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Spotlight on locals in all-state voting Crater senior pitcher Chris Thomas is named Class 5A pitcher of the year after going 13-0 with a 1.29 ERA. Thomas earned all four victories in the playoffs to help lead Crater to the Class 5A state title. File photo Thursday Jun 14, 2007 at 12:01 AM In one of the most successful baseball seasons for Southern Oregon, the local boys were feted with quite a few honors Wednesday with the release of the all-state baseball teams. By KRIS HENRY In one of the most successful baseball seasons for Southern Oregon, the local boys were feted with quite a few honors Wednesday with the release of the all-state baseball teams. Crater, which won the first-ever Class 5A baseball title, earned top billing in all three categories as the Comets were honored with the state's top player, pitcher and coach for the 5A ranks. "We did quite well and represented Crater High quite well at the all-state level," said Crater coach Jay Campbell, who was named 5A coach of the year. "To get five players on the first team and have the top player and pitcher, that's pretty impressive." Crater senior catcher Charlie Reina was named the Class 5A player of the year, while senior teammate Chris Thomas was named 5A pitcher of the year. Each played pivotal roles in leading the Comets to a 24-5-1 record and the school's first baseball state title since 2000. "I thought it was a really great award for Chris just because over the years I think people have overlooked him," said Reina of his battery-mate. "I was just happy he finally got some recognition that he is one of the best pitchers in Oregon." Thomas capped his senior season with a 13-0 record and 1.29 ERA. The right-hander earned all four playoff wins for the Comets, finishing with 96 strikeouts in 921/3 innings. "He was tremendous all year," Campbell said of Thomas. "He was strong from beginning to end. If you don't lose a game, it's pretty hard to get better than that." For his part, Reina hit .457 with 44 RBIs and 39 runs scored in his fourth varsity season at catcher. "It's a great award I wasn't expecting to get," Reina said of his honor. "I've worked really hard over the past four years so I'm really thankful for being able to wrap everything up this way. And just to be able to share the whole experience with all my good friends, it was just a great send-off." And one that was much-deserved. "What better way to go out as state champion and player of the year," Campbell said of Reina. "That's a pretty special kid. "He's a stud when it comes to the game of baseball," added the second-year coach. "We looked toward him at times to get rallies started, and he was always right there ready to get it going." The Comets had several players that fit that mold, including first-team selections Zach Boskovich (first base), Josh Surgeon (second base) and Cory Staniforth (shortstop). Boskovich hit .489 and scored 28 runs, with eight of his 35 RBIs coming in the playoffs. Surgeon, who joined Reina as Southern Sky Conference player of the year, hit .437 with 43 runs and 35 RBIs, while Staniforth hit .433 with 28 runs and 32 RBIs. Center fielder Tyler Davis was a second-team selection for the Comets. He batted .538 in the playoffs and .327 overall to go with 39 runs and 25 RBIs. North Medford, which earned the inaugural Class 6A crown, became the first Medford team to earn a baseball state title since 1984. Along the way, the Black Tornado set a school record for wins in compiling a 27-3 record. Leading the charge for North Medford all season were senior catcher Darren Bruhns and junior pitcher Andrew Jones, who were each named to the 6A first team. Bruhns hit .445 and scored 42 runs to finish one shy of the school record set by Nate Mayben in 1999. The leadoff hitter helped set the pace both offensively and defensively for the Black Tornado. "Obviously it's a great honor for Darren," said North Medford coach Brett Wolfe. "He earned it definitely as a leader and captain of our team. He's a great offensive hitter and defensive catcher, and has a powerful arm and can run. He's a big reason why we were so successful in the spring." Jones capped an outstanding season on the mound with a 9-0 record, and boasted a 2.63 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 28 walks in 691/3 innings. "Jonesy's smaller in stature than some of the kids in the state of Oregon as far as pitchers go," said Wolfe, "but he's got a big heart and is one helluva competitor. He's one of those kids that just goes out with a bulldog mentality and gets the job done." Center fielder Jordan Bostwick was a third-team all-state selection after leading North Medford with a .465 batting average to go with 41 runs, while senior right fielder Logan Odom earned honorable mention status after hitting .337 with a team-high 37 RBIs and six home runs. In other Class 5A selections, Ashland pitcher Gus Gaviglio was a second-team selection, while teammate Tysin Senestraro was an honorable mention infielder. In the Class 4A ranks, Phoenix infielder Dustin Smith and outfielder Kory Locken were each named to the second team, while Jordan Lewis was a third-team selection at pitcher and Jake Murphy received an honorable mention nod as a utility player. Class 6A All-State Baseball FIRST TEAM PITCHER — Joey Mahalic, sr., Wilson; Kyle Farrell, sr., West Salem; Chris Vitus, sr., Sheldon; Andrew Jones, jr., North Medford; D.J. Johnson, sr., Sunset. CATCHER — Chris Houle, sr., Sandy; Darren Bruhns, sr., North Medford. FIRST BASE — Dylan Jones, sr., Aloha; Jordan Cusick, sr., West Salem. INFIELD — Kevin Shepherd, sr., McNary; Grant Force, sr., Lakeridge; John Tommasini, sr., Roseburg; Cam Ahmad, sr., West Salem; Austin Potter, sr., Beaverton; Tim David, sr., Jesuit. OUTFIELD — Eric Copenhagen, sr., Canby; Craig Dolmage, sr., Grants Pass; Steve Blum, sr., West Salem; Matt Stutes, sr., Lake Oswego; R.W. Zeller, sr., Putnam; Ryan Gorton, jr., Tigard. UTILITY — Kyle Taylor, sr., Clackamas. PLAYER OF THE YEAR — Joey Mahalic, Wilson. COACH OF THE YEAR — Garet Luebbert, Sandy. SECOND TEAM PITCHER — Ben Pressler, sr., Westview; Jared VanHoon, jr., Lake Oswego; Mitchell Lambson, jr., Tualatin; Scott Burris, sr., Franklin; Kyle Kraus, jr., West Linn. CATCHER — Kevin Coleman, sr., Southridge; Andrew Goodpaster, sr., McNary. FIRST BASE — Andrew Degarmo, sr., Westview; Andrew Woolfe, jr., Tigard. INFIELD — Colby Martzall, sr., West Linn; Ryan Barnes, so., West Linn; Derrick Hough, sr., Barlow; Mitch Edwards, jr., Southridge. OUTFIELD — Zane Norris, jr., Jesuit; Brandon Hayes, sr., Sheldon; Rayce Belmont, jr., Oregon City; Matt Kirschner, sr., McKay. UTILITY — Cameron Love, jr., Jesuit. THIRD TEAM PITCHER — Brent Holbrook, sr., Reynolds; Alex Besaw, sr., Sheldon; Brian McGregor, sr., West Salem; Vernell Warren, sr., Grant; Isaiah Crittenden, sr., Canby. CATCHER — Mitch Bailey, sr., West Linn; John Grill, so., Tualatin; Tony Wilson, jr., Sprague. FIRST BASE — Scott Allred, sr., Roseburg. INFIELD — Taylor Hunter, sr., Canby; Cooper Mandelblatt, sr., Lake Oswego; Shawn O'Brien, sr., Grants Pass; Bo Guthrie, jr., Redmond. OUTFIELD — Trent Jones, sr., Canby; Jordan Bostwick, jr., North Medford; Jordan Elliott, jr., Sandy; Andre Broadous, jr., Grant. UTILITY — Jordan Guthrie, so., Roseburg. HONORABLE MENTION PITCHER — Nick Struck, jr., Clackamas; Shane Marx, sr., North Salem; Austin Hope, jr., Southridge; Levi Fletcher, sr., Newberg. CATCHER — Buddy Saxon, jr., Grants Pass; Bryan Butcher, jr., Grant. INFIELD — Kurt Snowley, sr., Putnam; Jake Fenwick, sr., Sandy; Cody Gibson, so., Tualatin; Josh Harbolt, sr., Tigard; Greg Wirtala, sr., Sheldon; Mark Rusconi, sr., West Salem. FIRST BASE — Ryan Miller, sr., Sandy; Johnny Verschueren, sr., Wilson. OUTFIELD — Logan Odom, sr., North Medford; Nic Cardona, so., North Salem; Mitch Mathews, so., Southridge. UTILITY — Jack Carpenter, sr., South Eugene; Cody Curtin, sr., Benson. Class 5A All-State Baseball FIRST TEAM PITCHER — Taylor Hill, sr., Sherwood; Chris Thomas, sr., Crater; Tim Keller, so., North Eugene. CATCHER — Jake Prow, jr., Madras; Charlie Reina, sr., Crater. FIRST BASE — Zach Boskovich, jr., Crater. INFIELD — Josh Surgeon, sr., Crater; Nate Hiebert, sr., Lebanon; Kenny Melton, sr., Pendleton; Cory Staniforth, sr., Crater. OUTFIELD — Odie Hollingshead, sr., Cleveland; Dan Winterstein, sr., North Eugene; Antony Krietz, sr., Churchill; Seth Davies, sr., Mountain View; John Miles, sr., Hillsboro. UTILITY — Matt Lokken, jr., St. Helens. DESIGNATED HITTER — Jordan Perepchuk, sr., Glencoe. PLAYER OF THE YEAR — Charlie Reina, Crater. PITCHER OF THE YEAR — Chris Thomas, Crater. COACH OF THE YEAR — Jay Campbell, Crater. SECOND TEAM PITCHER — Evan Hilberg, sr., Corvallis; Ian MacDougall, sr., Summit; Mike Greene, sr., Lebanon; Gus Gaviglio, sr., Ashland. CATCHER — Justin Hoffman, jr., Churchill; Tucker Whitten, sr., Pendleton. FIRST BASE — Nick Irving, jr., West Albany; Albert Adams, jr., Madras. INFIELD — Eric Evenson, sr., Corvallis; Tyler Reeves, sr., Wilsonville; Darrell Hunter, jr., Churchill; Cody Knighten, so., Summit. OUTFIELD — Jeremy Lorence, sr., Hillsboro; Kory Whittaker, sr., Wilsonville; Brandon Saboe, jr., North Eugene; Tyler Davis, sr., Crater. DESIGNATED HITTER — Andy McIntyre, so., Cleveland. UTILITY — Trevor Smith, sr., Pendleton. HONORABLE MENTION PITCHER — Zach Ayers, jr., South Albany; Jeff Nelson, jr., Summit; Rudy Corbett, fr., Cleveland; Mac Marshall, sr., Willamette. CATCHER — Casey Schwartz, sr., Roosevelt; Chance Cornish, sr., Liberty. FIRST BASE — Drew Irsfeld, sr., Churchill. INFIELD — Nate Hickok, sr., Sherwood; Tysin Senestraro, sr., Ashland; Markus Lindsey, sr., North Eugene; Sam Dodge, sr., West Albany. OUTFIELD — Garrett Queen, sr., Crook County; Jesse Lear-Konold, so., West Albany; Jacob Bilyeu, sr., Silverton; Derek Kotowski, sr., Sherwood. DESIGNATED HITTER — Danny Edwards, sr., Hermiston. UTILITY — Thomas McCarthy, jr., Crescent Valley. Class 4A All-State Baseball FIRST TEAM PITCHER — Matt Brause, sr., Astoria; Travis Iverson, jr., Newport; Tyler Parke, jr., Brookings. CATCHER — Dane Hoppe, sr., Henley; Nick Stiltner, sr., Marist. FIRST BASE — Cody Garner, jr., Junction City. INFIELD — Colin Stock, sr., Henley; Adam Ehlers, sr., Brookings; Joe Kociemba, sr., Gladstone; Tom Jaworski, jr., Astoria. OUTFIELD — Jordan Poyer, so., Astoria; Brady Regier, jr., Gladstone; Kelly Shannon, sr., Henley; Brent Culver, sr., Astoria. UTILITY — Tyler Conklin, jr., Newport. PLAYER OF THE YEAR — Matt Brause, Astoria. COACH OF THE YEAR — Ken Riley, Newport. SECOND TEAM PITCHER — James Nygren, sr., Henley; Ferman Garcia, sr., McLoughlin; Kody Fritz, sr., Henley. CATCHER — Jordan Lanman, sr., La Grande; AJ Christensen, sr., North Marion. FIRST BASE — JT Davis, sr., Ontario. INFIELD — Jesse Westbrook, jr., Cottage Grove; Justin Bond, sr., Newport; Dustin Smith, sr., Phoenix; Derek Nelson, sr., Brookings. OUTFIELD — Riley Stephenson, jr., Philomath; Landon Weaver, sr., La Grande; Thomas Briones, sr., Cottage Grove; Kory Locken, jr., Phoenix. UTILITY — Derek Howerton, sr., Baker. THIRD TEAM PITCHER — Bill West, sr., Gladstone; Chase Meister, sr., Newport; Jordan Lewis, jr., Phoenix. CATCHER — Anthony Longo, sr., Brookings; Brendan Landwehr, sr., Astoria. FIRST BASE — Ben Christianson, sr., Seaside; Marcus Luther, jr., Newport. INFIELD — Dylan Price, sr., Pleasant Hill; Anthony Nice, jr., La Grande; Collin Pickerill, jr., Yamhill-Carlton; Mike Dickman, sr., Marist. OUTFIELD — Tyler Hill, sr., South Umpqua; Will Beatty, sr., Seaside; Josh Bitterman, jr., Philomath; Seager Pence, sr., Baker; Corey Peters, sr., Stayton. UTILITY — Colton Thomas, jr., Marist. HONORABLE MENTION PITCHER — Robby Perron, sr., Douglas; Roby Smith, sr., South Umpqua; Jacob Gale, sr., Scappoose; Alex Armstrong, jr., Gladstone; Nick Bredleau, sr., Astoria; Jordan Nygren, sr., Elmira; Zach Nice, fr., La Grande. CATCHER — Matt Hill, jr., Philomath; Jesse Long, sr., Elmira; Sean Wasson, jr., Scappoose. FIRST BASE — Grant Mascolo, jr., Marist; Neal Vaught, sr., North Bend. INFIELD — Tanner Hodges, jr., Sisters; Adam Hudspeth, jr., Cascade; Kyle Mudd, sr., Gladstone; Ryan Hayden, so., Hidden Valley; Saul Gonzalez, sr., McLoughlin; Michael Mastroianni, jr., Henley; Logan Horrocks, sr., Newport; Alan Shankle, sr., Baker; Mike Fowler, jr., Molalla; Pat Steeves, sr., Philomath. OUTFIELD — Josh Mejia, fr., Ontario; Kyle Hamlin, jr., Taft; Cameron Dixon, jr., Cottage Grove; Travis Hudson, sr., La Grande; Adam Koehnke, sr., Astoria. UTILITY — Donny LaBar, sr., Gladstone; Bo Younker, so., South Umpqua; Jake Murphy, jr., Phoenix. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected]