The West Virginia Black Bears (26-11) have seven games remaining in the 2025 regular season. Those games will simply be tune-ups for next Thursday’s MLB Draft League Championship against the State College Spikes. Read more: WV Black Bears: A Week Away from Title Game
How They Clinched
The Black Bears solidified their spot in the championship game with over a week left in the regular season. West Virginia has won 17 of 24 games thus far in August, giving the Black Bears an overwhelming lead in the standings.Â
As of August 28th, the Black Bears hold a 7.5-game lead over second place, making it impossible for any team to claw back for the spot. A 10-game winning streak between August 7th and August 19th was one of the main catalysts for Draft League dominance.
The Final Week
The seven games left on the schedule include five against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers and two against the Frederick Keys. The first two against the Scrappers and the two-game set with the Keys will be on the road.Â
The final series of the regular season will take place at Kendrick Family Ballpark, home of the Black Bears. The three-game homestand against the Scrappers will be the final chance for the Morgantown faithful to cheer on the second-half champs.Â
Speaking of Kendrick Family Ballpark, West Virginia will have a distinct advantage in the final series. Since the All-Star Weekend, the Black Bears are 17-3 at home. The Black Bears are 2-0 at home against the Scrappers in the second half.Â
Second Half Stars
Since mid-July’s roster turnover across the MLB Draft League, new faces have dazzled for the Black Bears. Additions such as WVU’s Jace Rinehart have made a distinct difference. Rinehart is currently batting .404 and is responsible for 25 RBI. Add Alex Ungar and Drew Collins to the fold, both of whom are batting over .300 since joining the squad.Â
Not many players returned from the first half of the season, but Judah Morris did. Morris has played in 51 games for the Black Bears this season, racking up 49 RBI and 40 walks. The Illinois State product has arguably been the main slugger for the team, collecting eight homers and 88 total bases.Â
There have also been some pitching standouts. While none of the pitchers have stellar ERAs, some of the staff just find a way to win.Â
Gavin Braunecker is 5-0 this season, striking out 30 batters while only walking seven. Jason Bollman has pitched two complete games in the second half, a rarity in the Draft League. In fact, Bollman was one strike away from a perfect game earlier in August. Overall, the pitching for West Virginia has been servicable, if not rather decent.Â
Related: Five Keys to Beating Robert Morris for the Mountaineers
The Championship
The State College Spikes will play host to the West Virginia Black Bears on Thursday, September 4th. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and the game will feature the champions of the two halves.
State College scraped by with a first-half title on the final day before the break. West Virginia wrapped up their winning ways well in advance to secure the second spot in the championship. In the Draft League format, the first-half winner hosts the second-half champs in a one-game affair. There will be no extended series; it’s just win or go home.Â
Info
The MLB Draft League website is your home for all in-game information around the six-team organization. For more West Virginia sports coverage, stay up to date with WV Sports Nation.
WV Black Bears: A Week Away from Title Game
