The Wheeling Park baseball team enters the 2024 season with a chip on their shoulder. Ending last season with a 21-8 record and a loss to Morgantown in the sectionals, this team has set their sights on the state’s biggest contenders.
“It is almost the same schedule. We go down to Charleston to play a tournament and play those teams down there. We will also play at WVU’s field again. Last year we played Hurricane, this year we play Huntington and Spring Valley, so there are some other teams from that area that we are playing, but still a very tough schedule,” said Head Coach Steve Myers, who enters his sixth year at the position.
Winning the OVAC championship last year was an accomplishment, but this team has bigger goals this time around.
“We are looking to win OVACS again, but ultimately the goal is states. I also believe that we have the talent and leadership to do that,” said junior Nate Simon, who was named 1st Team OVAC All-Star.
“We got one goal and that is to win it all,” said senior Tino Nardone when asked about what the expectations he has for the upcoming season.
The Patriots will enter this season losing eight seniors, most of whom carried crucial roles in the OVAC Championship run. Players such as Gian DeGenova, who committed to play baseball at Wheeling University.
“I think the season is going to be a feeling-out process. Losing eight or nine seniors last year has given us a lot of room to grow as a team and we have some younger guys that will step up into new positions,” said senior Nate Bittinger, who committed in the fall to play baseball at West Virginia State University. Bittinger will join his brother Michael, a Park alum next year in Institue, W.Va. Bittinger also added, “I think we have a very athletically solid team all the way around and I believe if you underestimate our team you will be surprised.”
“We lost eight guys but we got eight more guys that are ready to step up. We got some returning guys that can really contribute as well,” said Nardone.
“Fortunately we had nine juniors. So we are kind of built to where we have the same amount in each class. We have nine seniors, nine juniors, and nine sophomores. We had some very good seniors (last year) but we also had some really good juniors,” said Coach Myers.
Their first game is March 13th at Mylan Park.
