COACH OF THE YEAR
* Joe Foltz, South Carroll -- This quiet man of high school baseball in Carroll County came within one run of taking South Carroll to the state 3A tournament, winning seven in a row down the stretch before being ousted in the 3A West Regional final, 6-5, by Thomas Johnson. A trip to the Final Four would have been fitting for Foltz in his final season at South Carroll after seven outstanding years. The Cavaliers finished 15-7 and have plenty of talent back next year. The only problem is that Foltz won't be around to coach that team because there is no teaching position for him at South Carroll. In seven years, Foltz has coached such standouts as Joey Goodwin (now at George Mason), Steve Schulze (a standout sophomore pitcher for Virginia Tech this season before hurting his arm) and Brad Schulze (The Player of the Year in Carroll County this season). Foltz will be missed at South Carroll, not only for his coaching but for his dedication to keeping the baseball field in top condition and providing expansive statistics on his players.
THE FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE
* Lawrence Alvarez, Westminster, Sr., catcher -- Every coach's dream is to find an excellent defensive catcher who can hit. "Peanut" Alvarez was the answer to those dreams for Owls' co-coaches Carl Rihard and Guy Stull. Alvarez hit .354, had 11 RBIs and threw out nine runners trying to steal against his strong right arm. "We were pretty fortunate to have a guy like Peanut hitting .354 for us in the No. 6 and No. 7 positions in our order," said Rihard. "He came back strong from a hernia operation that caused him to miss our opening game." On a team that faltered sometimes on defense, Alvarez was a model of consistency behind the plate for a 9-9 Westminster squad that shared the Carroll County championship with South Carroll (both 5-1).
* Tim Beck, South Carroll, Sr., shortstop -- This smooth-fielding shortstop also could make things happen with a bat in his hands at the top of the order for South Carroll (15-7 and trip to 3A West Region finals). He hit .333, stole five of five bases, had five triples, drew 10 walks and had 18 RBIs. Beck and Carroll County Player of the Year Brad Schulze had green lights to steal whenever they wanted. Beck wound up his two-year career with a school-record nine triples and is a repeat first-team choice on the All-Carroll County squad. In addition to his nine career triples, Beck had four home runs and eight doubles in two seasons. Beck, Schulze, Kile Maxcy and Jeremy Hancock were the first four hitters, respectively, in the South Carroll lineup and often struck fear into the hearts of opponents.
* Josh Gursky, Liberty, Sr., first base -- Once this talented first baseman relaxed and stopped trying to carry all the load for the struggling Lions (6-10), he came on like wild fire down the stretch to finish with a .270 batting average. But most coaches in the county didn't really care how much Gursky hit this season. They were so impressed with his fielding and leadership that they felt he deserved a first-team berth. "I got more aggressive at the plate after getting off to a horrendous start," said Gursky. "I was taking good pitches and swinging at bad ones early in the season. I guess I felt the pressure to hit a lot since we weren't doing too good. Then I realized I couldn't let the pressure bother me." Gursky, who was chosen Boys Soccer Player of the Year in Carroll County and was an excellent forward on the basketball team, just might be the top all-around athlete in the county this school year.
* Jeremy Hancock, South Carroll, Jr., designated hitter -- No one who witnessed Hancock's long home run to center field at North Carroll this season soon will forget that drive. It was hit so hard and so far that Panthers center fielder Art Crouse didn't even bother to move. Crouse just turned his head a little and watched the ball fly over the fence. Hancock has an excellent future with the bat. He hit .394, had three home runs, 22 RBIs and a .610 slugging percentage. He was scheduled to play third base but volunteered to catch when junior catcher Greg Mihalko decided not to play baseball this season. There were some growing pains behind the plate, but Hancock never let it interfere with his hitting.
* B.J. Hanley, Westminster, Jr., outfield -- This transfer from Northern California arrived in school in March and became one of the most popular players on the team. He also proved he could hit the ball fairly well (.306 average) and showed some power (three home runs, four doubles and a triple). Originally, Hanley wasn't planning to transfer until the start of his senior year, but he called Westminster co-coach Carl Rihard in March and asked if his chances of playing as a senior would be enhanced if he played his junior year. When Rihard said yes, Hanley decided to make the move immediately. He will play football for the Owls his senior year, most likely as a linebacker.
* Dave Johnson, Francis Scott Key, Jr., second base -- This gifted junior started the season as the team's leadoff hitter but wound up as a cleanup hitter when some of the big offensive weapons didn't come through for the Eagles. Johnson displayed brief flashes of power with two home runs and a .390 batting average that produced 17 RBIs. Key coach Bob Caples said Johnson "is pretty tough all-around and has been well-coached. He has a lot of natural talent." Caples also was impressed by Johnson's consistency in the field and at the plate. Johnson will hone his talent again this summer by playing on the Carroll County Rangers, an outstanding team that competes in the tough Baltimore Metro League.
* Jason Magin, Westminster, Sr., outfield -- A "little talk" with Westminster co-coach Carl Rihard early in the season put Magin on the path to a .404 batting average, tops on the team. He was hitting only .200 in the early going and was dropped to seventh or eighth in the batting order before returning to second or third in the lineup. Magin seemed to thrive on hitting in pressure situations, batting .818 (9-for-11) with runners in scoring position. He also had 13 RBIs and 13 walks. His biggest asset at the plate is a good knowledge of the strike zone.
* Kile Maxcy, South Carroll, Jr., left-handed pitcher -- Intense and talented. That is the best way to describe this fiery pitcher who also plays an excellent first base (1.000 fielding percentage). Maxcy had a 5-3 record with two saves, a 2.90 ERA, struck out 36 and walked 23. South Carroll needed Maxcy to have an outstanding season on the mound to bounce back from last year's 8-10 season, and he responded to the challenge. He also continued to be a strong hitter, batting .415, which was second on the team to Brad Schulze (.452). Maxcy and Schulze tied for the team lead in slugging percentage with a .644 mark. Maxcy tied a school record with three doubles in one game and wound up with a team-leading nine doubles.
* Jeremy Robinson, Westminster, Sr., right-handed pitcher -- This was an unforgettable season for Robinson. He gave up wrestling and football to concentrate on baseball and was more than rewarded with a super senior season that has him headed for a possible collegiate career at Division II Carson-Newman in Johnson City, Tenn. Robinson seemed to have a rubber arm as he pitched several marathon seven-inning games and came away with seven of the Owls' nine victories. He was 7-1, had a 2.30 ERA, struck out 77, walked 24 and hit one batter. He often threw as many as 136 pitches in seven innings and even went back in to pitch during a game this season after coming out. As a hitter, Robinson was tough to get out. He hit .360, walked 15 times, had 14 RBIs and five triples.
* Dan Stephenson, Francis Scott Key, Jr., outfield -- Helped save the day for the Eagles with a superb junior season that included a .355 batting average and an outstanding effort in the outfield. Stephenson batted second or third for Key and was noted for his ability to make contact and to get the most out of his ability. He also had a good year pitching, throwing a one-hitter against Middletown and finishing with a 3-3 record and 3.50 ERA for the 8-11 Eagles, who lost to Boonsboro, 10-3, in the Class 1A South Regional semifinals.
* Ronnie White, South Carroll, Jr., outfield -- Another one of the talented young players the Cavaliers will have back next season after an impressive junior year. White could chase down fly balls with the best of them in center field, hit .340 and had one home run, four doubles, three triples and 14 RBIs. He also was an outstanding right-handed pitcher, getting the call against Thomas Johnson in the 3A West Region championship game. White lost that game, 6-5, but deserved a better fate because some shaky fielding led to four TJ runs in the first inning. He finished with a 4-2 record, 2.54 ERA, struck out 41 batters in 41 innings and walked 14. The 41 Ks were the most for a South Carroll pitcher this season, and the 14 walks were the fewest on the team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Brad Schulze, South Carroll -- A franchise player for the &L; Cavaliers, Schulze led the team in 13 offensive, defensive and pitching categories this season. He also broke five and tied two season or career records. Schulze, a third baseman when not pitching, hit .452, had 26 RBIs, four home runs, a 5-2 pitching record and a 1.82 ERA. He hit three of the four home runs in one game, something no other South Carroll player has done. The senior is headed for Virginia Tech, where he hopes to make the Gobblers' baseball team as a walk-on just like his brother Steve did this spring.
Brad Schulze established South Carroll career records for home runs (seven) and stolen bases (33) and tied Joey Goodwin for most runs scored in a career (66). The season marks he set this year were for most hits (33), most stolen bases (19) and most assists (51). His four home runs tied Goodwin and Brian Yanick for the school season high. Off the field, Schulze was a member of the National Honor Society, had a 3.85 GPA, ranked 22nd out of 270 in his class, was nominated for Boys State and received honorable mention among Maryland Distinguished Scholars.