MORGANTOWN – Former Morgantown High School baseball ace and WVSWA First-Team All-State selection Hunter Dakan was named Pitcher of the Year in the Old North State Baseball League in North Carolina on Tuesday.
Dakan, who will play for Point Park University this fall, started eight games for the Sandhill Bogeys, housed in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in the ONSL.
The southpaw threw 41.0 innings with a 3-0 record. Dakan allowed 25 hits and only seven earned runs on the mound, totaling 49 strikeouts and 14 walks for a .951 WHIP and a 1.54 ERA.
“Being able to see myself be as consistent as I was this summer was big for me,” Dakan said. “Knowing that I was able to stay steady the whole summer and not ride the highs and lows too much is something I’m very proud of.”
The highlight of his summer came on July 2 against the Highland Hooligans, as Dakan threw 7.0 innings without allowing a hit and struck out 10 batters.
“This summer helped me remember to relax and have fun at the ballpark,” he said. “I learned to simply trust in my abilities, and as long as I did that, the outcome would work out in my favor”
He only allowed four or more hits in half of his starts, while also keeping his opponents scoreless in four of his eight appearances. Dakan tallied 10 Ks twice this summer, the second being his first start on May 25 against the Shallotte Shallywags.
Dakan was a WVSWA First-Team All-State selection in 2024 after a senior campaign as the ace for MHS. He went 8-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 64 Ks in 61 innings in 2024 and has continued to improve his game since.
During his sophomore tenure with Garrett College in 2026, Dakan was second on the team with 55.0 IP. He allowed 36 runs (29 earned) on 52 hits, struck out 47 batters, and walked 20 for a 5-2 record in 10 starts.
“This definitely motivates me going into the school year,” he said. “I’m already excited to be at Point Park, but being able to do what I did this summer really makes me want to strive to be the best I can for the program next spring more than I did before.”
