BLACKSBURG, Va. – In voting conducted by the Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID) and announced today, the Virginia Tech Hokies led all Virginia schools with a Tech record five 2013 University Division All-State First Team Baseball selections and saw six named in total.
Highlighting the Hokies all-state selections were sophomore catcher Mark Zagunis, who repeats his first team honor from last year, and junior outfielder Tyler Horan, who was a second team member in 2012. Joining the duo as first-time honorees on the first team are junior third baseman Chad Pinder and senior pitchers Devin Burke, as a starter, and Clark Labitan, as a reliever. Claiming a spot on the second team was senior starting pitcher Joe Mantiply.
The five members of the VaSID first team marks the most ever for the Hokies, surpassing both the 2003 and 1997 squads who each had four, while the six overall players selected ties the 2003 squad for the most players honored.
Putting the five first teamers into perspective, since 2003, the Hokies had seen just six players overall named first team – and one of those was Zagunis. The number also ties for the second-most ever by one school in a single year, and one behind the most – Virginia with six in 2009.
It is also the first time the Hokies have placed more than one pitcher on the VaSID team since 1999, while they also had two in 1996 and 1994. With Burke and Labitan on the first team, it marks the first time ever Tech has had two pitchers on the first team.
Ironically, Zagunis becomes the first repeat first team selection to the VaSID team since catcher Wyatt Toregas earned back-to-back honors in 2003 and 2004. He was a first team DH selection in 2002 as well, becoming just the second Hokie to earn three first team honors. Zagunis is the sixth Hokie to earn at least two first team honors.
2013 VaSID University Division All-State Baseball Team
VaSID Player of the Year - Mike Papi, So., Virginia
VaSID Pitcher of the Year - Kyle Crockett, Jr.,Virginia
VaSID Coach of the Year - Jamie Pinzino, William & Mary
VaSID Rookie of the Year - Joe McCarthy, Fr., Virginia
1st Team
SP - Devin Burke, Sr., Virginia Tech
SP - John Ferrell, Sr., William & Mary
SP - Jason Inghram, So., William & Mary
RP - Kyle Crockett, Jr., Virginia
RP - Clark Labitan, Sr., Virginia Tech
C - Mark Zagunis, So., Virginia Tech
1B - Michael Katz, So., William & Mary
2B - Reed Gragnani, Sr., Virginia
3B - Chad Pinder, Jr., Virginia Tech
SS - Jeff Kemp, Sr., Radford
OF - Tyler Horan, Jr., Virginia Tech
OF - Mike Papi, So., Virginia
OF - Ben Verlander, Jr., Old Dominion
DH - Jacob Mayers, Sr., Richmond
UT - Nick Howard, So., Virginia
2nd Team
SP - Joe Mantiply, Sr., Virginia Tech
SP - Scott Silverstein, Sr., Virginia
SP - Seth Greene, Jr., Va. Commonwealth
RP - Aaron Myers, So., Longwood
RP - Josh Sborz, Fr., Virginia
C - Trey Wimmer, Sr., Liberty
1B - Zach Markel, Jr., Norfolk St.
2B - Ryan Lindemuth, So., William & Mary
3B - Ty McFarland, Jr., James Madison
SS - Branden Cogswell, So., Virginia
OF - Chad Carroll, So., James Madison
OF - Rob Dickinson, Sr., VMI
OF - Joe McCarthy, Fr., Virginia
DH - Conner Brown, Jr., James Madison
UT - Ashton Perritt, So., Liberty
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