Campus News

August 25th, 2026

Black Bears feature strong GC connection

Guy, Putnam playing key roles for area’s MLB Draft team

Granville, WV – Garrett College is well-represented on the West Virginia Black Bears’ management team.

EJ Guy – a two-time NJCAA national wrestling tournament qualifier with the Lakers who graduated from GC’s sport management program – is the field and facility manager for the Black Bears. Sophia Putnam, who has guest-lectured in Garrett College’s sport management program, is client relations and marketing coordinator for the team, which plays in the six-team MLB Draft League.

“I like to say I do just about everything no one wants to do,” said Putnam with a laugh. “Season ticket-holders are one of my major responsibilities. What I really enjoy doing is helping to give people a better ballpark experience. I also book suites and groups, take calls, manage the ticket office and box office interns, and help with the merchandise side.”

Guy also has a broad range of responsibilities maintaining the 3,500-seat Kendrick Family Ballpark, including a synthetic turf field that was installed in 2024. His position includes supporting the West Virginia University baseball program, which also calls Kendrick home.

“I take care of everything within the ballpark,” said Guy. “Field maintenance is a big piece of the job. The field has to get groomed once a week, and I have to prepare the mound, the batter’s box, and the bases before every home game. I also make small repairs throughout the concourse and arrange for service for bigger repairs.”

Guy and Putnam, both 2026 West Virginia University graduates, interned with WVU’s wrestling and football programs, respectively. Each was also hired into full-time, seasonal positions with the Black Bears this year after completing internships with the team in 2025.

The pair also have their own Garrett College connection through Steve Putnam, Sophia’s father and the director of the Edwards Community Aquatic & Recreation Complex (CARC). Guy was a student and Sophia Putnam was a guest lecturer in a section of the Event, Facility & Program Management (SPM 237) course that Steve Putnam taught.

“She [Sophia] came in and talked about her experience because she was already at West Virginia University,” recalled Guy. “She talked about the importance of making connections and finding the right internships.”

“I just hoped one thing I said sparked someone to realize there’s a field of sports they might have never considered,” said Putnam, who has completed two bachelor’s degrees and an accelerated master’s degree in sport management from WVU. “Tickets, hospitality, marketing . . . there are a lot of different facets in the sports field. It doesn’t matter whether you come from a small community college like Garrett College or a huge institution like WVU. It’s about the effort you’re putting into it.”

Putnam and Guy reconnected last summer during the Black Bears’ internship orientation day.

“He [Guy] was wearing a Garrett College wrestling shirt and I was like, ‘OMG – you went to Garrett!’ ” recalled Putnam.

The Black Bears play under a split-season, amateur/professional format with two different player rosters.

The first half of the season features draft-eligible players still in college or just out of high school aiming to improve their status ahead of the annual MLB Draft in July. The league switches to a professional format in the second half with paid professional players who have exhausted their draft eligibility.

“I like the second half more – it has a more competitive atmosphere,” Guy said of the split-season format. “They’re playing for their careers.”

Both Putnam and Guy are looking to advance in their respective sport management careers.

“I would love to eventually work for a professional hockey team,” said Putnam, who was matched with a Boston Bruins executive as part of a master’s degree mentorship program. Her NHL mentor encouraged her to seek out the opportunity with the Black Bears, noting that could diversify her resume after working with the WVU football program.

“I’d like to be a facility coordinator or a groundskeeper for a minor league team and hopefully eventually with a major league team,” said Guy.

Both are pleased to have landed their current positions.

“From February to September there is little to no down time, but it keeps me busy and I love it,” said Guy.

“I care about people’s ballpark experiences,” said Putnam. “If kids are trying all game to catch a ball and I end up handing them a ball, that means everything to them. I enjoy creating those special moments that bring people back time after time.”