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I think they are more concerned about splitting fan support in the spaces in between.
Territorial rights could be an issue, but it could be possible. Charleston and Huntington would be 43.3 miles from each other (straight-line distance). Here's a list of every single A team pairs, in the same league, which are within 60 miles of each other, as the crow flies. Yes, I made yet another map, if you were wondering:
Short Season A (Northwest and NY-Penn Leagues):
Staten Island and Brooklyn - 6.9 miles
Hillsboro and Salem-Keizer - 37.5 miles
State College and Williamsport - 51.5 miles
A (Midwest and South Atlantic Leagues):
Davenport and Clinton - 30.7 miles
Hickory and Kannapolis - 48.6 miles
Greenville and Asheville - 52.1 miles
Burlington and Davenport - 55.5 miles
Kannapolis and Greensboro - 58.5 miles
Kane County and Beloit - 58.6 miles
West Michigan (Grand Rapids) and Lansing - 60 miles
A Advanced (Florida State, Carolina, and California Leagues):
Salem and Lynchburg - 48.5 miles
Frederick and Potomac - 48.6 miles
San Jose, Stockton, and Modesto within 50 miles
Lancaster and High Desert (Victorville) - 45 miles
High Desert, Rancho Cucamonga, Inland Empire within 50 miles
Rancho Cucamonga, Inland Empire, Lake Elsinore within 50 miles
Most of the Florida teams are within 60 miles
There are also many interleague A teams in close proximity to one another:
Hagerstown and Frederick - 22.5 miles
Aberdeen and Wilmington - 35.9 miles
Lakewood and the NY teams - 40 miles
Winston-Salem and Greensboro and Kannapolis - 27 and 44 miles
Lake County and Mahoning Valley - 45.9 miles
I know it's sort of apples and oranges with some places (especially FL and CA) with higher populations, but it isn't unprecedented.
As another exercise, in what league would a new Huntington team be located? That's a bit trickier. Let's focus on a few scenarios: 1. Huntington in Rookie, 2. Huntington to Short Season A (NY-Penn League) 3. Huntington to Low-A outright, 4. Huntington to Adv-A outright, 5. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to Adv-A, and 6. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to AA. Each scenario would involve the relocation of a current team in a league, which would be chosen from the lowest average attendances by percentage of capacity. Any team which filled less than 40% of its stadium on average was considered.
1. Huntington to Rookie
This would be the easiest by far. Greeneville, Burlington, Kingsport, Danville, Bluefield, Pulaski, and Princeton all were at or below 40%. Taking into consideration the proximity of teams in higher leagues and distance from other teams in the league, I would move Burlington or Danville.
2. Huntington to NY-Penn outright
The two teams under 40% are Connecticut and Batavia. I would move Batavia. The problem with this would be stretching the league extents out even further, but I don't think it would be too awful.
3. Huntington to Low-A outright
Huntington could theoretically be in either the Midwest League or the South Atlantic League (with the Power). If they were Midwest, the two teams below 40% would be Burlington and Beloit. Relocating either would work as they're both about at 30% and 1,000 people per game. If this were to happen, I'd advocate for the Lexington Legends to be moved to the Midwest League and Huntington to be in the South Atlantic (Sally) League with the Power.
If they went to the Sally League outright, then the only team under 40% was Hagerstown (at a whopping 21% and 979 people per game). They almost moved to Fredericksburg, VA, but the prospective new owners backed out. This would probably be the best and easiest move if Huntington wanted to be with the Power, but it also takes the League out of the greater DC area and leaves Delmarva and Lakewood pretty far away from the rest of the league.
4. Huntington to Advanced A outright (Carolina League)
Unlikely as they'd jump the Power in class. Also the teams in the Carolina League are very well-attended. There are no teams below 40% and the only two below 60%, Carolina and Lynchburg, draw at least 2,400 a game. That won't happen.
5. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to Advanced-A
See Above
6. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to AA
Not totally impossible, but doubtful. Charleston could fit in the very northeastern part of the Southern League or the very southwestern part of the Eastern League.
Southern - Four of the ten teams were below 40% (Mississippi (Jackson), Jackson (TN), Mobile, and Huntsville), with the Power actually outdrawing Jackson, Mobile, and Huntsville in average number. The Huntsville team moved to Biloxi, so they're out. If anything, I'd move Jackson or Mobile, probably Jackson. But a Charleston team would stretch the league a good bit so it wouldn't be too likely. It could work, though.
Eastern - Bowie was the only team below 40%, and I don't know if the league would want to move a team from the ever-growing Baltimore-DC region. Again, could work, but doubtful.
So, when looking at it, if Huntington got an affiliated team, I would bet that they would be a Short Season A team with Batavia moving or as a Low-A team in the Sally League with Charleston with either Hagerstown moving or Burlington/Beloit moving and Lexington switching to the Midwest League, or Huntington being in the Midwest League. I'd say 35% Short Season in the NY-Penn League, 25% Low-A in the Sally League with Charleston, 25% in the Midwest League, 15% Rookie in the Appy League.
As another exercise, in what league would a new Huntington team be located? That's a bit trickier. Let's focus on a few scenarios: 1. Huntington in Rookie, 2. Huntington to Short Season A (NY-Penn League) 3. Huntington to Low-A outright, 4. Huntington to Adv-A outright, 5. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to Adv-A, and 6. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to AA. Each scenario would involve the relocation of a current team in a league, which would be chosen from the lowest average attendances by percentage of capacity. Any team which filled less than 40% of its stadium on average was considered.
1. Huntington to Rookie
This would be the easiest by far. Greeneville, Burlington, Kingsport, Danville, Bluefield, Pulaski, and Princeton all were at or below 40%. Taking into consideration the proximity of teams in higher leagues and distance from other teams in the league, I would move Burlington or Danville.
2. Huntington to NY-Penn outright
The two teams under 40% are Connecticut and Batavia. I would move Batavia. The problem with this would be stretching the league extents out even further, but I don't think it would be too awful.
3. Huntington to Low-A outright
Huntington could theoretically be in either the Midwest League or the South Atlantic League (with the Power). If they were Midwest, the two teams below 40% would be Burlington and Beloit. Relocating either would work as they're both about at 30% and 1,000 people per game. If this were to happen, I'd advocate for the Lexington Legends to be moved to the Midwest League and Huntington to be in the South Atlantic (Sally) League with the Power.
If they went to the Sally League outright, then the only team under 40% was Hagerstown (at a whopping 21% and 979 people per game). They almost moved to Fredericksburg, VA, but the prospective new owners backed out. This would probably be the best and easiest move if Huntington wanted to be with the Power, but it also takes the League out of the greater DC area and leaves Delmarva and Lakewood pretty far away from the rest of the league.
4. Huntington to Advanced A outright (Carolina League)
Unlikely as they'd jump the Power in class. Also the teams in the Carolina League are very well-attended. There are no teams below 40% and the only two below 60%, Carolina and Lynchburg, draw at least 2,400 a game. That won't happen.
5. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to Advanced-A
See Above
6. Huntington to Low-A with Charleston to AA
Not totally impossible, but doubtful. Charleston could fit in the very northeastern part of the Southern League or the very southwestern part of the Eastern League.
Southern - Four of the ten teams were below 40% (Mississippi (Jackson), Jackson (TN), Mobile, and Huntsville), with the Power actually outdrawing Jackson, Mobile, and Huntsville in average number. The Huntsville team moved to Biloxi, so they're out. If anything, I'd move Jackson or Mobile, probably Jackson. But a Charleston team would stretch the league a good bit so it wouldn't be too likely. It could work, though.
Eastern - Bowie was the only team below 40%, and I don't know if the league would want to move a team from the ever-growing Baltimore-DC region. Again, could work, but doubtful.
So, when looking at it, if Huntington got an affiliated team, I would bet that they would be a Short Season A team with Batavia moving or as a Low-A team in the Sally League with Charleston with either Hagerstown moving or Burlington/Beloit moving and Lexington switching to the Midwest League, or Huntington being in the Midwest League. I'd say 35% Short Season in the NY-Penn League, 25% Low-A in the Sally League with Charleston, 25% in the Midwest League, 15% Rookie in the Appy League.
I'm sure a team in Huntington would either be in the Appalachian or New York-Penn League, if its an affiliated team. I also wouldn't rule out the possibility of a independent league looking at Huntington. The closest league would be the Frontier League. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Collegiate Wood Bat Summer League wanting to come to Huntington.
As for an affiliated team, the team in Burlington North Carolina is owned by Miles Wolff (he was instrumental in reviving the independent minor league baseball leagues in the 1990's) and I remember reading a story a few years back about his commitment to Burlington. I will see if I can find it. Also, I think the team in Danville Virginia is owned by the city but I could be wrong about that.
The team in Bowie is owned by the same ownership group that owns the AAA level team in Norfolk Virginia and both are affiliates of the Orioles. On top of that, Bowie is right in the heart of the Orioles' fan base. While anything is possible, I don't think that team would move anytime soon.
With the team now in Morgantown, the next two closest teams in the New York Penn league are in Youngstown Ohio and State College PA. Obviously the other teams in Western NY and Williamsport PA are further drives, a team in Huntington might work.
For travel, from Huntington, most of the teams in the Appalachian League are 3 to 4 hour drives and the travel in the NY-Penn League, excluding Morgantown, would be 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours away.
Classes will begin this fall at the 152,000-square-foot Arthur Weisberg Family Applied Engineering Complex, which will house the College of Information Technology and Engineering.
Currently, the university has around 650 technology and engineering students, but with the complex offering more class space and hands-on training, the university hopes to more than double that number over the next seven years.
“In the past, we didn’t have the resources to attract more students,” said Information Technology and Engineering Dean Wael Zatar.
The university’s engineering and technology students have been spread across Marshall’s campus, but the new complex will centralize those classes under one roof with some of the most advanced engineering and technology labs in the region.
As a MU alum (2003 BA, 2006 MS) I am excited to see what the future holds for the university. It's saddening that the biggest constructed project I witnessed was the opening of the library in 1999. Damn how I wish I could just step into the new fitness and recreation center! I lived in holderby for 4 years and it was some of the best years of my life! I have friends scattered across the U.S. But I have kept in touch, and I'm 35 now. Was like yesterday! I would like to see an overhead walkway, I have been saying that should have been a given when the dorms were completed across the street. It's like it's not even a part of the school without the walkway. I have seen a girl get hit and I have fallen once on 3rd Avenue. To have to cross the street everyday just to get to class can be a nightmare! I wish a new outdoor pool or some
Kind of the like be built on buskirk field. Recreation promotes creation! Keep it less like a prison. OSU has done similar and of course that is a larger school but something to think about. I have enjoyed reading where wvu people like to bash Marshall. The best thing I love to do is start talking about where I went to school (winners) and where I lived (again winners). Try to beat national champions, wvu😁 #goherd #gobucks
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