E&H’s McCall, H-SC’s Whitaker, LC’s Fitzpatrick also Recognized with Individual Honors

FOREST, Va. --- Randolph-Macon College first baseman Jordan Walton and Bridgewater College right-hander Kevin Chandler headline the 2012 All-ODAC Baseball Awards as the ODAC Player and ODAC Pitcher of the Year, respectively.  Emory & Henry College mentor Trey McCall was tabbed the ODAC Coach of the Year, and Hampden-Sydney College righty Zach Whitaker earned ODAC Rookie of the Year accolades.  Lynchburg College catcher Zach Fitzpatrick was named the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete in a vote of the league’s sports information directors.

Walton, a senior from Mechanicsville, Va., has backed up his All-America campaign from 2011 with an equally impressive 2012 season.  The NCAA’s all-time single-season doubles record-holder (31 in 2011) and ODAC single-season hits standard-bearer (84 in 2011) entered the ODAC Tournament leading the league in batting (.431) and tied atop the conference in hits (62).  His 17 doubles and six homers tied for third.  He also collected 33 RBI and posted a .715 slugging percentage and .497 on-base percentage.  Walton became the Yellow Jackets all-time hits leader against Virginia Wesleyan College in early April, collecting his 196^th career hit to surpass Greg Meleski ’09.

Chandler, a senior from Harrisonburg, Va., posted six wins in a season for the third straight season as the Eagles’ righty entered tournament play with a 6-1 record and a 3.14 earned run average in 72.1 innings pitched against all competition.  His numbers were equally as impressive against league opponents as he went 4-1 in ODAC games with a 3.21 earned run average in 47.2 innings of work.  He fanned 26 and picked up a save in seven appearances (six starts) against conference competition.

McCall led the Wasps to an ODAC tournament berth for the first time since 1999 as the Wasps earned the third seed with an 11-7 record in conference games.  The third seed equals the highest tournament position all-time for the Wasps, having also occupied that spot in 1977 and 1979.  Emory & Henry’s 11 league victories set a new program standard (10 in 1998), and the squad’s 15 overall wins ties the all-time team mark (15 in 1977, 1993, 1999).

Whitaker, a freshman from Roanoke, Va., put together a solid rookie season at H-SC.  He went 7-3 in 16 total appearances (8 starts) with a 2.60 earned run average in 65.2 innings of work.  In league games, Whitaker went 5-1 with two saves in nine appearances (7 starts).  He struck out 30 batters in 48.1 innings.  He earned the final ODAC Pitcher of the Week award by firing a pair of nine-inning complete games, helping propel the Tigers into the ODAC tournament.

Fitzpatrick, a sophomore from Baltimore, Md., standouts out both behind the dish and in the classroom for the Hornets as he adds this honor to an All-ODAC Third Team selection.  He boasts a 4.00 grade point average as a Business Administration and Economics double-major.  He is a two-time honoree on the Lynchburg College Dean’s List, and was a member of the 2010-11 All-ODAC Academic Team.  On the field, the Hornets’ catcher entered the ODAC tournament batting .354 (35-for-99) with seven doubles, a triple, a homer and 24 runs batted in.  He was also 4-of-4 in stolen base attempts.

Listed below are the 2012 All-ODAC Baseball Teams.  For more information on ODAC Baseball, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC’s home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  For more information on the ODAC Baseball Tournament, go to the ODAC’s tournament website at www.odaconline.com/tournament/spring/baseball. 

2012 ALL-ODAC BASEBALL TEAMS
Player of the Year: Jordan Walton, Sr., First Base, Randolph-Macon
Pitcher of the Year: Kevin Chandler, Sr., Bridgewater
Coach of the Year: Trey McCall, Emory & Henry
Rookie of the Year: Zach Whitaker, Fr., Pitcher, Hampden-Sydney
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Zach Fitzpatrick, So., Catcher, Lynchburg

All-ODAC First Team
Pitcher: Kevin Chandler, Sr., Bridgewater
Pitcher: Zach Whitaker, Fr., Hampden-Sydney
Catcher: Devon Snow, Sr., Bridgewater
First Base: Jordan Walton, Sr., Randolph-Macon
Second Base: Josh McMillian, Sr., Emory & Henry
Third Base: Dan Savage, Jr., Lynchburg
Shortstop: Jonathan Stutts, Jr., Washington and Lee
Outfield: Remington Hedgepeth, Sr., Emory & Henry
Outfield: Richie Palase, Jr., Lynchburg
Outfield: Brian Kluge, Fr., Roanoke
Designated Hitter: Brock Shiflett, Jr., Lynchburg

All-ODAC Second Team
Pitcher: Robert Garrett, Sr., Lynchburg
Pitcher: Brandon Miller, Fr., Lynchburg
Catcher: Collin Metz, Sr., Emory & Henry
First Base: John Macon Smith, So., Guilford
Second Base: Zach Hynes, So., Bridgewater
Third Base: Justin Rodriguez, Fr., Eastern Mennonite
Shortstop: Michael Kenah, Jr., Lynchburg
Outfield: Beau Banglesdorf, Sr., Eastern Mennonite
Outfield: Christian Hamlett, Fr., Hampden-Sydney
Outfield: Chris Rodriguez, Fr., Eastern Mennonite
Designated Hitter: Jeff Gray, Fr., Hampden-Sydney

All-ODAC Third Team
Pitcher: Dalton Altizer, Fr., Roanoke
Pitcher: Robert Gallet, So., Bridgewater
Pitcher: Ryan Wood, Sr., Randolph-Macon
Catcher: Zach Fitzpatrick, So., Lynchburg
First Base: Logan Ball, Sr., Emory & Henry
Second Base: Ben Esser, Jr., Guilford
Third Base: Michael Helbig, Jr., Randolph-Macon
Shortstop: D.J. Phillips, Jr., Guilford
Outfield: Casey Mann, So., Guilford
Outfield: Justin Pittman, So., Guilford
Outfield: Jordan Wind, Sr., Hampden-Sydney
Designated Hitter: Anthony Siracusa, Sr., Virginia Wesleyan