Today marks the first release of our NOVA Nine 'Watch List', a list of players from our coverage area of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties, which encompasses over 65 high schools. The players are nominated by their coaches, and we will release a weekly update of the list through the end of the season.
At the conclusion of the season, our selection committee - which consists of coaches Jay Burkhart (Battlefield High School), Kevin Ford (Chantilly), Mark “Pudge” Gjormand (Madison), Doug Grove (Washington-Lee), Jeff Nolan (Paul VI Catholic), Sam Plank (Stone Bridge), Sammy Serrano (Patriot), Aaron Tarr (Marshall) and Tom Verbanic (Flint Hill), and media members Nick Eilerson (Fairfax Times), David Fawcett (Prince William Today), Dave Facinoli (Sun Gazette Newspapers), Carl Lukat (Leesburg Today), Jon Roetman (The Connection Newspapers) and Joey Kamide from the magazine - will choose the top player from each of the nine positions, plus a two-way player, in addition to a Player of the Year and a Coach of the Year.
This first edition of the watch is headlined by a group of pitchers that have posted several dominant performances already this season. Madison junior left-hander Matt Favero, who threw a perfect game in last night’s win over Hayfield, and George Mason senior righty Evan Davis are both 5-0 and have earned run averages under 0.50. Oakton senior Connor Jones and Battlefield junior lefty Jake Agnos are both 4-0, and Agnos carries a 0.28 ERA and 57 strikeouts (including 19 last Friday against Stonewall Jackson) into Friday’s rivalry game against Patriot.
Senior Matt Hogle is 4-1 with a save and 1.52 ERA for defending 6A North Region champion Chantilly, and undefeated and defending 3A state champion Loudoun Valley has gotten stellar pitching from both aces, senior Jack DeGroat and junior Justin Ager, at one point posting six consecutive shutouts. DeGroat is 4-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 22 innings, and Ager is 3-0 with a 0.32 ERA and has 33 strikeouts in 22 innings.
Herndon’s Antonio Menendez has been one of the top sophomore hurlers in the area, carrying a 3-0 record with a 1.33 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 21 innings of work. Fairfax senior Christian Leckert is also 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 19.1 innings.
Behind the plate, Marshall senior Mitch Blackstone is hitting .500 with 12 extra-base hits (4 home runs) (pictured above) and 14 RBI despite being intentionally walked 14 times, and Loudoun Valley junior catcher Hunter Gore is hitting .444 with two homers and . Battlefield sophomore Tyler Solomon is hitting .343 with three homers and has thrown out seven of 10 base runners, and Loudoun County senior Zach Costello is hitting .346 and has thrown out 10 of 12 runners.
At first base, Battlefield junior Brady Harju is hitting .400 with two home runs, Westfield junior Robert Hahne is hitting .478, Oakton senior Cooper Mitchell is hitting .364 with two homers and 17 RBI, and C.D. Hylton senior Stephen Johnson is hitting .363 with eight doubles, 16 RBI and a .512 on-base average.
Westfield senior Kenny Barry is hitting .536 with six doubles and 13 RBI and Tuscarora junior Joey Skov is hitting .528 to pace the area’s second basemen. At shortstop, Oakton junior Joe Rizzo is hitting .613 with 11 RBI, George Mason senior Chris Meador is hitting .595 with 13 RBI, Chantilly junior Brett Norwood is hitting .474 and Patriot senior Nate Eikhoff is hitting .346 with 14 RBI.
At third base, Loudoun Valley senior Andrew Lohr is hitting .551, Madison junior Carlo Alfano (pictured at right) is hitting .459 with 13 RBI, Marshall senior Matt Borowski is hitting .472 and Oakton senior Jagger James is hitting .400 with 13 RBI.
The outfielders nominees are headlined by Osbourn Park senior Nick Atkinson, who is hitting .571 with 18 stolen bases. Hayfield senior Tyler Fye is hitting .500 with 10 RBI, and Madison junior Bryan Harthun is hitting .481, and Centreville senior Trey House is hitting .455.
Several two-way players are having outstanding springs, including Paul VI Catholic junior Jack Cunningham, who is hitting over .400 and helping anchor the Panthers’ rotation; Centreville senior Daniel Woodruff, who is hitting .474 and has a 1.62 ERA in 17.1 innings; Freedom-South Riding junior Will Kirwan, who is hitting .480 and carrying a 0.82 ERA; Annandale senior Shawn Courtney, who is hitting .375 with 13 RBI and carries a 1.90 ERA in 25.2 innings; Chantilly junior Jared DiCesare, who is hitting .364 and have three saves while not allowing an earned run this season; and Stone Bridge junior Dave Mocabee, who is 4-0 on the mound and hitting in the 3-hole in the Bulldogs’ lineup.
The second edition of the ‘Watch List’ will be released next week.
Photos Courtesy/Marshall Baseball and Madison Baseball
