Sports
UPCOMING EVENTS
07
20 2022
GRAL swimming: Pebble Creek at The Federal Club 6:00 p.m.
07
20 2022
GRAL swimming: Milestone at Bell Creek 6:00 p.m.
| Youth, High School, College, Recreational & Professional
County players dominate All-State team By Dave Lawrence Sports Editor MECHANICSVILLE — Throughout the 2022 baseball season, Hanover County’s teams largely dominated the area in terms of individual statistics and the win/loss column. After the season came to a close with Hanover High School winning the Virginia High School League Class 4 state championship, county teams started to dominate postseason honors. When the VHSL announced the Class 4 All-State team last month, county players were named to nine of the 28 possible positions. One Hanover player, Seth Keller, was also named Player of the Year. The Hawks’ head coach, Tyler Kane, was named Coach of the Year. Keller, one of five Hanover players earning All-State honors, made the first team at pitcher and shortstop. He and teammates Owen Deshazo, Levi Huesman, Cannon Peebles and Charlie Rohr all earned first team honors. Kane was proud of everyone who made it, even players from Hanover’s cross-county rivals, Atlee’s Landon Scott and Gunnar Stromberg and Mechanicsville’s Aaron Maxie. “It was all very well deserved. I mean the numbers speak for themselves,” Kane said. “They faced some really good arms fall season and their stats, you know, were up there with the best in the state. It was awesome — a really good representation from our county. It speaks volumes for the county as a whole.”
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VHSL Class 4 All-State Team Player of the Year: Seth Keller (Hanover) Coach of the Year: Tyler Kane (Hanover) First Team P: Seth Keller (Hanover) P: Levi Huesman (Hanover) P: Nick Bell (James Wood) C: Cannon Peebles (Hanover) 1B: Breckin Nace (Jefferson Forest) 2B: Owen Deshazo (Hanover) 3B: Nate Brookshire (Millbrook) SS: Seth Keller (Hanover) OF: Landon Scott (Atlee) OF: Jalen Greenidge (Monacan) OF: Cayden Suchy (Dominion) DH: Evan Stanley (Loudoun County) Util: Charlie Rohr (Hanover) Util: James Meenan (Western Albemarle)
Dave Lawrence/The Local
Hanover’s baseball team, shown here celebrating after winning the 2022 Virginia High School League Class 4 state championship in June, placed five players on the VHSL Class 4 All-State first team list this year. Coach Tyler Kane was named Coach of the Year.
Each All-State team consists of 14 positions: three pitchers, five infielders (one catcher, one first baseman, one second baseman, one third baseman and one shortstop), three outfielders, one designated hitter and two At-Large (or utility) players. Players must make their respective first-team All-Region teams to qualify for All-State consideration. Keller was joined as first team pitcher by Huesman. Peebles was named to the first
The Mechanicsville Local
July 20, 2022
team at catcher, Deshazo at second base, and Rohr as At-Large player. Atlee’s Scott made the first team at outfielder. Scott’s teammate, Stromberg, was named to the second team at third base, while Mechanicsville’s Maxie made the second team at first base. Kane said he doesn’t remember seeing one county dominate All-State honors as Hanover County has this year. “I haven’t seen it in the new format. Obviously when it was
the old Central Region — triple A, double A, single A — it wasn’t like this,” Kane said. “I don’t remember a time where there was this much representation (from one county).” Both Kane and Atlee head coach Michael Morris credited the support and development opportunities available to county players — especially the Atlee, Mechanicsville, and Ashland Little Leagues — for producing so many talented players. “Baseball in the county …
has always been very good baseball and very good talent,” Morris said. “Those Little League environments and that sense of community was so important. … They get that sense of hometown pride that can’t be replicated in a travel ball environment. It’s like playing for your high school and your community and things of that nature. Atlee and Mechanicsville and Ashland Little Leagues embody that and continue to be strong Little Leagues and feeder pro-
Second team P: Mike Harpster (EC Glass) P: Jerrod Jenkins (Millbrook) P: Peyton Smith (Jefferson Forest) C: Evan Mace (Jefferson Forest) 1B: Aaron Maxie (Mechanicsville) 2B: Hunter King (Salem) 3B: Gunner Stromberg (Atlee) SS: Bodie Pullen (James Wood) OF: Brody Bower (James Wood) OF: Cayedon Jones (Hampton) OF: Mason Hatcher (Halifax) DH: Frankie Engel (Grafton) Util: Tyler Black (Churchland) Util: Zach Turk (Dominion)
grams. … “All-Star summers and the fences being lined with aunts and uncles and everything is the closest emulation to high school.” Dave Lawrence can be reached at dlawrence@mechlocal.com.
