Despite 13 different schools represented on the 2015 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) College Division All-State Baseball Team, it was a pair of programs that separated from the rest this season. Led by VaSID Player of the Year Jono Haught, and Pitcher of the Year Ryan Van Assche, the University of Mary Washington featured five first team All-State picks; and after leading the The Apprentice School to a national championship, Coach of the Year Bryan Cave headlined a strong group of five honors for the Builders.
Rounding out the major award winners was Rick Spiers, a freshman utility player from Randolph-Macon College. It is the third straight year the Yellow Jackets saw a player earn the top rookie honors. After 41 years as head coach, Cave picks up his first career Coach of the Year honor, and Mary Washington earned their first major honors in more than a decade.
Haught was a second team All-American selection by both D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association after a stellar senior campaign. The senior backstop batted .457 on the season with a program record 10 home runs. He earned Conference Player of the Year laurels after driving in 52 runs, scoring 41 times on 64 hits. He earned first team All-Conference, All-Region and All-State honors, and was also recognized as a National Strength & Conditioning All-American this spring.
Joining Haught on the first team was his battery mate and State Pitcher of the Year, Ryan Van Assche. The junior southpaw was a second team ABCA/Rawlings All-Region selection, and also picked up third team All-Region honors by d3baseball.com. He led the conference in wins, posting an impressive 10-1 overall mark with a 2.01 ERA, while ranking third in the league in strikeouts, with 77.
Mary Washington led all programs with six selections, including five first team honors. Haught and Van Assche were joined by reliever Tyler Daig, outfielder Mitch Moynihan and second baseman James Keller on the first team. Also earning first team honors were the following players: James Walsh (Randolph-Macon, SP), Sean Greiser (Virginia Wesleyan, SP), Sam Massie (Apprentice School, RP), Zach Bach (Virginia Wesleyan, 1B), Kevin Alvarez (Averett, 3B), Justin Rodriguez (Eastern Mennonite, SS), Brandon Lineberry (Emory & Henry, OF), Joe Hall (Eastern Mennonite, OF), Jonathan Munn (Lynchburg, DH), and Rick Spiers (Randolph-Macon, UTIL).
In addition to state Rookie of the Year and first team honors, Spiers also earned third team All-Region honors by the ABCA. He was the Conference Rookie of the Year and first team All-ODAC selection after leading the league with seven wins and a 1.52 ERA. He struck out 41 batters in 65 innings of work in his first year. At the plate, Spiers hit .329 with five doubles and 13 runs scored.
Head Coach Bryan Cave led The Apprentice School to the 2015 USCAA National Championship with a 6-1 run through the Small College World Series Championship. The Builders won their last five games, including three in a row on Championship Saturday, dropping top-seeded Illinois Tech by scores of 25-10 and 10-1. Cave led The Apprentice School to 15 wins in their last 16 games while earning his 600th career victory during the season.
VaSID is comprised of sports information or athletics communications professionals from intercollegiate institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership is open to any individual affiliated with one of the state’s institutions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, community college and independent levels, provided that individual’s area of responsibility lies within the realm of sports information.
2015 VaSID College Division All-State Baseball Teams
First Team
C – Jono Haught, University of Mary Washington
1B – Zach Bach, Virginia Wesleyan College
2B – James Keller, University of Mary Washington
3B – Kevin Alvarez, Averett University
SS – Justin Rodriguez, Eastern Mennonite University
OF – Brandon Lineberry, Emory & Henry College
OF – Joe Hall, Eastern Mennonite University
OF – Mitch Moynihan, University of Mary Washington
DH – Jonathan Munn, Lynchburg College
UTIL – Rick Spiers, Randolph-Macon College
SP – Ryan Van Assche, University of Mary Washington
SP – James Walsh, Randolph-Macon College
SP – Sean Greiser, Virginia Wesleyan College
RP – Tyler Daig, University of Mary Washington
RP – Sam Massie, The Apprentice School
Second Team
C – Will Black, Roanoke College
1B – Timothy Coston, Averett University
2B – Billy Arens, Shenandoah University
3B – Chris McCollister, Bluefield College
SS – Nicholas Christopher, Virginia State University
OF – Adam Duncan, Ferrum College
OF – Brian Kluge, Roanoke College
OF – Lee Rossi, The Apprentice School
DH – Ryan Hendrickson, The Apprentice School
UTIL – Joe Rogers, Lynchburg College
SP – Darrell Thompson, Shenandoah University
SP – Mike Brumfield, The Apprentice School
SP – Jay Dee Johnson III, Virginia State University
RP – Austin Marzullo, Eastern Mennonite University
RP – J.T. Williamson, Randolph-Macon College
Player of the Year: Jono Haught, University of Mary Washington
Pitcher of the Year: Ryan Van Assche, University of Mary Washington
Rookie of the Year: Rick Spiers, Randolph-Macon College
Coach of the Year: Bryan Cave, Newport News Apprentice School