June 6 - The magazine has identified 25 finalists for the 2016 NOVA Nine Team from the 80 public and private high schools in our coverage area, which includes Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. The magazine’s selection committee comprised of 21 coaches and media members will vote on the nine members of the NOVA Nine Team as well as the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the public school state tournaments next weekend, with the team announced on June 14. Here are the 25 finalists:
Justin Ager, Senior, Loudoun Valley - A right-handed pitcher who will play at Yale University, Ager went 9-1 with a save in 12 appearances, and had a 0.78 earned run average for the Vikings, which went 17-5 before falling in the 4A West Region quarterfinals to Millbrook. A first-team 4A Conference 21B selection, he struck out 70 batters in 53.2 innings of work and earned the win in each of his eight starts, finishing his career with 19 wins.
Jake Agnos, Senior, Battlefield - A left-handed pitcher who has signed with East Carolina University and a member of our NOVA Nine Team last spring, Agnos enters the state tournament with a 10-0 record, a 0.48 ERA, 126 strikeouts to 21 walks in 58 innings, and has six complete-games. The 6A Conference 8 Player of the Year and 6A North Region Pitcher of the Year, he is also hitting .373 with eight doubles, 15 RBI and 13 stolen bases for a Bobcats team that has set a school record with 22 wins.
Evan Antonellis, Junior, Potomac - A shortstop who has not made his college commitment, Antonellis enters the state tournament hitting .444 with 12 doubles, two home runs, 28 RBI, 27 runs and 11 steals. A first-team 5A Conference 15 selection, he has helped lead the Panthers to a 20-6 record and appearances in the conference and region championship games, and to their first state tournament appearance since 2000.
Carter Bach, Senior, Centreville - A left-handed pitcher and first baseman who will play at Wake Forest University, Bach went 7-4 with a save and a 0.96 earned run average and hit .391 with three home runs and 14 RBI for the Wildcats, which went 13-11 and advanced to the 6A North Region semifinals. The 6A Conference 5 Co-Pitcher of the Year and a first-team all-region selection, he had 76 strikeouts to just 11 walks in 58.2 innings.
Caleb Barnes, Senior, Briar Woods - A left-handed pitcher and outfielder who was named the 5A Conference 14 Player of the Year for the Falcons, which won the first league title in program history and went 17-5 before falling in the 5A North Region quarterfinals. Went 5-1 with a 1.40 earned run average on the mound, and hit. 405 with seven doubles, a home run and 19 RBI.
Jon Clines, Senior, McLean - A left-handed pitcher and first baseman who will play at Virginia Military Institute, Clines went 7-3 with a 1.88 ERA and had 71 strikeouts to just 18 walks in 56 innings for the Highlanders, which finished 16-9 after falling in the 6A North Region quarterfinals to eventual region champion Chantilly. The 6A Conference 6 Player of the Year, he also hit .383 with a .429 on-base average, six doubles and 26 RBI.
Jack Cunningham, Senior, Paul VI Catholic - A right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitting outfielder who will play at Boston College and was a member of our NOVA Nine Team last spring, Cunningham was one of the area’s top two-way players and was named the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Player of the Year. Also a first-team VISAA Division I All-State selection, he hit .413 with 10 doubles, 25 RBI and eight steals, and went 5-3 on the mound with a 0.53 ERA, 52 strikeouts to 10 walks in 53 innings for a Panthers team that went 24-8 and advanced to the state final.
Jared DiCesare, Senior, Chantilly - A right-handed pitcher and third baseman who will play at George Mason University, DiCesare enters the state tournament with a 10-0 record, a 0.63 ERA, and 83 strikeouts to 10 walks in 67 innings for the Chargers, which are 23-2 and won their second straight 6A Conference 6 championship and second 6A North Region title in three years. His conference and region Player of the Year, he is also hitting .385 with a .487 on-base average with nine doubles and 22 RBI.
Brenton Doyle, Senior, Kettle Run - A center fielder who will play at Virginia Military Institute, Doyle enters the 4A West Region championship game hitting .525 with 12 doubles, 12 triples, one homer, 27 RBI, 32 runs and 12 steals for the Cougars. The 4A Conference 22 Player of the Year, he led Kettle Run to the conference championship and has spearheaded a 17-game winning streak for a team that has set a school-record with 19 victories.
Logan Driscoll, Senior, Lake Braddock - A catcher who will play at George Mason University, Driscoll hit .380 with a .494 on-base average and had two home runs and 27 RBI for a Bruins team that went 18-6, winning the 6A Conference 7 championship before falling to Patriot in the 6A North Region quarterfinals. The Player of the Year in his conference and a first-team all-region selection, he will join his older brother, Garrett, next year at George Mason.
Matt Favero, Senior, Madison - A left-handed pitcher and first baseman who will play at Brigham Young University and was a member of our NOVA Nine Team last spring, Favero went 7-2 with a 1.80 ERA and had 61 strikeouts to 16 walks in 50.2 innings for the Warhawks, which finished 20-4 and won its fourth consecutive league championship before falling to Centreville in the 6A North Region quarterfinals. The 6A Conference 6 Co-Pitcher of the Year and a second-team all-region selection, he also hit .368 with five doubles and 21 RBI.
Justin Han, Senior, Marshall - A second baseman who will play at Middlebury College in Vermont, Han hit .493 with eight doubles, three triples, 12 RBI and 22 runs for the Statesmen, which won their third consecutive league championship and went 19-2 before falling to Potomac in the 5A North Region semifinals. The 5A Conference 13 Player of the Year, he finished with a .512 career batting average at Marshall.
Steven Johel, Senior, Marshall - A right-handed pitcher who will play at Coastal Carolina University, Johel went 7-1 with a 0.51 ERA and had 57 strikeouts in 54.2 innings for the Statesmen. The 5A Conference 13 Pitcher of the Year, he helped spearhead a 16-game winning streak that was snapped in Marshall’s loss to Potomac in the 5A North Region semifinals, and finished his career with an 18-1 record.
Khalil Lee, Senior, Flint Hill - An outfielder and left-handed pitcher who has signed to play at Liberty University, Lee was one of the area’s top two-way threats in leading the Huskies to a 20-5 record and the semifinals of the VISAA Division I state tournament. The VISAA Division I State Player of the Year, he hit .471 with a .634 on-base average, six doubles, four triples, six homers, 23 RBI and went 7-0 with two saves, a 0.33 ERA and 87 strikeouts to just three walks in 43 innings. A preseason All-American by Perfect Game and Louisville Slugger, and was recently named the 121st overall prospect by Baseball America in the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft.
Matt Nickles, Senior, Colonial Forge - A right-handed pitcher and outfielder who will play at Randolph-Macon College, Nickles went 10-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 56.1 innings and also hit .402 with two homers and 21 RBI for the Eagles, which went 17-4 and won the 6A Conference 4 championship before falling in the first round of the 6A South Region Tournament to Cosby. A first-team all-conference selection, he will join his twin brother, Mike, in playing collegiately at Randolph-Macon.
Pete Nielsen, Senior, Madison - A shortstop and right-handed pitcher who will play at Brigham Young University, Nielsen hit .339 with one homer, 20 RBI and 22 runs, and went 4-1 on the mound with two saves, a 2.22 ERA, 26 strikeouts to 12 walks in 28.1 innings. A first-team all-conference and first-team all-region selection for the Warhawks, who went 20-4 went and won its fourth consecutive league championship before falling to Centreville in the 6A North Region quarterfinals. Will join his older brother, Mike, and cousins Nate and Matt Favero at Brigham Young.
Brett Norwood, Senior, Chantilly - A shortstop who will play at South Florida State junior college, Norwood is hitting .347 with a .463 on-base average with six doubles, a home run, 24 RBI and 26 runs entering the state tournament for the Chargers, who are 23-2 after winning a second straight 6A Conference 5 championship and a second 6A North Region title in three years. A first-team all-conference and first-team all-region selection, he has played a major role in Chantilly winning 62 games over the past three seasons.
Joe Rizzo, Senior, Oakton - A shortstop who has signed to play at the University of South Carolina and was our NOVA Nine Team’s Player of the Year last spring, Rizzo hit .389 with a .542 on-base average, four home runs, 12 RBI and 14 runs for the Cougars, who went 8-12 and missed the region tournament for the first time since 2009. A first-team 6A Conference 6 selection and 6A North Region selection, he finished with 118 hits and a .439 career batting average at Oakton. A preseason All-American by Perfect Game and Louisville Slugger, and was recently named the 40th overall prospect by Baseball America in the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft.
Jamie Sara, Senior, West Potomac - A right-handed pitcher and outfielder who will play at the College of William & Mary, Sara went 4-3 with a 2.30 ERA and had 74 strikeouts to 21 walks in 45.2 innings, and also hit .448 with a .590 on-base average, 12 doubles, four homers and 20 RBI for the Wolverines, who went 11-12 before falling in extra innings in the opening round of the 6A North Region Tournament to eventual champion Chantilly. A first-team all-conference and first team all-region selection, his 17-strikeout performance led West Potomac to a 2-0 conference quarterfinal win over W.T. Woodson, which clinched a regional berth.
Will Schroeder, Sophomore, Loudoun County - A right-handed pitcher and shortstop who is uncommitted as to where he will play collegiately, Schroeder went 6-2 on the mound with a save, a 1.18 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 19 walks in 53.1 innings for the Raiders, which went 11-12 and won the 4A Conference 21B championship before falling to Salem in the 4A West Region quarterfinals. The conference’s Player of the Year, he also hit .514 with seven doubles, four triples, a homer and 14 RBI.
Fox Semones, Senior, C.D. Hylton - A shortstop and right-handed pitcher who will play at James Madison University, Semones enters the state tournament hitting .471 with a homer, 22 RBI and 18 steals, and has compiled a 4-1 record on the mound with a 0.22 ERA and 49 strikeouts to 11 walks in 32.1 innings. The 6A Conference 4 Player of the Year, he has led the Bulldogs to a 19-6 record, the 6A South Region championship, and their first berth in the state tournament since 2013.
Alex Smith, Senior, Mountain View - A catcher who will play at the Naval Academy, Smith enters the state tournament hitting .375 with a .592 on-base average, six doubles, five homers and 26 RBI for the Wildcats. The 5A Conference 15 Player of the Year, he has led Mountain View to a 20-4 record and wins over Potomac in both the conference and region championship games, and a berth in the state semifinals.
Tyler Solomon, Junior, Battlefield - A catcher who has committed to play at Vanderbilt University, Solomon enters the state tournament hitting .465 with a .571 on-base average, 10 doubles, a home run and 20 RBI for the Bobcats, which have won a school-record 22 games. A first-team 6A Conference 8 selection and second-team all-region pick, he helped Battlefield win the conference championship and advance to the regional finals to earn a bid in this week’s state semifinals.
Wade Strain, Senior, Lake Braddock - A right-handed pitcher who will play at the College of William & Mary, Strain went 8-1 with one save and compiled a 0.56 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 64.2 innings for the Bruins, who went 18-6 and won the 6A Conference 7 championship before having their season ended by Patriot in the 6A North Region quarterfinals. The conference’s Pitcher of the Year and a first-team all-region selection, he strung together a 46-inning scoreless streak, pitched five complete-games and had four shutouts this spring.
Rafi Vazquez, Senior, Bishop O’Connell - A right-handed pitcher and first baseman who will play at Coastal Carolina University, Vazquez went 6-0 with a 1.30 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 43 innings for the Knights, which went 17-10 and advanced to the VISAA Division I state quarterfinals before having their season ended by Benedictine. A three-time first-team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) selection, he was also a first-team all-state pick and hit .280 with five homers and 16 RBI.
Others considered: Justin Brown (Osbourn Park), Ben Davenport (Edison), Connor Grammes (McLean), Brady Harju (Battlefield), Dominick Marinelli (Tuscarora), Trey McDyre (Loudoun Valley), Antonio Menendez (Herndon), Dave Mocabee (Stone Bridge), Hughes Page (Episcopal), Bryce Pearson (Tuscarora), Josh Pittman (Highland School), Lawton Riggs (Stone Bridge), Sam Ryan (Fairfax), Matt Stallings (West Springfield)
Photos of Loudoun Valley's Justin Ager, Paul VI Catholic's Jack Cunningham and Marshall's Steven Johel courtesy of their respective baseball programs, and photo of Battlefield's Tyler Solomon by Fred Ingham.
