Photo by Kim North Members of the 1964 West Liberty baseball team, which won the NAIA National Championship, gathered Saturday afternoon to celebrate the 60th anniversary, inside the Belmont Savings Bank Indoor Practice Facility on the hilltop campus. From left are Gary Zelinski, Dave Kovalick, Floyd Shuler, Bob Kota, Dave Forgash, Fred Chambers, Jim Bennedetto, Ray Prantil and former Hilltopper baseball coach Bo McConnaughy. Other team members were Gordon Long, Frank Ujcich, Joe Niekro, John Pavlisko, Gerry Kraynick, Glenn Petty, Joe Doerr, Ron Romanski and Dave Scherr.

WEST LIBERTY — It was a magical time at West Liberty in the spring of 1964 as the Hilltoppers won the NAIA national baseball title in St. Joseph, Mo.

That lifetime achievement was recognized six decades later as eight members of that championship team, along with family members and friends, gathered inside the Belmont Savings Bank Indoor Practice Facility on the Route 88 campus.

“The 1964 baseball team was the first West Liberty athletic team to win a national championship, and only one of two that the university has won,” interim Athletic Director Brad Forshey told those in attendance. “That is quite an amazing feat and it still is today. You wouldn’t believe how much that team is still talked about on campus. Sixty years, six full decades, and that team is still talked about.”

The Hilltoppers finished the season at 27-7 and were perfect in 12 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contests. Both of those marks are remarkable, given the fact that the Hilltoppers played most of their games on the road, with home games being played at Garden Park in Warwood or whatever local field was available.

“This is wonderful to see all the guys because they are spread out all over the place,” Glen Dale resident Gary Zelinski said. “We were a great group of talented baseball players. I couldn’t wait to get here today.”

Zelinski was a sophomore backup catcher on the team and has many, many fond memories of that season.

“Coach (George) Kovalick was the reason we won the national championship,” Zelinski said. “He was like an emperor, very strict and very disciplined. He believed in this and didn’t believe in that. Just a great guy.”

He said the road to the national title wasn’t a smooth one.

“There were a lot of things that happened in St. Joseph, that if they don’t, we don’t win,” he recalled. “It was like miracles, but it’s nice to talk about it.”

West Liberty dropped its first game at the double-elimination World Series, 2-1, in 16 innings to Wartburg (Iowa) before blanking Georgia Southern, 5-0, in the consolation final. The Hilltoppers then swept heavily favored Grambling State, 6-4 and 3-2.

Leading the way were mound aces Frank Ujcich and Joe Niekro, who are both deceased. Ujcich was named the World Series MVP after pitching a record 22.1 scoreless innings, and Niekro hurled a 10-inning complete game against Sam Houston State in a loser’s bracket contest. Freshman Joe Doerr led all hitters in the series with a .468 average. Ujcich, Fred Chambers and Floyd Shuler were all named NAIA All-Americans. The team also consisted of Dave Kovalick, Bob Kota, Dave Forgash, Jim Bennedetto, Ray Prantil, Gordon Long, John Pavlisko, Gerry Kraynick, Glenn Petty, Ron Romanski and Dave Scherr.

“This is huge. Most of these guys are back all the time, but today we were trying to honor them on the baseball field, but we’ll do it inside,” current WLU baseball coach Eric Burkle said. “All of these guys are big supporters and lifers of the university. It’s nice to see them all back.”

“I wasn’t on the team, but they were all my idols, especially Joe Doerr,” longtime Hilltopper baseball coach Bo McConnaughy, who won 580 games and five WVIAC titles in 30 seasons, said. “It was awesome. I can remember when he came back with all of these trophies and stuff.

“This is awesome. It’s been 60 years and they are still friends and get together,” McConnaughy said. “This is great for the program.”

West Liberty captured the 1977 NAIA national bowling title and the United States Bowling Congress team championship. They have also appeared in two other national championship events, the latest coming two years ago in men’s basketball.