During Homecoming Week 2026, the field where WVU Potomac State College Coach Doug Little has spent most of his career will be renamed and rededicated – in his honor – as Little Field at Golden Park.
“Coach Doug Little’s influence on our baseball program and our institution is immeasurable,” said Mandi Larkin, Director of Athletics at WVU Potomac State College. “The naming of Doug Little Field is a fitting tribute to a coach who has devoted so much of his life to mentoring young people and building a championship culture. His legacy will forever be part of Potomac State Athletics, and we are excited to celebrate him alongside generations of former players, alumni, and supporters during Homecoming.”
The dedication ceremony will serve as a highlight of the College’s Homecoming festivities, bringing together current student-athletes, alumni, former players, faculty, staff, and community members to celebrate a coach whose leadership has left an enduring mark on Potomac State Baseball.
“The newly named Doug Little Field will stand as a lasting tribute to Coach Little’s commitment to excellence and the significant impact he has made in the lives of student-athletes,” said PSC President Dr. Jerry Wallace. “His guidance, mentorship, and passion for the game have transformed countless lives.”
The field dedication marks the contributions and commitment of an athletic director who is student-centered, baseball-focused, and who always has his eye on the ball – no matter how fast or curved the pitches.
During a hectic “Welcome Week,” while many of his players were becoming acclimated to the PSC campus, Coach Little found some time to sit with us and answer a few questions about his life, his legacy, his family, his career, and what this honor means to him.
Potomac State College: There’s going to be a field named after you. That’s big. When you first heard the announcement or the plan, what was your initial reaction?
Doug Little: One of surprise and honor
PSC: What does the honor mean to you, as a coach?
DL: It recognizes all the sacrifices my family has made through the years, and all the hard work, time commitment, and passion that has been given to the program.
PSC: Let’s talk about Doug Little, the athlete for a minute. Did you always have a love for sports?
DL: My love of sports started at a young age, probably four years old. In the backyard with my neighborhood friends. It was just like the movie Sandlot, really.
PSC: When did you know baseball would be the sport of your career?
DL: At age four, I loved everything about baseball. Even at a young age, I couldn’t get enough of it. It was always on my mind.
PSC: Do you remember the first team you ever played on, even as a kid?
DL: Yes, Little League, Eastwood Pirates; my Coach was Ron Cox, my best friend’s dad. We were eight years old. It was the first year that metal bats were introduced in Little League Baseball in our area.
PSC: Where did you go to high school?
DL: Parkersburg High School in Parkersburg, WV.
PSC: And college?
DL: Alderson Broaddus College
PSC: What kind of student were you?
DL: I was a 3.0 student. I honestly went to college to play baseball and got my degree while doing it.
PSC: Tell us about your career. You were at WVU Potomac State and then went to WVU and then returned to Potomac State? What prompted your return?
DL: Correct. I started here as an assistant coach to legendary coach and professor here at PSC, Jack Reynolds, right out of grad school. I was his assistant for one year, and he retired from baseball, and then I became Head Coach here at age 25. I was here for the 1993-94 seasons, then was hired mid-year by newly named Head Coach Greg Van Zant to be his assistant coach. I spent five seasons there. During my fourth season at WVU, we had our first child. I was hardly home because of being on the road that coaching requires at that level. During my fifth year, I received a phone call from Tony Whitmore; he was the interim President here at PSC at that time. He asked if I would be interested in coming back and being a professor, athletic director, and baseball coach. I met with him. And my wife and I decided to return because of where we were as a family and that we enjoyed our time here before we made the move to Morgantown.
PSC: What fulfills you as a coach?
DL: Without a doubt, seeing the players develop on the field, in the classroom, and off the field.
PSC: What do you look for in an athlete?
DL: Someone that has desire, mental toughness, commitment, hard work ethic, passion, and talent, probably in that order.
PSC: Do you have a coaching philosophy?
DL: I think it has changed through the years. Early in my career, it was driven by winning; at this juncture, winning is still a big part of it, but helping players develop on and off the field and helping them move on in their career from here is a great sense of pride.
PSC: What do you think “makes” a great student athlete?
DL: Mental toughness and commitment.
PSC: Do any players in your career stand out that you brag about to others?
DL: Honestly, too many to mention; we’ve been very fortunate to have had many great ones go through here in my 30-plus years.
PSC: So many ball players we talk to entering as freshmen this year have said they picked Potomac State just for the chance to work with you for the next two years. What does something like hearing that or knowing that mean to you?
DL: It’s a great feeling, humbling honestly. I so look forward to working with them as well.
PSC: What athletes do you admire?
DL: The ones that aren’t always the greatest of students or athletes that turn themselves into a diamond.
PSC: If you couldn’t be coaching baseball, what do you think you would be doing?
DL: A groundskeeper for a pro baseball team. I love working on a baseball field.
PSC: What do you do for fun during the off-season?
DL: Watching pro and college sports. I love college football, college basketball, and the NFL.
PSC: What is something about “Coach Little” people might be surprised to learn?
DL: I like to have fun behind the scenes.
PSC: What two words best describe you?
DL: Hard work
The Official Field Dedication Ceremony of Doug Little Field will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at noon at Golden Park on the campus of WVU Potomac State College. Alumni, former players, friends of the program, and members of the community are invited to attend this special ceremony recognizing Doug Little’s extraordinary contributions to Potomac State Baseball.