West Liberty Trio Named to All-MEC Team
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Three West Liberty University baseball standouts were named to the All-Mountain East Conference Team on Wednesday as the league coaches announced the results of their annual balloting on the eve of the MEC Tournament.
Starting left fielder Ty Helmke was a first-team All-MEC selection with starting pitcher Ian Brady earning second-team All-MEC honors and designated hitter/utility man Kaden Blomquist earning an Honorable Mention berth for head coach Eric Burkle’s MEC North Division runners-up.
A 6-1, 170-pound sophomore from Johnstown, Ohio, Helmke batted a team-high .352 while starting every game for the Black and Gold. He ranked second in the MEC with 25 stolen bases and cracked the MEC Top 10 in home runs, slugging percentage, total bases and OPS. Helmke also led the Hilltoppers in nearly every offensive category including runs scored (28), home runs (7), RBIs (29), extra-base hits (17), total bases (71), OBA (.470) and OPS (1.127)
A 6-4, 245-pound junior righthander from Torrance, Calif., Brady led the Hilltoppers and ranked second in the MEC with 6 wins and a 2.25 ERA. He finished the regular season with a 6-3 record, giving up 44 hits in 48 innings while striking out 37 and walking 15. Opponents batted just .244 against Brady this season, which ranked among the Top 10 in the MEC.
A 6-2, 215-pound junior corner infielder/designated hitter from St. Clairsville, Ohio, Blomquist was a potent force in the middle of the WLU lineup. He ranked third on the team with a .303 batting average that included 4 doubles and 2 home runs while driving in 19 runs. The lefty swinger was second on the team with a .456 OBA, which ranked among the Top 15 in the conference, and also tied for the team lead in walks (20).
Concord shortstop Anthony Stehlin was the MEC Player of the Year with Charleston’s Logan Campbell earning MEC Pitcher of the Year honors. Charleston third baseman Mitchell Vincent was voted MEC Freshman of the Year and Wheeling’s Ryan Lewicky was Coach of the Year.
The Hilltoppers take on Charleston Thursday in the first round of the MEC Tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Linda K. Epling Stadium.
BASEBALL
2021 All-Mountain East Conference Team
MEC Player of the Year: Anthony Stehlin (CU)
MEC Pitcher of the Year: Logan Campbell (UC)
MEC Freshman of the Year: Mitchell Vincent (UC)
MEC Coach of the Year: Ryan Lewicki (WU)
First Team
Pos. Name School Cl. Hometown
C Drew Hefner Charleston Sr. Bridgeport, W.Va.
1B Matt Harrison W.Va. State Sr. Cross Lanes, W.Va.
2B Zack Saryeldin Concord R-Fr. Weston, Fla.
SS Anthony Stehlin Concord Jr. Woodbridge, Va.
3B Luis Dominguez Wheeling Sr. Bronx, N.Y.
UT Jacob Murray Wheeling So. Beallsville, Ohio
DH Tre'von Smith Glenville State Jr. Barboursville, W.Va.
OF Hayden Cartt Charleston Jr. Grove City, Ohio
OF TY HELMKE WEST LIBERTY SO. JOHNSTOWN, OHIO
OF Chris Iazetta Wheeling Jr. Clinton, N.J.
OF Colby Johnson Charleston Sr. Lewisburg, W.Va.
SP Logan Campbell Charleston Sr. Sparta, Mich.
SP Ethan Lauchart W.Va. State Sr. Sissonville, W.Va.
SP Jared Naida Wheeling So. Cleveland, Ohio
SP Colt Webb Charleston Jr. Newport, N.C.
RP Albert Baez Wheeling Jr. Fort Worth, Texas
Second Team
Pos. Name School Cl. Hometown
C Riley Cameron Wheeling So. Vass, N.C.
1B Bryce Jackson Frostburg State Jr. Millersville, Md.
2B Bryce Toussaint Charleston Jr. Oconomowoc, Wis.
SS Ben Ross Notre Dame R-Fr. Springfield, Ohio
3B Evan Antonellis Concord Jr. Dumfries, Va.
UT Tyler Haskins Fairmont State So. Ripley, Va.
DH Ryan Roell Frostburg State Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa.
OF Tylyn James Alderson Broaddus Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio
OF Jack Maruskin Frostburg State Jr. Frederick, Md.
OF Richard Ortiz Concord R-Fr. Woodbridge, Va.
OF Michael Stone W.Va. State Jr. Nitro, W.Va.
SP Trent Abernathy Concord Sr. Harrisonburg, Va.
SP IAN BRADY WEST LIBERTY JR. SOUTH TORRANCE, CALIF.
SP Austin Henrich Charleston Sr. Ellview, W.Va.
SP Aidan Massad Alderson Broaddus Jr. Leamington, Ontario
SP Adam Riggleman Glenville State So. Beverly, W.Va.
RP Jacob Bradley W.Va. State Sr. Nitro, W.Va.
All-MEC Honorable Mention
C: Chasen Claus (AB); 1B: Tyler Dellerman (UC); 2B: Andrew Stone (WVSU); SS: Braxton Boddorf (UC); 3B: Lane Casto (AB); UT: KADEN BLOMQUIST (WLU), Andrew Smith (FROST); DH: Matt Kline (WVSU); OF: Justin Brown (FAIR), Cameron Sheets (AB), Jack Skantze (WU), Colby Werry (GSC); SP: Brady Biglin (NDC), Austin Mora (NDC), Logan Pillars (WU), Michael Rotenberry (FAIR); RP: Seth Nightingale (UC)