The start of high school baseball season is just around the corner, but college baseball is already here. Starting Thursday, the game will make its way to Linda K. Epling Stadium.

Concord will host West Liberty in a Mountain East Conference seven-inning doubleheader starting at noon.The Mountain Lions are off to a slow start after getting swept in a three-game series at UNC-Pembroke over the weekend.

They bring a bit of a southern West Virginia flair to the field. Junior pitcher Joey Lacek is a Liberty graduate, while brothers Ian and Austin Southcott are from Princeton. There is also a pair of James Monroe alumni in pitcher Reed McNeer and outfielder Connor Boothe. Outfielder Carter Shrewsbury was a senior on PikeViews 2016 Class AA state runner-up team.

That will usher in a full spring slate of baseball at the stadium.

Ohio Valley and Urbana will meet in a three-game series Feb. 23-24, followed by John Carroll University and Allegheny College in a three-game set Feb. 25-26.

Fairmont State and Lock Haven are penciled in for March 4-5.

After that, WVU Tech will make its annual run of games in Beckley. The Golden Bears who will make Epling Stadium their home turf in 2018 will host Alderson-Broaddus on March 15; River State Conference foe Indiana Southeast April 8-9; and Campbellsville April 14-15.

Annual Epling Stadium visitor Marshall will host a three-game Conference USA series against FIU April 21-23. Thundering Herd coach Jeff Waggoner was honored as the C-USA Coach of the Year in 2016.

Marshall is 19-20 all-time at Epling Stadium since it opened in 2010.

Finally, the MEC Tournament will return to Beckley May 11-14. The top three teams in each of the two divisions will qualify for the tournament.

Email: gfauber@register-herald.com and follow on Twitter @GaryFauber

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Concord hosts West Liberty Thursday at Epling Stadium - Beckley Register-Herald