MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Three Mountaineer baseball players are already onto their summer seasons with the hometown West Virginia Black Bears.

Shortstop Tevin Tucker, outfielder Caleb McNeely and two-way player Kevin Dowdell each made their debut for the Black Bears Friday night in Trenton, New Jersey, in a 6-5 win over the Trenton Thunder.

While it came early in the game, McNeely provided the difference for the Black Bears. In his first at-bat of the summer, he singled to left field to score a run for a 1-0 West Virginia lead. He later walked, and finished the game 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Tucker batted seventh for the Black Bears in his debut. In 60 games for the Mountaineers in 2023, Tucker never batted seventh. He went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts Friday. In four years at WVU, he never struck out four times in one game, and recorded three strikeouts in just three games.

Dowdell made a relief appearance on the mound Friday. He entered in the seventh inning with multiple runners already on-base. Three runners scored with Dowdell on the mound, but none of them were charged to Dowdell as they were inherited. He finished the evening with one full inning of work, allowing no earned runs and one hit.

McNeely and Tucker are both back in the lineup for Saturday night’s game in Trenton.

The three Mountaineers can be seen at Monongalia County Ballpark when the Black Bears return home June 16 for a home-series against the Thunder.