West Middlesex’s Richie Preston Shares About Commitment to Salem and Passion for Both Baseball and Basketball

Richie Preston, a native of West Middlesex and two-sport standout for the Big Red, is one of District 10’s top athletes in the 2022-23 class. The Salem University baseball commit excels on the diamond, having been named the Region 1, District 10 Pitcher of the Year in his junior season, and a 1,000 point scorer in his standout basketball career.

“I always loved both sports equally because both have offered me some of the most important life lessons and memories that I will ever have in my life,” said Preston about which sport is his favorite. But, when the opportunity to play Division II baseball in small-town West Virginia, he jumped at the opportunity.

“For me, Salem is a place that reminds me a lot of West Middlesex. Salem, West Virginia is a town where everybody knows everybody and is a true small town USA, just like West Middlesex.”

Coach Heenan and Coach Gaines spent a lot of effort recruiting the Mercer County product and making sure that he knew the type of program they operate. The program focuses heavily on the mental side of the game and does their best to make sure the environment is up-beat, inclusive, and positive. The programs #ControlThePACE slogan (Control the (Positivity, Accountability, Communication, and Energy) means that players control these attributes and the results will follow.

Photo courtesy of Lisa Koss Photography.

Interestingly, Salem operates via block schedule. Students take one class only every four weeks for three hours a day, Monday through Thursday. This format is something Preston believes will help him be the best student-athlete he can be at the college level.

With his basketball career now over, he can feel accomplished with a career that wraps up as a First-Team All-District 10 player, being the 10th player in Big Red boys’ basketball history to go over 1,000 points, and now ranking fifth all-time in Big Red hoops history with 1,405 career point. Now, his full attention is on baseball and winning another District 10 title and making a further run in the state tournament.

“I wouldn’t trade being a Big Red for anything,” he explained. “Being a Big Red to me represents taking pride in not only your school, but your community through the passion and hard work that the community puts in when nobody is watching. My friends and I have been playing together in both basketball and baseball ever since we could get involved. I wouldn’t be where I am today without all the people I have met in my hometown.”

To date, some of his favorite memories from sports include hurling a two-hit shutout in the District 10 title game to beat Mercer County foe, Sharpsville, in the championship game as well as the night he went over 1,000 career points in basketball. These moments helped prove all the extra work he had put into both sports over the years had paid off. 

Outside of his commitment to sports, the Salem commit is involved in many activities and causes including Student Council, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Students for Charity, an administrator for the West Middlesex Backpack Program, and as a Success by Six Instructor for kids going into kindergarten during the summer months. He also is a true small town Pennsylvania boy at heart and loves to hunt, explore the outdoors, and go to the races.

Richie Preston’s days in high school may be coming to a close, but the memories will always remain in his upbringing in Mercer County. From Little League to travel teams, and even championship winning high school programs; it’s been a great ride for the future Salem Tiger that’s just getting started.