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Player of the Year
Name: Brett Rosenberry
School: Waynesboro
Grade: Sophomore
Position: Third base, outfield
Height: 5-foot-11
Parents: Monty and Julie Rosenberry
Favorite team: New York Yankees
Season stats: .464 batting average (32-for-69), 11 homers, 43 RBIs, 25 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 15 steals, 1.057 slugging percentage
Honors: Mid Penn Colonial Division Co-Player of the Year
By JOEL RINEER
Staff writer
The final two chapters haven't been written yet, but the Brett Rosenberry tale is already a record-setting hit.
The sophomore slugger hit a homer in his first at-bat in 2010 and went on to set a new standard of excellence at Waynesboro, no small feat at a school known for its prodigious hitting over the years.
Now, Rosenberry, the Public Opinion Baseball Player of the Year, stands above the rest.
"I really never thought I'd ever come close to breaking the homer and RBI records," Rosenberry said. "I knew I'd be starting at the beginning of the year, but I didn't think anything like this would ever happen."
Rosenberry's numbers were off the charts. In 20 games, he hit .464 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs. Throw in four doubles, two triples and 15 stolen bases and it's clear to see just how extraordinary his first full varsity season was.
The most impressive stat may be his 73 total bases.
To put that into perspective, only one first-team all-star -- Cole Sellers -- was within
All those bases added up to another other-worldly number: a 1.057 slugging percentage.
"We always knew he could hit," Waynesboro coach Greg Chandler said. "We were going to put him down in the order just to get him going early in the year, but the more I watched during batting practice or in a scrimmage, the more I knew I had to put him in the three hole and get him an extra at-bat per game. That ended up being a key in some big wins for us."
It was a homer off Sellers on opening day that got the ball rolling for Rosenberry, who finished with an almost unprecedented finish.
During one six-day stretch in May, here is what Rosenberry did:
n May 5, he blasted a pair of homers with five RBIs in a 14-13 win over West Perry, including a walkoff two-run homer with two outs.
n May 6, he had three RBIs and his two-run homer finished off a mercy-rule victory over Carlisle.
n May 10, Waynesboro fell behind 6-0 in the top of the first against first-place Northern before Rosenberry's grand slam capped off a seven-run second inning. The Indians won 10-7 and he had five RBIs.
"I think every baseball player dreams of being in the position he was in with the game on the line," Chandler said. "But for him to be in that position and come through, that is what was so impressive to me.
"Those three games were the most impressive three days in a row from a hitting standpoint I've ever seen."
The Northern game was particularly special because Rosenberry set two records in the process.
His 11th homer tied a school record set by Nathan Minnich, who is currently playing at Shepherd University.
Rosenberry also set the single-season RBI mark previously set by Toby Gift (38) in 1991. By comparsion, Gift reached his total in 23 games.
"That was the most memorable game this year for me," Rosenberry said. "It was our last home game and I was able to set two records. It feels pretty good to know that I broke the records and they are now under my name."
Rosenberry was a key cog in the Indians' run to the District 3 playoffs. He had a pair of doubles and a triple against Daniel Boone in the first round, but was left on deck as the Blazers won 8-7.
"I think we could have done better," he said. "We had a couple of games we should have won, but overall we did pretty good."
Chandler saw the potential in Rosenberry when he saw him crush "the longest homer I've ever seen a 14-year-old hit" at a youth tournament in Palmyra.
The marvel didn't stop there.
In a game at home against Shippensburg, Rosenberry hit a foul ball beyond left field that hit in the parking lot. The blast was estimated at close to 500 feet.
"I don't know exactly how far it went," Chandler said, "but fair or foul, that was a shot."
Only three times all season did Rosenberry go without a hit.
He finished with 10 multi-hit games and, even more impressively, he had 12 multi-RBI performances. Among area hitter, Rosenberry finished first in homers and RBIs, tied for third in hits, fifth in average and tied for seventh in runs scored.
"I always thought about (the records), but I told myself not to think about it at the plate," Rosenberry said. "My teammates told me how close I was, but I tried not to think about it too much."
The 2010 season for Rosenberry was one that won't soon be forgotten.
And there is more from him to come.
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Joel Rineer may be reached at 262-4819 or jrineer@publicopinionnews.com.
