. “Specifically, some of the newcomers that haven’t got much time in the past are Andrew Kerzak, Charlie Kerzak, Nick DeFelice, Preston Fox, Ethan Smith, Devon Neal and myself.”
Cottle and MHS will take Ripley at 5 p.m. April 27, in Glenville.
