Back in August, D3baseball.com released its Division III All-Decade teams from the 2010’s. Eight former Valley Leaguers made one of the three teams or were named Honorable Mention. Let’s take a look at the players and their Valley League stats:

First Team

  • Greg Van Sickler, from Shenandoah (Front Royal 2009-10), at utility. In 2009, Van Sickler was the 4th best starter in the league after going 4-1, 2.88, with nine walks and 49 K’s in 50 innings. He also went 22-59 at the plate. In 2010, he went 3-1, 0.69 in four starts and 26 innings, and hit .295/.375/.371 in 105 at-bats.
  • Kevin Becker-Menditto, from Alvernia (Front Royal 2014), at relief pitcher. Becker-Menditto was the 2nd best reliever in 2014, going 2-0, 0.93, with seven saves and a 0.720 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings.

Second Team

  • Kevin Herget, from Kean (Strasburg 2012), at starting pitcher. In 10 games (eight starts) in 2012, Herget went 3-1, 3.18, with a 1.137 WHIP, 3.9 BB/9, and 13.6 K/9 in 51 innings pitched. He led the list of top starters with that K/9, and with a .194 batting average against as well. ATVL named him the 3rd best starter from that list.

Third Team

  • Michael Wielansky, from Wooster (Charlottesville 2017), at shortstop. Honestly, Wielansky had perhaps the greatest season in modern-day Valley League history, hitting .432/.489/.677 in 155 at-bats, with 18 doubles, four triples, four home runs, and a 20/15 BB/K ratio. He was ATVL’s #1 hitter, and was league MVP.
  • Nick Roth, from Randolph Macon (Charlottesville 2017-18), at starting pitcher. In 2017, Roth gave up six earned runs in 12 2/3 innings, and then also gave up six in 13 1/3 innings in 2018.

Honorable Mention

  • Tristan Baker, from Shenandoah (Harrisonburg 2018), at second base. Baker went 3-20 for the Turks in 2018.
  • Kevin Brashears, from Shenandoah (Front Royal 2009, Winchester 2010), in the outfield. Brashears hit .238/.315/.275 in 80 at-bats for the Cardinals in 2009, and then .308/.408/.400 in 130 at-bats in 2010 for the Royals.
  • Dan Harwood, from Wooster (Charlottesville 2019), at designated hitter. Harwood hit .263/.385/.406, with eight doubles, a triple, three home runs, and a 19/25 BB/K ratio for the Charlottesville baseball club.

Congratulations to all!

  • Wielansky
  • Herget
  • Baker
  • Roth