Catamounts open season Friday in North Carolina
Baseball | Roy Harper | February 26, 2025
The Standard
Keyser, WV- In sports today, everyone talks about the standard.
For 28 years WVU Potomac State Head Baseball Coach Doug Little has worked to establish a program that can be recognized as having a high standard on and off the field. A program that the College, the community, alumni, and the state of West Virginia can point to with a sense of pride.
"I wish I could say it's easy. But it's really not. It is, however, really simple. It is a standard that has been built by the hard work of many players over the years," said Little. "We have the support of so many former players who often remind us that the standard is what they remember the most about their time here. That is what makes it so important for us to uphold that tradition and success each and every year."
As Potomac State is set to open its season on Friday in North Carolina against Lenior Community College, Little knows the spotlight on his program is glaring.
"This time of year, people really start to pay notice, simply because the games are about to start," said Little.
But as former and current players and coaches know, the work never really ends.
"To run a successful program, at any level, takes beyond a full-time commitment. There really is no 'off-season.' Recruiting is a 12-month commitment. Our fall practice begins the first day of school in August and goes hopefully into June. And all the work that goes into those months is necessary, just to have a chance to succeed."
Little continued, "It would be great if it was just baseball we had to worry about, but is so much more: fielding work, doing the live stats, dealing with the weather, putting the tarp on and off, painting walls, fixing fence posts, changing the bulbs in the scoreboard, doing laundry. But you know what? All those things make our program better, make our players have a positive experience, and hopefully, they grow from it. That is our standard."
"All the while our players are becoming better players through our development system, and they are ultimately becoming better people."
Challenges
A year ago, Potomac State finished 25-18, ending its season at the Region 20 Tournament.
In order to replicate the success of past seasons, Little knows how important each day is this time of year.
"The challenge is to get better each day. If we can get 1% better every day, that gives us a good chance to be successful. I am proud of the effort, concentration, and professionalism our guys bring to the field every single day."
This time of year, one issue Little cannot control is the weather, which constantly revises a baseball schedule.
"I'm convinced that a baseball coach is part meteorologist and part fortune-teller. As much as I try, I just can't make the weather cooperate on our game days. Adjusting the game schedule, talking to other coaches to see if they have open dates, and touching base with the umpires are all a parts of my job that I enjoy the least. Our schedule is often not worth the paper it is printed on most years. Follow us on twitter for updates is the best advice I can give."
New Faces, same goals.
The Catamounts lost many key contributors to last year's team, including nine players who are now plating at the NCAA D1 level.
In all, Potomac State Baseball currently has 10 players playing at the NCAA DI level and another two in professional baseball.
Playing DI currently are Ben McDougal (West Virginia), Tyler Henshaw (Charleston Southern), Brady Whitacre & Cam Cole (Radford), Diego Barrett (North Carolina A&T), Morgan Little (St. Bonaventure), Jack Hoeymans (VCU), Jake Arnold & Maddox Brooks (Mt. Saint Mary's), and Caden Goodwin (St. Peters).
Another twelve are playing at other collegiate levels.
You'll find a pair of Catamounts in Major League Baseball Spring Training right now: Alexander Meckley (Washington Nationals) and Brandon Schaeffer (Seattle Mariners).
Each year, a team has a different identity, and this year's team is no different. Replacing so much productivity will be a challenge for Little and his staff.
Since classes began on the Keyser campus in August, Little along with Assistant Coaches Don Schafer (26th season) and Jamison Jones (4th season), have worked with a group of thirty-two young men six days a week preparing for the season that kicks off on Friday.
Potomac State hopes all that hard work culminates with a trip to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Catamounts last made the trip west in 2011.
"It is our goal every year," said Little. "It is really difficult to get there. There are so many good teams to beat, and most of them have way more scholarship money than we do. We like the challenge; we embrace it, and it is what motivates us every day."
An Eye to the Future
The traditions of the baseball program at Potomac State College have mostly been established by Little. A program known for discipline, player development, and winning creates a good reputation. Despite all the success, Little still has an eye on the future and the program continues to grow.
"We have things in our program that we had not previously had, like our own indoor facility, multiple pitching machines, a new radar gun, and an indoor and outdoor camera system for player development. As we look down the road, things we need to add are more improvements to our facility, and the most obvious of those is getting artificial turf at Golden Park.
"I really hope that a project like that can become a priority for our campus, our administration, and our program."
Preparation
"We prepare for our season longer than any other sport. We start the same time as other sports at the College and before some others that have had their seasons already end before we even begin ours."
Little knows that, despite dealing with the unpredictable weather this month to prepare, what his team looks forward to the most is playing in real games.
"Most people really don't realize how much time and effort we spend preparing for this time of year. I have people stop me in the store in the month of April and ask me when baseball starts. I tell them it started in August."
"Our guys give us everything they have for 10-plus months a year. College baseball is truly a grind, but the guys in our program, past and present, have bought in and really embrace the long year and the hard work."
The 2025 season at Potomac State begins with the same high aspirations after a 25-18 record a year ago.
"Each team has its own identity, and this team may lack some experience, but they do not lack the ability to work hard. And, they have given us all that they have."
So, what gives Little pause as the 2025 season is set to begin?
"We lost a lot from last year, especially at the plate. In junior college baseball there is a constant turnover. We lost six starters offensively and our top three pitchers on the mound. I have to remind myself that, as much as I like our team, some of these guys have never really been tested in a game."
On the mound
On paper, this year's pitching staff looks to be one of the deepest and most talented in Little's tenure.
Key losses of McDougal (56.1 IP) and Goodwin (51.1 IP) will make an impact. In fact, there are 189 innings pitched from a year ago to be replaced.
How will Potomac State replace those innings? This is where the Catamounts have a blend of depth and talent.
At the top of the rotation will be a pair of returners who compiled a record of 4-3 a year ago.
Cooper Polcovich (Auburn, NY) went 3-2 a year ago with 37 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings pitched. While Dylan Bell (Hurricane WV) went 1-1 with 13 punchouts in 12 2/3 innings before going down for the year with an injury.
"Both of these guys work hard; they are an improved version from last year and give us a chance to win any day. I have confidence to run them out there against anyone in the country."
"It's so hard to find quality pitching," Little continued. "We feel like we have some decent arms at the top, and we feel like we have some additional guys on the back end."
Another returner Aidan Sites (Falling Waters, WV) was 1-0 with 26 K's in 17 innings pitched and is expected to take on an expanded role in 2025.
"It is an old cliché in baseball, but it all starts on the mound," said Little. "These three pitchers really will be forced to keep us in games, and they have a high ceiling to continue to develop and get better-with continued hard work and focus."
A trio of Freshmen look to be near the top of the rotation for the 2025 Catamounts. Lance Hartley (Cameron, WV), Evan Jenkins (Keyser, WV), and Landon Johnson (Winston-Salem, NC) all will soak up innings this spring.
"Those three have a huge upside," says Little. "They all have decent stuff; they all work hard and they all will help us win games."
Building depth at the back end of the rotation might be easier for Catamounts this year as Little likes the potential of his entire staff.
"I like our staff. We have options. We have guys who have an idea how to pitch. They just need to get their feet wet and gain some valuable experience."
Jake Compton (Mentor, OH), Gavin Bennett (Greenbrier, WV), Hunter Rothacker (Steubenville, OH), Hunter Krotzer (Somerset, PA), Noah Durance (Wasaga Beach, Ontario), and Gabe Jensen (Morgantown, WV) will fill out the pitching staff.
A quartet of two-way players, Tanner Haskiell (Terra Alta, WV), Chris Harbert (Bridgeport, WV), Jayden Lester (Hurricane, WV), and Carson Boober (Martinsburg, WV) will eat up some valuable innings this season as well.
At the plate
When it comes to scoring runs this season, the Catamounts are again faced with replacing some big numbers and have much less experience than they did a year ago.
"That is a lot of offense that needs to be replaced," said Potomac State assistant coach Don Schafer. "I'm not sure how we can replace it all. Obviously, it puts some pressure on players who were part-time guys a year ago and some new guys to really step up their game. Fortunately, we have a group that embraces hard work and has really bought in to what we try to do."
Returning from a year ago there will be three sophomores who will all be in the mix for the Catamount line up and all look to garner heavy playing time for PSC. Tanner Haskiell (Terra Alta, WV), Reilly Bubb (Martinsburg, WV), and Chris Harbert (Bridgeport, WV) provide some stability for the PSC lineup.
"We might not be as experienced as I would like, but these three have some veteran skills to give us a boost and be a steadying force in our lineup," said Schafer.
Bubb hit second a year ago and will fill that important spot again in 2025. His 42 hits, .359 batting average, .470 on base percentage and 24 walks look to set the table for the Catamounts.
Harbert had 38 hits a year ago, with seven home runs, with 26 RBIs and a .373 clip. Haskiell drove in 23 runs with a .324 average and five home runs.
Another returner, Jordan Canby (Martinsburg, WV), performed well in a part-time role a year ago and his playing time looks to increase in 2025.
Potomac State had seven players who were red-shirted a year-ago. The list includes Caden Johnson (Hurricane, WV), Seth Healy (Keyser, WV), Ryan Conrad (Wheeling, WV), Landon Perry (Hollidaysburg, PA), Cameron Seabol (Elizabeth, PA), and Gabe Templeton (Morgantown, WV), all of whom flashed some brilliance in the fall seasons and look to take the step up to be major contributors.
Newcomers, Jayden Lester (Hurricane, WV), Carson Boober (Martinsburg, WV), Lex Wescott (Harrington, DE), Logan Rotruck (Keyser, WV), Braden Sloan (Hurricane, WV), Braylen Knable (Newton Hamilton, PA), A.J. Spears (Charles Town, WV), and Eli Kuykendall (Petersburg, WV) will provide depth and may push for starting positions.
Around the horn
Chris Harbert gets the nod again to be the primary 1st baseman in 2025. A year ago, Harbert was featured as the National Junior College Athletic Association player of the week and led the Catamounts in home runs.
"Chris is good enough to carry us at times," says Schafer. "He has tremendous power and can be a true two-way guy for us."
There is depth at 1st base as Jayden Lester, Landon Perry, and Cooper Polcovich provide some capable options for the Catamounts.
At second base, red-shirt freshman Seth Healy will split time with Reilly Bubb, who will also get some time in the outfield.
"Reilly is a really good hitter," said Schafer. "I expect big things from him. He is a tough kid and loves to play. He also can play multiple spots for us, so his versatility makes him even more valuable. "
At shortstop, Tanner Haskiell moves over from second base to man the position. The right-hand swinging sophomore gives the Catamounts a solid glove up the middle and will hit near the top of the lineup.
"Tanner is a solid player," said Schafer. "He has a quiet leadership quality; he loves and understands the game; and he has a chance really have an impressive spring."
The hot corner is settled as freshman Lex Wescott gets the nod after having a solid fall season. Bubb will also get some time at third after manning the position for much of last season.
Cameron Seabold provides flexibility all around the infield as well as pinch running duties.
Behind the plate, Caden Johnson and Ryan Conrad will get much of the playing time.
"These two call a good game and handle the pitching staff. They both bring things to the table to help us win," said Schafer.
Providing behind the dish will be newcomers Logan Rotruck, Braylan Knable and A.J. Spears.
In the outfield, Potomac State has little experience back.
"This group will need to do multiple things to help us win," said Schafer. "We lack some experience and depth, but each guy does bring something to the table that can help us win."
Returner Jordan Canby will man centerfield. "He is laid-back guy, until the ball is in the air. Then he really goes and gets it," said Schafer. "He is a hard worker, and I hope we get a big year from him."
Carson Boober and Reilly Bubb look to man left and right field respectively to begin the year. Braden Sloan will man a corner when Boober takes the mound or Bubb moves back to the infield.
Backing them up will be Dalvin Medina, Gabe Templeton, and Eli Kuykendall.
"There is some talent in the outfield," said Schafer. "We will count on all of them from time-to-time to be solid on defense and be run producers at the plate."
The Catamounts will open the season with a four-game series at Lenior Community College beginning on Friday, February 28th.
The Catamounts will open the home portion of their 2025 season against Lakeland Community College on Wednesday March 5 at Golden Park beginning at1PM.