Top 10 Highlights - Number 1

WINCHESTER, Va. - For the past two weeks, the Shenandoah University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has been looking back at its top 10 highlights of the 2008-09 school year.

For the complete list and overview of the project, please click here.

Today, we reveal our Number 1 Highlight: Baseball's a Historic Season

In a year that stood out for numerous accomplishments, the baseball team rose above the rest.

On Valentine's Day, coach Kevin Anderson's squad opened with a doubleheader sweep over Misericordia University and the winning didn't stop until Carthage (Wisc.) eliminated the Hornets at the Division III Championships on Memorial Day eve.

In between, the team won a school-record 38-games, a South Region Championship and the hearts of both the university and valley that bears the name 'Shenandoah'.

The team accomplished these feats the way every great baseball squad is built - with pitching and defense. However, it was the hitting that was truly special.

SU scored at least 10 runs in a game 20 times in the 48-game season and had double-digit hits 32 times. On six occasions, Anderson's club put up at least 20 runs and cracked the 30-run barrier against both Franklin & Marshall and Catholic.

At the end of the year, the 511 runs scored was not only a new school record, but led the nation as well. The team finished the year ranked in the nation's top 10 in five different statistical categories and broke too many school records to count.

The 38 wins broke the school record for victories by seven as the team started the year by winning 13 of its first 14, including 11 in a row from February 15 to March 7. The team never dropped more than two consecutive contests at any point in the season.

The Hornets entered the national rankings for the first time on March 31 when they came in at No. 24 in the NCBWA/D3baseball.com poll and they remained in the poll for the rest of year.

At the end of the year, SU was the No. 6 team in the ABCA poll while the NCBWA/D3baseball.com poll had the squad at No. 7.

Individually, Greg Van Sickler led the 54-man squad by being named All-America, All-Region and All-Tournament at the Division III Championships, the Salisbury Regional and the USA South Festival.

Van Sickler's classmate, Kevin Brashears, nearly matched him as he earned All-Tournament honors at both the USA South and Salisbury Regional and was named as the Salisbury Regional Most Outstanding Player.

Finally, senior Josh Simons was named as a D3baseball.com All-America and freshman Cory Nelson was named as the Rookie of the Year by the Virginia State Sports Information Directors Association.