H.S. BASEBALL: Public Opinion releases annual all-star teams
CORDELL SHANNON, Shippensburg, senior: Shannon was the ace of the Greyhound pitching staff and was solid at the plate as well ... On the mound, he gave up just seven earned runs in 54 innings (0.90 earned run average) with 62 strikeouts and 16 walks ... He also threw a one-hitter against Northern York ... At the plate, he finished with a .353 batting average and was second on the team with 19 RBIs ... "Cordell had great year," Ship coach Nate Rosenberry said. "He was out there every week throwing well, and he was a big reason for our success, both on the mound and at the plate."
CONNOR LITTON, Southern Fulton, senior: Even with a slow start to the season at the plate, Litton had an all-around fantastic season ... He finished with a .413 batting average with five doubles, three home runs and 26 runs batted in ... He also led the team with 21 stolen bases and had just nine errors at shortstop ... On the mound, he was an always-reliable No. 2 for the Indians ... in 35 1/3 innings, he gave up just three earned runs (0.59 ERA) with 64 strikeouts ... He was the winning pitcher in Southern Fulton's District 5-A title win over Meyersdale and threw a no-hitter in the first round of states ... SF coach Dustin Fischer said, "Connor is probably one of, if not the best player to ever come through here. He can do anything. He's a great fielder, he pitches well and he can hit and run the bases well. He's the total package."
DREW BETZ, Chambersburg, senior: Betz was a model of consistency for the Trojans ... He finished second on the team with a .320 batting average, and he led the team with a .429 on-base percentage, thanks in large part to a team-leading 13 walks ... He was also a key member of the pitching staff both as a starter and in relief ... He finished with a 0.68 ERA in 31 innings with 33 strikeouts ... He also had just three errors at second base ... Chambersburg coach Bob Thomas said, "Drew started out on fire, and even though he tailed off a bit, he was still solid for us in every aspect. He did a great job pitching, and we haven't had too many second baseman come through here and have only three errors in a season."
DEREK MEASELL, Greencastle-Antrim, junior: Measell was a breakout star for Greencastle in his first year at the varsity level ... He pitched to a 0.83 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 54 innings, finishing with an 8-2 record as the ace of the Blue Devil staff ... He also had a .333 average at the plate and led the team with 16 RBIs ... G-A coach Eric Shaner said, "He had an unbelievable season. We tried to bring him along slowly, but it became obvious quickly that he was ready for the challenge. We didn't expect him to pitch quite this well, but we did know he'd be a stud, and he was just that."
AUSTIN SUDERS, Chambersburg, junior: After a slow start, Suders became the Trojans' best hitter by season's end ... He led the team in batting average (.351), slugging percentage (.429), hits (27) and RBIs (16) ... He was also a consistent pitcher, finishing with a 1.62 ERA in 56 1/3 innings ... "Austin really became our best hitter by the end of the season," Thomas said. "He seemed to raise his average every game, and on the mound he may not have had a good record, but his ERA and WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) were very good. He did a great job for us."
DAULTON BRENIZE, Shippensburg, senior: Brenize was as solid as they come for Shippensburg in his senior campaign ... He led the team with a .515 batting average (35-for-68), and he also led the team with 35 hits, seven doubles, three triples, 21 RBIs and a .706 slugging percentage ... He struck out just six times ... "Daulton came out and produced all year for us," Rosenberry said. "Anytime we needed a big hit, we knew we could count on him, and he came through. He was on fire all year and had a great year defensively. He did everything he could to help us win."
BEAU LOWERY, Mercersburg Academy, freshman: Lowery emerged as a star on the mound to lead Mercersburg to a surprise season ... In 12 appearances for the Blue Storm, he went 7-3 with a 1.31 earned run average ... He also finished with 61 strikeouts in 59 innings and walked just 15 ... Mercersburg coach Karl Reisner said, "He had outstanding season, especially when you realize he's only a freshman. He pitched in all of the big games for us and had great composure. By the time he's finished here, he could be a great one of the greats. He has all of the potential."
COLE FRIESE, Shippensburg, junior: Friese was the spark plug for the Hounds' offense all season ... He finished with a .423 batting average and scored 33 runs ... He also finished with 30 hits and hit the team's only home run of the season ... Rosenberry said, "Cole was definitely the ignitor to our offense. He hit the ball well all year, and he used his speed to get on base so the other guys could get him in."
TRISTAN DAYWALT, Chambersburg, senior: Daywalt was the Trojans' ace pitcher this season, finishing with a 6-1 record ... He threw 67 innings, had 55 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA ... Thomas said, "He was our No. 1 pitcher all year and he was consistently good. His only loss came in our last game of the season, and we just didn't get him any runs. He was great for us all year, and he played well in the outfield, too."
TRISTAN DOUGLAS, Southern Fulton, senior: It's hard to have much of a better season both offensively and defensively than Douglas had for Southern Fulton ... At the plate, he batted an even .500 (42-for-84) with six doubles, two home runs, 36 runs scored and 26 RBIs ... His 42 hits led the team ... In the field, Douglas finished with just three errors ... "Tristan is one of the best hitters I've ever coached," Fischer said. "He's got quick hands, and he's just so extremely ball smart that he knows what to do in any situation. I always tell the younger kids to watch what Tristan is doing."
MATT KLINE: Greencastle-Antrim, senior, pitcher/second base
CARLIN CHRISTIAN: Chambersburg, junior, shortstop
DYLAN GORDON: Southern Fulton, sophomore, third base/shortstop
QUIN AMBEAULT: Greencastle-Antrim, senior, catcher
DEJI ANDREW: Mercersburg Academy, senior, outfield
AUSTIN HANSHEW: Waynesboro, senior, second base
MATT STONESIFER: Chambersburg, senior, centerfield
TAYLOR SOUDERS: McConnellsburg, senior, pitcher/outfield
DILLAN LASHLEY: Southern Fulton, senior, centerfield
AARON NAGY: James Buchanan, senior, outfield
Chambersburg — Hunter Brindle (jr., 1B); Shippensburg — Damon Watkins (sr., 2B), Nate Reiner (sr., SS), Nick Jacoby (sr., C/3B); Greencastle-Antrim — Kurt Hansen (sr., OF), Bailey Parker (jr., OF); Waynesboro — Cody Cline (jr., 3B), Sawyer Duffey (sr., OF); James Buchanan — Jared Pine (so., SS), Michael McCartney (sr., OF); Southern Fulton — Zach Clark (sr., OF); McConnellsburg — JT Barnard (sr., P/1B), Chase Novak (so., SS/P), Ryan Koontz (sr., C); Forbes Road — Matt Brown (so., IF/P), Brock Broadwater (sr., 1B/P), Aaron Schepis (so., IF/OF); Fannett-Metal — Cole Funk (so., P/SS), Hunter Kann (jr., P/1B); Shalom Christian — Colby Maun (so., IF/P), Daniel Watkins (sr., P/2B), Mikey White (so., OF); Cumberland Valley Christian — Conner Chapman (sr.,P/IF), Aaron McBeth (sr., IF), Spencer Propst (so., P/IF); Mercersburg Academy — Chris Adusei-Poku (jr., C).