In Sunday's editions, the college choice of McDonogh athlete Dennis Badham was reported incorrectly. He will be attending Troy State.
The Sun regrets the error.
FIRST TEAM AT A GLANCE
COACH OF THE YEAR
* Mark Moxey, Sparrows Point -- The Pointers finished 14-5 and reached the 1A state playoffs after going 3-15 last year and having to borrow players from the junior varsity when only eight varsity players remained because of disinterest near season's end. With a corps of six starters returning, Moxey, promoted from a 10-year tenure coaching the junior varsity, had to boost the confidence of the players. After a 2-0 start, the Pointers were nearly demoralized in a 12-2 loss to Owings Mills. Moxey and assistant John Wagner (pitching coach) went back to the drawing board. "We weren't sure which way we'd go from there at first," said Moxey, whose Pointers strung together two six-game winning streaks separated by an eight-inning loss to Hereford. The second streak ended with a 2-0 loss to Owings Mills, followed by a 7-2 first-round 1A North region loss to Rising Sun after leading, 2-1. "I feel like we had a good season, winning a lot more games than last year. It was even more satisfying to see one of our players -- who'd gotten thrown off of other teams -- show a lot of personal growth and understanding of the team concept."
PLAYER PROFILES
* Dennis Badham, McDonogh, senior, outfielder -- Badham combined speed and agility in left field with power and a smart eye at the plate to help boost the fourth-ranked Eagles (21-5) to their second straight private schools state title. Batting .415, Badham led the team with 30 RBI, seven doubles, four triples and four home runs. Also successful on nine of 10 steal attempts, Badham, a two-time football All-Metro as a wide receiver, is headed to Florida A&M; to play football.
James Benton, Southern, senior, infielder -- Whether pitching or playing first or third base, Benton was everything to the 12th-ranked 4A city champion Bulldogs (18-4). Benton ranked in the top 25 percent of his class with a 3.2 grade-point average, and ranked among the area's best in batting average (.569), RBIs (32), runs scored (25), doubles (seven) and triples (eight), while erring just twice. Benton, who also had a home run and nine stolen bases, also went 9-2, struck out 97 batters and had an 0.95 ERA. His fastball was clocked in the low 80s.
* Shannon Butler, Sparrows Point, senior, outfielder -- Butler, who went 7-4 as a left-hander, carried his team at times through a successful turnaround. Hitting .476 as a leadoff batter, he knocked in 28 runs, scored 25 more, doubled four times, tripled ** three times and ranked among the area's best with six home runs. He also stole 16 bases and had just two errors. A highlight was Butler's two-run home run for a 3-1 win over Overlea, whose only previous loss had been, 3-2, to then-No. 2 McDonogh. He's a workhorse and turned in one of the best all-around performances among the outfielders.
* Chuck Friedel, Mount Carmel, senior, catcher -- Friedel has been a starter in every one of Mount Carmel's varsity games since his freshman year, and the offensive leader in each of his four seasons. He hit .460 with 31 runs scored and 31 RBIs, had eight doubles and eight home runs, tripled once and stole 11 bases. He erred just twice as a catcher, helping Dan Gittings to a 7-3 record that included 92 strikeouts and just 92 walks in an area-leading 86 innings. Friedel's career batting average is .441, and he holds school records with career doubles (27) and home runs (11).
* Mike Ginsberg, McDonogh, senior, infielder -- As a pitcher and second baseman, Ginsberg led the Eagles to their second straight private schools state title. A second-team All-Metro pick last season, Ginsberg went 8-2 with 68 strikeouts in 57 innings and had a 1.35 ERA. Ginsberg also hit .403 with 26 runs batted in, 23 runs scored, two doubles, three triples and 10 stolen bases. Headed for the University of Maryland, Ginsberg has been a part of three teams that made league tournament title appearances, winning once.
* Dustin Jones, Poly, junior, outfielder -- Jones was a workhorse for the Engineers that won the city 3A title and made a playoff appearance. He batted .563 with 18 RBIs and 19 runs scored, 11 doubles, a triple and a home run. Jones, who stole five bases, also pitched, going 5-1 with 52 strikeouts and 16 walks. He made two errors.
* Dominic Liberto, Franklin, senior, outfielder -- Playing in just 14 games for the Indians due to early ineligibility, the Calvert Hall transfer and 1994 All-Metro pick hit .510 with 13 RBIs and 23 runs scored. He was most dangerous on the base paths, where he was successful on 25-of-26 steals. Liberto, who scored an area-high 44 times with 22 RBIs and 13 doubles last year, erred once and doubled twice with one triple.
* John McKay, Calvert Hall, senior, pitcher -- McKay, who will play for the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, made coach Joe Binder look like a genius. Though he didn't pitch once last season as a shortstop, hitting .356 with 24 RBIs, he came on this season to be the Cardinals' No. 2 pitcher. Using primarily a fastball clocked in the low 80s and a nasty slider, McKay (10-1, 0.99 ERA) struck out 97 batters and walked 19 in 56 innings. He also hit .368 with 13 RBIs, seven doubles and one home run. In the 2-0 MIAA title victory over Mount St. Joseph, McKay had one of two bases-empty home runs and threw a no-hitter, striking out 13 and walking one.
* Kevin Olkowski, Calvert Hall, senior, infielder -- Olkowski, a third baseman, was a steady contributor. season. He had a team-high .440 batting average and led the area with 39 RBIs. Olkowski also scored 31 times, had 13 doubles, three triples and two home runs and erred five times in 33 games. He is considering West Virginia and Xavier. * Ra'Mie Ray, Randallstown, junior, outfielder -- Ray was the lead-off hitter for the 13th-ranked Rams (15-3), who reached the 3A North Region title game before losing to Franklin. He had a .419 batting average, 17 RBIs, nine doubles and two triples, but he was more of a terror on the base paths, scoring 30 times with 47 steals. Ray, who erred once, "got from first to third often in three pitches," said coach Dave Wright. "No one could get him."
* Mike Trott, Franklin, junior, pitcher -- After leading the county with 57 strikeouts last season, Trott was expected to excel, and he didn't disappoint. Using a fastball in the low 80s and good control, he matched last year's strikeout total against 20 walks, went 11-1 and had an 0.65 ERA in leading the 11th-ranked Indians (17-3) to the Class 3A state semifinals.
* Chris Trout, Hereford, senior, designated hitter -- Trout, a catcher, hit .491 with 27 RBIs and scored 23 runs. He hit three home runs, two triples and five doubles. Among his best efforts ** was a game-winning home run in an eight-inning victory over Sparrows Point.
* Jerry Vecchioni, Patapsco, senior, infielder -- Vecchioni, who signed in November for a scholarship to Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, was under pressure most of the season. In January, he was named the No. 1 shortstop on the East Coast and No. 17 among all middle-infielders in the country by Team One, an Ohio-based organization that ranks high school baseball players nationally. Vecchioni batted .525 with 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored, three doubles and four home runs. But his efforts were made even more impressive considering he was under heavy scrutiny from such major league organizations as the Atlanta Braves, which drafted him in the seventh round. "Four years ago when he walked onto the field, I knew he was special," said coach Dave Ingle.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: ANDY BAIR
Calvert Hall's Bair, last year's All-Metro Player of the Year, has signed to attend the University of Miami. A 6-foot-6, 235-pound senior left-hander whose fastball has been clocked at 90 mph, he went undrafted in Thursday's major league draft. "Andy's a big left-hander, which is rare in itself. But where some live arms are all over the place, he not only throws hard, he throws strikes," said coach Joe Binder, whose Cardinals (29-2) were top-ranked for two straight seasons. "With his size, coordination and ability to focus under pressure, he's in a class by himself." Bair has not lost as a high school player. His 29-0 career record includes seven no-hitters -- one a perfect game -- two MIAA titles and an 8-0 junior varsity season. This year, Bair went 9-0 with one save, an 0.11 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 63 innings. He hit .427 with 26 RBIs, six home runs, two triples and three doubles and -- also a first baseman -- made no errors. "I've been around for a while, and I can't remember a left-hander coming out of here [Maryland] with his overall skills," said Jim Gilbert, Baltimore Orioles mid-Atlantic scouting supervisor. Pitchers: Andy Bair, Sr., Calvert Hall; John McKay, Sr., Calvert Hall; Rich Levin, Sr., McDonogh; Ryan Baker, Jr., Mount St. Joseph
Catcher: Chuck Friedel, Sr., Mount Carmel
First base: Eric Jeschke, Sr., Mount St. Joseph; John Dansiker, Sr., St. Paul's
Second base: Mike Ginsberg, Sr., McDonogh
Third base: Kevin Olkowski, Sr., Calvert Hall
Shortstop: Justin Singleton, Jr., St. Paul's
Outfield: Dennis Badham, Sr., McDonogh; Mike Dubansky, Jr., McDonogh; Joe Miller, Sr., Calvert Hall; Dan Gittings, Sr., Mount Carmel; Mike Couser, Jr., Mount St. Joseph
A5 Designated hitter: Bill Staub, Sr., Calvert Hall.
ALL-BALTIMORE CITY/COUNTY TEAMS
Player of the Year: Andy Bair, Calvert Hall
=1 Coach of the Year: Mark Moxey, Sparrows Point
FIRST TEAM
Name .............. School ......... Year .... Position
Andy Bair ........ Calvert Hall .... Senior .. Pitcher
John McKay ....... Calvert Hall .... Senior .. Pitcher
Mike Trott ....... Franklin ........ Junior .. Pitcher
Chuck Friedel .... Mount Carmel .... Senior .. Catcher
James Benton ..... Southern ........ Senior .. Infielder
Mike Ginsberg .... McDonogh ........ Senior .. Infielder
Kevin Olkowski ... Calvert Hall .... Senior .. Infielder
Jerry Vecchioni .. Patapsco ........ Senior .. Infielder
Shannon Butler ... Sparrows Point .. Senior .. Outfielder
Ra'Mie Ray ....... Randallstown .... Junior .. Outfielder
Dennis Badham .... McDonogh ........ Senior .. Outfielder
Dustin Jones ..... Poly ............ Junior .. Outfielder
Dominic Liberto .. Franklin ........ Senior .. Outfielder
Chris Trout ...... Hereford ........ Senior .. Des. Hitter
SECOND TEAM
Name .............. School ........... Year .... Position
Brian Ash ........ Perry Hall ........ Senior .. Pitcher
Brian Ward ....... Randallstown ...... Senior .. Pitcher
Ryan Baker ....... Mount St. Joseph .. Junior .. Pitcher
Rich Levin ....... McDonogh .......... Senior .. Pitcher
Dave Mize ........ Owings Mills ...... Senior .. Catcher
Nick Hienz ....... Franklin .......... Senior .. Infielder
Steve Boothe ..... Perry Hall ........ Senior .. Infielder
Todd Pinson ...... Franklin .......... Junior .. Infielder
Mike Burrows ..... Patterson ......... Senior .. Infielder
Mike Dubansky .... McDonogh .......... Junior .. Outfielder
Dan Gittings ..... Mount Carmel ...... Senior .. Outfielder
Joe Miller ....... Calvert Hall ...... Senior .. Outfielder
Willie McGirt .... Patterson ......... Senior .. Outfielder
Ken Tolodziecki .. Southern .......... Senior .. Outfielder
Bill Staub ....... Calvert Hall ...... Senior .. Des. Hitter
ALL-BALTIMORE COUNTY TEAMS
3A-4A League
Pitchers: Mike Trott, Jr., Franklin; Brian Ash, Sr., Perry Hall; Brian Ward, Sr., Randallstown.
Designated hitter: Todd Pinson, Jr., Franklin
Catcher: Billy Walters, Jr., Lansdowne
First base: Nick Hienz, Sr., Franklin
Second base: Steve Boothe, Sr., Perry Hall
Third base: Randy Fox, Jr., Dundalk
Shortstop: Jerry Vecchioni, Sr., Patapsco
Outfielders: Ra'Mie Ray, Jr., Randallstown; Dominic Liberto, Sr., Franklin; Marc Diggs, Woodlawn.
1A-2A League
Pitchers: Geoffrey Leven, Soph., Owings Mills; Frank Merson, Sr., Overlea; Tom Bloom, Jr., Catonsville
Designated hitter: Dave Mize, Sr., Owings Mills
Catcher: Chris Trout, Sr., Hereford
First base: Jason Sparks, Sr., Hereford
Second base: Nate Holzman, Sr., Pikesville
Third base: Jeff Kurkland, Sr., Pikesville
Shortstop: Matt Saunders, Sr., Hereford
Outfielders: Clint Eaton, Sr., Hereford; Shannon Butler, Sr., Sparrows Point; Tim Dememmo, Sr., Overlea.
ALL-BALTIMORE CITY TEAM
Pitchers: Ken Tolodziecki, Sr., Southern; James Benton, Sr., Southern; Mike Burrows, Sr., Patterson
Catcher: Curtis Pope, Jr., Mervo; John Winters, Sr., Patterson
First base: Sean Cooper, Sr., City
Second base: Pat Mowray, Sr., City
Third base: Kenny Williams, Sr., Lake Clifton
Shortstop: Kevin Davis, Sr., Mervo
Outfield: Dustin Jones, Jr., Poly; Willie McGirt, Sr., Patterson; Terry Allen, Jr., Poly; Damien Beane, Sr., City
Designated hitters: Billy Thomas, Sr., Southern; Dwayne Watts, Sr., Douglass.
3' Utility: Corey Davis, Sr., Douglass
PICKING THE TEAMS
The Baltimore Sun 1995 All-Baltimore City/County, All-MIAA and All-City Baseball Teams were chosen by Lem Satterfield after consultation with staff writers and area coaches. The All-Baltimore County Teams were chosen by the league coaches.