Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 81F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..
Mainly clear. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: June 19, 2026 @ 12:48 pm
Morgantown’s Ryan Nipper (9) returns to the dugout after a score as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Hurricane’s Ryan Bowman (27) walks through the dugout while facing off against Morgantown during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Hurricane’s Kolten McKown (6) returns from the field as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Hurricane’s Ryan Bowman (27), left, attempts to catch out Morgantown’s Quincy Joseph (10) at second base during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown’s Koa Silvers (7) runs back to the dugout as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown’s Quincy Joseph (10) rounds third base as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown’s Kane Williams (11), left, catches an out against Hurricane’s Tyler Baxter (29) at first base during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown’s Ryan Nipper (9) returns to the dugout after a score as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Hurricane’s Ryan Bowman (27) walks through the dugout while facing off against Morgantown during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Hurricane’s Kolten McKown (6) returns from the field as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Hurricane’s Ryan Bowman (27), left, attempts to catch out Morgantown’s Quincy Joseph (10) at second base during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown’s Koa Silvers (7) runs back to the dugout as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown’s Quincy Joseph (10) rounds third base as Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown’s Kane Williams (11), left, catches an out against Hurricane’s Tyler Baxter (29) at first base during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
Morgantown takes on Hurricane during the 2026 WVSSAC Baseball Tournament semifinals on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Jack Cook Field in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON — Morgantown’s dugout at Jack Cook Field on Friday had a flag with Chicken Joe from the movie Surf’s Up taped to the wall. The Mohigans didn’t quite hang 10, but a 7-0 win over Hurricane advanced them to the WVSSAC Class AAAA state baseball tournament title game with George Washington on Saturday.
Mohigans coach Pat Sherald said he has no idea what it’s supposed to mean.
“I’m actually going to have to find that out as well,” Sherald said when asked of its origin. “I looked back there at one point and was like, ‘What the hell is that?’ They told me something, and I was like, ‘OK.’
“Apparently that’s a thing we’ve got. If it helps us win ball games, I’m all for it.”
It’ll probably make a return. Morgantown finished with seven runs on 10 hits and did not commit an error. WVU commit Slade Barton, Brayden Gorby and Grayson Campbell combined for a three-hit shutout and just one walk in seven innings.
Morgantown advances to face George Washington in Saturday’s state championship game. The bout will be the last on the billing, which begins at 10 a.m. with the Class A final between Sherman and Gilmer County, followed by Logan and Frankfort’s AA tilt. Ripley and St. Albans begin the second half of championships with a 5:30 p.m. matchup in AAA, and the AAAA game follows.
“We’re going to have to go out there, compete and throw strikes,” Sherald said. “We’ve only really exhausted two of our arms, so we have no complaints. We’ll have the whole bullpen. We’re going to have to go out, compete and know that GW is an extremely talented team. We need to play Mohigan baseball.
“We’re going to have to do what we did tonight. Pitch well, limit free bases and play clean defense. We’re the best two teams standing in the state. Where else would you want to be right now?”
Morgantown’s Koa Silvers, Luca Mezzanotte and Kai Henkins each went 2 for 3. Henkins had two RBIs with a double.
“I thought our guys did a great job in all three phases of the game. Defensively, we played clean,” Sherald said. “We had some great at-bats and two-strike hitting to put balls in play. On the mound, Slade Barton, Grayson Campbell and Brayden Gorby came in and really competed for us. We limited the walks and attacked their hitters.”
Hurricane’s Tyler Baxter, Braylan Hutchison and Judson Witt totaled Hurricane’s batting production. The Redskins left three runners on base.
“They outplayed us,” Hurricane coach Brian Sutphin said of Morgantown. “They pitched better than us, we gave up too many free passes and they swung the bats.”
In the first, Hurricane put two of those runners on with hits from Baxter and Hutchison. With runners on the corners, a lineout and a pop fly stranded both.
Morgantown responded with an RBI single from Ryan Nipper to score Gorby in the home half for a 1-0 lead.
“In the first, we swung the bats well. It was a tough inning not to score,” Sutphin said. “We lined out with two runners on. It’s one of those where you think, ‘Hey man, if the ball goes your way there, it may be different.’ Truth be told, they outplayed us.”
The Mohigans scored in all but two innings, while Barton, who reaches 93 miles per hour with a deep mix of pitches, worked consecutive 1-2-3 innings.
“Any time you can run Slade Barton out there, he’s the Gatorade Player of the Year with a fastball that gets up to 93 or 94. He commands all three of his pitches, and he’s an elite arm,” Sherald said. “He’s not the type of guy you usually get an opportunity to coach.”
Henkins singled to score Lincoln Thornton in the second, and Gorby singled to center field to score Quincy Joseph. In the third, Morgantown tacked two more with an RBI single for Thornton and an RBI groundout by Mezzanotte.
Mezzanotte singled and Henkins doubled for RBIs in the fifth to stretch Morgantown’s lead to the final margin.
Hurricane’s season ends at 26-10, one win short of an opportunity to repeat as champion. Kolten McKown, Trey Cox, Larry Hodges, Luke Young and Aiden Ocheltree end their senior seasons as a decorated group with a deep history of success.
“I’m super proud of this group,” Sutphin said. “Last year, we win the state title. We had a couple of kids that played. We knew it was going to be tough. I’m really proud of them. They were resilient, they fought, they believed in each other and it was a great group. I look forward to their growth.”
HURRICANE 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
MORGANTOWN 122 020 X – 7 10 0
Lucas, Baxter (3), McKown (3) and Witt; Barton, Gorby (5), Campbell (6) and Mezzanotte
Hitting: (Hurricane) Baxter 1-3, Hutchison 1-2, Witt 1-3; (Morgantown) Gorby 1-2 RBI, Silvers 2-3, Nipper 1-4 RBI, Thornton 1-3 RBI, Mezzanotte 2-3 2 RBI, Henkins 2-3 2 RBI 2B.
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