COACH OF THE YEAR

* Kevin Kelly, Atholton -- Atholton surprised a lot of people by making it to the state Class 2A championship game where it lost to Elkton, 6-5.

When the season began it was a team loaded with question marks. The entire infield was new. Two outfield spots were up for grabs. The pitching was experienced with Keith Schultz and Shane Beaver, but Beaver's shoulder was sore and he couldn't pitch until midway through the season. Kelly did a nice job of bringing Beaver along slowly, pitching him just once a week so that he was ready for the playoffs where Beaver became nearly dominant enough to steal a state championship.

The Raiders finished 16-8 overall and 9-5 in the league -- good for third place.

THE FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE

* Dan Christine, Centennial, senior, third baseman -- Defensively, he was normally dependable and occasionally spectacular.

Christine, who didn't play last season when the Eagles struggled offensively, added a lot of unexpected hitting this season. He batted .406 (26-for-64) with nine doubles, one triple and 14 RBIs. He scored 15 runs and stole three bases in three attempts.

* Brandon Eierman, Atholton, junior, designated hitter -- He led the league in doubles (14), hits (39) and runs (30) and was third in batting average at .443 (39-for-88).

He had one triple, two homers and 26 RBIs. His slugging percentage was .693 and he batted .486 with runners in scoring position.

* Mike Goldberg, Glenelg, junior, relief pitcher -- The hard-throwing right-hander, clocked at 83 mph, was nearly perfect. In 35 1/3 innings, he struck out 60, walked 10 and allowed 20 hits.

His ERA was 0.99 and his record was 3-0. Eight of his 10 appearances were in relief, but he did throw one complete game, a shutout. This is his second season on the All-County first team.

* Mark Jensen, Mount Hebron, senior, first baseman -- He made only two errors in 129 chances at first base.

A clutch hitter, Jensen batted .368 (25-for-68) with six doubles, four home runs and 16 RBIs. He hit three home runs in one game against Atholton.

* Sean Lookingbill, Glenelg, junior, outfielder -- He was a good defensive outfielder and batted .423 (22-for-52) with four doubles, one triple and 12 RBIs. He was also Glenelg's No. 1 pitcher, starting nine games and posting a 7-3 record with a 1.58 ERA.

In 57 2/3 innings, Lookingbill struck out 64, walked 31 and allowed 43 hits. This is his second season on the All-County first team.

* Joe Mellendick, Centennial, senior, second base -- He batted .356 (26-for-73 ) with 23 RBIs, seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 18 runs scored.

In the field, Mellendick made no errors in 23 chances at second base, three errors in 52 chances at shortstop and no errors in 11 chances as a pitcher.

Mellendick's pitching record was 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA. He struck out 37 and walked 13 in 22 innings.

* Rusty Miller, Howard, junior, shortstop -- He was second in the league with a .446 (25-for-56) batting average. He had four doubles, two home runs and a league-leading five triples.

Miller knocked in 13 runs and scored 15 runs. He was 10-for-10 stealing bases. His on-base average was .516 and his slugging percentage was a league-leading .804. As a pitcher Miller was 1-3 with a 2.63 ERA.

* Curtis Mitchell, Centennial, junior, outfielder -- He led the league with a .452 (28-for-62) batting average.

Mitchell had six doubles, two triples and two home runs. He knocked in 18 runs, scored 20 runs and struck out only six times. Always a threat to run, Mitchell stole 10 bases in 12 attempts.

Mitchell was just as strong in center field where he made only three errors in 52 chances.

* Derrek Schneider, Atholton, senior, outfielder -- The league leader with five home runs, Schneider also had five doubles and two triples. He batted .375 (27-for-72) with 25 RBIs and he scored 25 runs.

Schneider had good speed and stole five bases. His on-base average was .484 and his slugging percentage was .708. He batted .429 with runners in scoring position.

Schneider homered to beat Mount Hebron in a 1-0 game.

* Ryan Schneider, Atholton, senior, catcher -- He was the undisputed take-charge player on the field for Atholton. He had a strong arm, blocked balls in the dirt well, had a quick release and called a smart game.

Schneider batted .333 (22-for-66) and led the league in RBIs with 31. He hit eight doubles, one triple and four home runs. His on-base percentage was .420 and his slugging percentage was .667. He batted .353 with runners in scoring position.

His best game was against Westminster when he homered twice, doubled and drove in six runs.

* Kurt Weitzel, Centennial, senior, starting pitcher -- Weitzel set the tone for Centennial's county championship season when he beat highly touted Glenelg on opening day, 2-1.

The right-hander went on to an 8-2 season and 1.00 ERA in 56 innings. He missed two starts due to a sore arm.

He struck out 62 batters and walked just 15. He threw four shutouts, five complete games and two one-hitters, including a one-hitter against City in the regional championship game. He allowed just 36 hits -- eight for extra bases. His strikes-to-balls ratio was superlative -- 495 strikes and 265 balls.

Weitzel played shortstop or second base when he didn't pitch, ** and he made two errors in 59 chances. Weitzel batted .329 (27-for-82) with 24 runs scored, 15 RBIs, four doubles and one triple. He struck out just five times. He stole six bases in six attempts.

This is the second time Weitzel has been selected to the All-County first team.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

* David Hudson, Centennial, senior, starting pitcher -- The 6-foot-1, 190-pound hard-throwing right-hander's season included a no-hitter and another game in which he struck out 18 batters.

His 9-2 record, 0.75 ERA, eight complete games and four shutouts all topped the league. He won by 1-0 scores against strong South Carroll and Broadneck teams. The Broadneck win was a one-hitter in the regional semifinal.

In 75 innings he struck out 111 batters and walked 27 while allowing just 41 hits -- only 10 for extra bases. His fastball has been timed as fast as 86 mph, but he threw consistently in the low 80s.

When he didn't pitch, he played shortstop or second base and batted .383 (23-for-60) with 18 RBIs, eight doubles, four triples and two home runs. He stole four bases in four attempts.

Defensively, he made three errors in 74 chances. Hudson has signed with Ohio University.