Five Earn All-Region Honors

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Five Shenandoah University baseball players earned American Baseball Coaches Association All-South Region honors in selections announced Friday by the ABCA.

In addition to the five players, head coach Kevin Anderson was tabbed as the region's Coach of the Year. The sixth-year skipper received his award Thursday night at the Division III Championships banquet in Appleton, Wisc.

Anderson is joined on the first team by sophomore Greg Van Sickler, who also was named as a third team All-America Thursday evening.

The Hornets top pitcher and No. 4 hitter, Van Sickler was selected first team All-Region and third team All-America as a utility player. He currently leads the team in both runs batted in and pitching victories.

Freshman Cory Nelson, who is hitting .364 with 20 extra-base hits and 41 RBI in 143 at-bats, is a second team selection at designated hitter.

The final three honorees come to the region's third team. Senior Scott Lambert was named at catcher, junior Jesse Henry at shortstop and sophomore Kevin Brashears in the outfield.

Henry and Brashears were both named to the Salisbury Regional All-Tournament team (as were Van Sickler and Nelson) with Brashears also picking up that tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.

Lambert and Henry are currently hitting .410 and .408, respectively while Brashears is second in the nation in runs scored and is second on the team with eight home runs.

Shenandoah opens up national tournament play Friday afternoon at 5:30 EDT against Farmingdale (N.Y.) State.

The complete teams:

2009 ABCA All-South Region Team

Player-of-the-Year:                Mike Celenza              Salisbury University

Pitcher-of-the-Year:               Eric Willey                  Salisbury University

Coach-of-the-Year:                Kevin Anderson          Shenandoah University

1^st Team                                                                                                                                             

C          Sam Hill                       So.       Birmingham-Southern College

DH       Kyle Wooden                 So.       Guilford College

1B        Mike Celenza                 Jr.        Salisbury University

SS        Trae Bailey                    Sr.        Christopher Newport University

SS        Brian Inghram               So.       Methodist College

OF       Andrew Miller               So.       Salisbury University

OF       Hunter Owen                 Sr.        Millsaps College

OF       Mason Mosby                Sr.        Rhodes College

OF       Ryan Poff                      Sr.        York College

UT       Greg Van Sickler           So.       Shenandoah University

P          Eric Willey                    Sr.        Salisbury University

P          Connor Thompson          Jr.        Lynchburg College

P          Brett Horowitz               Sr.        Virginia Wesleyan College

P          Kyle Judson                   So.       Salisbury University

P          Daniel Sarisky               So.       Oglethorpe University

2^nd Team                                                                                                       

C          Ryan Smith                   Jr.        Salisbury University

C          C.J. Rhodes                   Sr.        Virginia Wesleyan College

DH       Cory Nelson                  Fr.        Shenandoah University

1B        Will Hawkins                 So.       Millsaps College

2B        Brian Halpin                  Jr.        Methodist College

3B        Matt Brown                   Jr.        Hampton-Sydney University

3B        Zollie Woodlief              Sr.        North Carolina Wesleyan College

OF       Terrence McKelvey        Sr.        Washington & Lee University

OF       David Hissey                 Sr.        Emory University

OF       Mike Lenox                   Sr.        Bridgewater University

OF       Chris Harpine                So.       Eastern Mennonite University

UT       Ben Hudson                   Sr.        LaGrange College

UT       Wade Keenan                 Sr.        Stevenson University

P          Aaron Williams              So.       Millsaps College

P          Zeb Heidt                      Jr.        Emory University

P          Andy Holt                     Sr.        Rhodes College

P          Brad Vest                      Sr.        Huntingdon College

P          Boomer Hudson             So.       Millsaps College

3^rd  Team                                                                                                       

C          Scott Lambert                Sr.        Shenandoah Univerity

C          Dustin Proctor               Sr.        Methodist College

1B        Ben Peters                     Sr.        Maryville College

1B        Steve Brolvar                 Sr.        Emory University

2B        Phillip Cadle                  Sr.        Virginia Wesleyan College

3B        Shawn Lovette               So.       Methodist College

3B        Drew Ward                    Jr.        Guilford College

SS        Jesse Henry                   Jr.        Shenandoah University

OF       Luke Williford               Sr.        North Carolina Wesleyan College

OF       Brad Davis                    Sr.        Methodist College

OF       Drew Leachman             So.       Birmingham-Southern College

OF       Kevin Brashears             So.       Shenandoah University

OF       Kyle Eller                     Jr.        Huntingdon College

P          Spencer Shelton             Jr.        Piedmont College

P          Andrew Cox                  Sr.        Mary Washington University

P          Ben Moore                    Sr.        North Carolina Wesleyan College

P          Alex Phetteplace            So.       Greensboro College