All-Sentinel baseball team revealed
By Kevin Reagan
SPORTS WRITER

A solid pitching rotation and some clutch hitting are key to success in baseball.

The teams in the Upper Dauphin Sentinel's coverage area have this formula perfected and it showed in the postseason.

After a deep run into the playoffs by the Williams Valley baseball squad – which was one of four area teams to qualify for the postseason – this sports writer finally had the time to sit down and sort through all statistics and box scores.

The All-Sentinel team is an ever-changing process, which can produce different size teams, but one thing always remain the same – input from coaches.

Every coach was contacted for their thoughts on who belonged on the team and for final statistics and ultimately it's a very tough decision.

This year's decision for our Player of the Year award was so tough that we settled for a split decision on UDA's Matt Gessner and Williams Valley's Brandon Cotten.

With Gessner and Cotten headlining, this year's All-Sentinel baseball team features 14 players on the first team, including a pitching staff that goes six deep and one player each at the other eight positions.

An additional seven players were selected to round out the bench and four players were listed as honorable mentions.

Catcher

Jeremy Weaver, UDA. Missed the middle portion of the season with an ankle injury, but still posted solid numbers with a .465 average, four doubles and nine RBIs. When the strong-armed catcher wasn't throwing out would-be base runners, he was dominating on the mound. To go along with his solid season at the plate, Weaver went 3-0 with 28 strikeouts and did not allow an earned run in 20 innings.

First Base

Austin Markel, UDA. The Trojans sophomore was a jack of all trades in the field with playing time at first base, pitcher and catcher. Batted at a .400 clip with six doubles, three home runs and a team-leading 16 RBIs. On the mound, Markel went 2-1 with 17 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Second Base

Travis Dunkelberger, Line Mountain. One of the Eagles' returning starters from the 2007 Tri-Valley League champions who used his veteran savvy to help lead the team on offense this season. Dunkelberger batted .410 with 12 RBIs and led the team with five doubles and a .486 on-base percentage.

Third Base

Zach Klinger, Halifax. The Washington & Jefferson-bound quarterback is earning his third All-Sentinel selection of his senior season as the starting third baseman. Klinger batted in the .380-range with six doubles, while providing solid defense at the hot corner for the Wildcats.

Shortstop

Matt Gessner, UDA. One of the Sentinel Co-Players of the Year, Gessner provided a potent bat at the top of the lineup for the Trojans. Gessner led his team in batting average (.469), hits (30), doubles (8), stolen bases (7) and also had three home runs and 11 RBIs. Gessner also handled a lot of UDA's pitching duties, compiling a 3-3 record with 25 strikeouts and a 4.35 ERA.

Outfield

Brandon Cotten, Williams Valley. The Sentinel's other selection for Co-Player of the Year wrapped up a prolific career for the Vikings this season. The Rider University-bound center fielder had a .431 batting average with six triples, four home runs and 29 RBIs. Broke the school's record for stolen bases in a season with 29. Also finished with a school record with 17 career triples.

Dillan Ramberger, Halifax. Like Cotten, Dillan Ramberger made would-be doubles to the gap look like routine fly balls. The rangy center fielder batted leadoff for the Wildcats and got things going with his .394 batting average and team-leading 28 hits. Ramberger also emerged as one of his team's top pitchers with an ERA of 2.28 to go along with his 6-0 mark.

Jachin Spotts, Line Mountain. Like the other selections in the outfield, Spotts provided sparkling defense to his team in center field. The speedy leadoff hitter posted a .356 batting average, scored 17 runs, drove in 12 more and swiped 11 bases for Line Mountain this season.

Pitchers

Chris Bickel, Halifax. With pitching being a preseason concern, Bickel's emergence as the team's staff ace was a welcome one. Bickel pitched for the 'Cats in their biggest games and finished with a 5-4 record and a 1.95 ERA. He wasn't too shabby with the stick either, judging by his .338 batting average.

Scott Clough, Williams Valley. Clough served as a senior leader for the Vikings' championship push and was part of a dominant 1-2 punch on their pitching staff. For the season, Clough went 6-2 with a 2.60 ERA. At the plate, he turned in solid numbers with a .328 batting average and 22 RBIs. 

Dan Feidt, Millersburg. A mainstay on the team since his freshman season, Feidt took a lot of hard-luck losses as a senior. The 2-6 record is not indicative of how well Feidt pitched this season; the 3.15 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 50 innings tells the real story. Feidt was also the  leader offensively with a team-high .389 batting average and 15 RBIs.

Brian Heilig, UDA. Heilig and his side-armed throwing delivery had hitters baffled this season. The Harford College-bound senior finished with a 4-1 record and struck out 35 in only 34 innings while posting a 4.11 ERA.

Tyler Herb, Williams Valley. The young gun of the Vikings' 1-2 punch was a vital part of the team's run to the PIAA Class-A Eastern Final. Herb posted a 7-2 record and three saves to go along with a 2.88 ERA and 69 strikeouts. At the plate, he posted a .325 batting average with two home runs and led the team with 13 doubles.

Mike Miller, Tri-Valley. The Bulldogs' senior continued to show veteran savvy on the mound. Miller was one of Tri-Valley's workhorses on a staff that had a team ERA of 2.89. His line included a 5-4 record with a 1.96 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings.

BENCH

Millersburg's Cody Shomper and Halifax's Brandon Erdman were one in the same in that they provided solid defense behind the plate and a steady bat. Both catchers mowed down unsuspecting base stealers and batted in the high .200's.

Line Mountain's Adam Menko fits in more as a utility player with his ability to play catcher, second base and pitcher. Menko provided solid contributions on offense as well with his .369 batting and average and team-leading 15 RBIs.

Millersburg's Brett Boyer spent his time this season at the middle-infield positions with time at second base and shortstop. At the plate, he came through for the Indians with a .356 batting average and six RBIs.

UDA's Tyler Koppenhaver followed up on a solid freshman season after he locked down the starting spot at third base. Koppenhaver, who also pitched some for the Trojans, shined brightest at the plate with a .351, three home runs and 12 RBIs.

Line Mountain's Jordan Welker burst into the lineup for the Eagles as a freshman and emerged as the starting shortstop and the team's top pitcher. Welker led the team with a .418 batting average and scored 17 runs. On the mound he had a 4-4 record, 3.32 earned run average and 33 strikeouts in 38 innings.

Halifax's Dustin Ramberger, who missed the 2007 season with an injury, burst onto the scene in his sophomore season. Ramberger gives the team versatility in the outfield as he played both left field and switched over to center field when twin brother Dillan was pitching. Dustin made his mark as a power hitter with a .318 batting average, three home runs and multiple extra-base hits.

Honorable Mention

Bob Ancheff, Williams Valley; Dylan Holland, Tri-Valley; Andrew Rothermel, Millersburg; and Brett Wert, Tri-Valley.

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