MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Saturday is the 250th birthday of the United States Army and commemoration of the the 25-day, 600-mile march to Massachusetts to battle the siege of Boston in Shepherdstown.
U.S. Army Secretary Frank Vitale said that a militia of 98 riflemen was the start of what is now a world-class fighting force. A big leap from one of their first missions of mapping the United States during the Lewis & Clark expedition.
“Now, 450,000 soldiers are on active duty, making it the largest force, and with the reserves, we have over one million wearing the U.S. Army uniform,” Vitale said.
The Mountain State has a long history of service in the military, in fact one of the highest participation rates in the country. Additionally, soldiers in the West Virginia National Guard are deployed for floods and disasters at a higher rate than most states in the country.
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“West Virginia has a legacy, a true history of military service,” Vitale said. “In fact, per capita, we’ve had more people serve this nation than any other state.”
Jim Hoyer
Major General (Ret.) James Hoyer grew up in a family with a deep history of military service and even civilian employees in support roles of the military. His interest in the military was sparked by a story from his grandmother about the sacrifices made back home to support the troops during World War II. WVNG soldiers and Vietnam veterans Major Doug Richmond and LTC Charles Ledbetter got him interested in special operations, and a family friend told him how to make it happen.
“A gentleman by the name of Jack Yeager, who served in the West Virginia National Guard and was a family friend, told me I could serve in those roles in the National Guard, and that’s how I ended up where I am,” Hoyer said.
The 250th birthday of the U.S. Army should really be a celebration of the individual soldier. Hoyer pointed to the 81st anniversary of the D-Day invasion and the critical decisions that were made that set the chain of events in motion for the liberation of Europe.
“Individuals had to make decisions down at the soldier level that impacted our success as a nation, and being able to be a part of that is what being a part of the U.S. Army is all about,” Hoyer said. “What we ought to be commemorating and remembering on the U.S. Army’s birthday is the individual soldier and all of the families behind them.”
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The freedoms we enjoy are only possible because of the blood and sacrifices of generations of soldiers and their families. The start of that long tradition will be remembered Saturday in Shepherdstown at Morgan’s Run Park with a commemoration of the Bee Line March from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“It goes back to the formation of the Continental Army, where those 98 militiamen left what is now Shepherdstown and marched 600 miles in 24 days to become part of the original formation of the Continental Army,” Hoyer said.
The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) welcome the Maryland Terrapins (10-5) to Kendrick Family Ballpark Tuesday afternoon the first encounter between the two programs since 2023 and the first meeting in Morgantown since 2018. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.
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The Mountaineers captured their fourth consecutive series of the season after taking two of the three games from Columbia over the weekend. West Virginia sophomore Matt Ineich and senior Brodie Kresser both blasted grand slams during the series. Ineich lifted WVU in game two with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th in game two, and Kresser ignited a 16-1 rout, capping a six-run second inning in the series finale.
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Gavin Kelly leads West Virginia at the plate with a .436 batting average with a Big 12 leading nine doubles. Ineich and senior Paul Schoenfeld has raked in a team-leading 16 RBI apiece, while senior Matthew Graveline has clubbed a team-high three home runs.
On the mound, West Virginia is expected to start sophomore David Hagen. The right-hander has made four appearances on the season, including one start. He last started in the home-opener against Ohio where he pitched two scoreless innings and recorded a strikeout to collect his first win of the season. He holds a 1.00 ERA with five strikeouts on the season.
After starting 3-4, Maryland is 7-1 in its last eight games. The Terrapins won two of three at UNC Wilmington in the season opening series, followed by a midweek win against Georgetown before getting swept at Louisiana. The Terps bounced back with a pair of midweek wins versus Delaware and swept a one-win Wagner team.
Junior Brayden Martin is batting a team-best .443 to go with four doubles and 12 RBI. Redshirt freshman Ryan Costello leads the Terps in home runs (9) and RBI (21) and is third in batting average at .328, while freshman Ty Kaunus has a team-high seven doubles and has .269 batting average.
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Maryland is scheduled to start freshman Nic Morlang. The right-hander has four appearances on the season, including four starts. He allowed five earned runs in his appearances, coinciding with his two starts, in six innings of work. In his last two appearances in relief, He’s allowed one earned run on five hits.
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West Virginia leads the all-time series 8-5, including a five-game winning streak over Maryland.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a series of parties in Morgantown over the weekend.
Morgantown police officers, West Virginia University Police and state police responded to reports of overcrowded parties, underage drinking, physical altercations and multiple injuries.
Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffie said several citations were issued for open containers and underage consumption.
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Two large parties were dispersed and six arrests were made without incident.
None of the reported injuries are believed to be serious or life-threatening.
The Morgantown Fire Department assisted in the operations.
Hancock County, WV — A Weir High School senior has been recognized as the 2026 West Virginia Student Journalist of the Year.
Hailey Hans was selected for the statewide honor after building a journalism portfolio since her freshman year. She also serves as the staff manager of Weir Student Media, where she oversees articles and is in charge of deadlines.
“When I was a freshman I was placed in the journalism one class, and I actually tried to get pulled from the class. But, then after I sat in the class and I learned a little bit, that’s where my love grew and then from there I continued to take classes, I helped pass a law, and I got to these national conventions. Where it just lit a fire inside me,” Hans said.
Hans is planning to attend West Liberty University in the fall to study education with a minor in journalism, with the goal of becoming a journalism teacher. She will now submit her portfolio for the national-level contest.
