The town of Philippi was the site of the first organized land battle of the American Civil War on June 3, 1861. The skirmish — Union forces routing a Confederate camp at dawn — lasted only an hour but earned its place in American history. When Alderson and Broaddus merged in 1932 and chose a new athletic identity, students voted to honor that local heritage with a name that captured tenacity and purpose: the Battlers.
Our mascot, Skirmish, is named for the Battle of Philippi itself. Skirmish appears at every home game, alumni tailgate, and prospective-student visit — a costumed Civil War-era cavalry figure in a navy tunic with gold trim and a friendly, oversized cartoon face. He has held that role since 1989, when the AB Athletic Department adopted him as the team's official mascot to replace a series of unofficial costumed Battlers.
Our blue-and-gold colors trace to that same heritage: the navy of the Union Army and the gold of the harvest fields surrounding the Tygart Valley. Every Battler — student-athlete or otherwise — carries forward the spirit of resilience that the name embodies.
Thirteen men's, eleven women's, and three co-ed varsity programs compete year-round.
| Date | Sport | Opponent | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | Baseball | at Walsh Cavaliers | 1:00 PM | North Canton, OH |
| May 3 | W Lacrosse | vs. Ashland Eagles | 2:00 PM | Battler Field |
| May 4 | Softball | at Trevecca Trojans | 12:00 PM | Nashville, TN |
| May 5 | M Tennis | vs. Ohio Dominican | 3:30 PM | Battler Tennis Courts |
| May 6 | W Tennis | vs. Notre Dame College | 1:00 PM | Battler Tennis Courts |
| May 7 | Track & Field | MEC Championships | All Day | Wheeling, WV |
| May 9 | Baseball | vs. Kentucky Wesleyan | 1:00 PM | Battler Park |
| May 10 | Softball | vs. UNC Pembroke | 11:00 AM | Battler Diamond |
| May 11 | Equestrian | IHSA Nationals | All Day | Lexington, KY |
| May 14 | Acrobatics | NCATA Nationals | All Day | Birmingham, AL |
Each fall we induct a new class of Battler legends — alumni athletes, coaches, and contributors who shaped AB athletics history.
Three-time conference Coach of the Year, 287-career-win football coach, 1968–1989. Posthumously inducted with his family in attendance.
NCAA II All-American basketball forward. 1,847 career points (still the AB record). Currently head coach at the University of Charleston.
WIAC All-Region pitcher, drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. AAA reliever 2008–2011.
Made his MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins in 2019 — only the 4th Battler ever to reach the majors. AB's most cited modern alumnus on ESPN.
Three-time WIAC Volleyball Player of the Year. Named WV Sportswoman of the Year 1998. Currently AB head volleyball coach.
27-year men's basketball head coach. 412 wins. Three NCAA II Tournament appearances. WIAC Coach of the Year 1987, 1992, 1995.
AB student-athletes graduate at a higher rate than the general student population, and our cumulative team GPA of 3.21 places us in the top quartile of the Mountain East Conference. We believe deeply in the "student" half of student-athlete; we don't admit recruits who don't have the academic preparation to graduate, and we don't schedule games that put graduation at risk.
Our Academic Support for Athletes (ASA) program — based on the second floor of Pickett Library — provides every Battler with a dedicated academic coach, mandatory study halls during travel-heavy weeks, and tutoring on demand. The result: 22 consecutive semesters with cumulative team GPA above 3.0, and the Mountain East Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll consistently includes 60%+ of AB student-athletes.
The annual Battler Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet honors the top three GPAs in every team and the senior "Iron Battler" awarded to the student-athlete who most embodies academic, athletic, and character excellence. Recent Iron Battlers have gone on to medical school, law school, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the United Methodist seminary at Duke.
