Packers Wallace, Pitts named to All-Region Team

Published 10:59 pm Saturday, May 13, 2006

MOULTRIE — Two of Colquitt County’s fine left-handed hitters were named to the All-Region 1-AAAAA baseball team selected by the writers who cover the region.

Junior outfielder/pitcher Andrew Wallace, who led the team in hitting, was named as the designated hitter on the first team.

Senior Chance Pitts, who played first base and pitched, was named to the second team.

Houston County pitcher Brian Wilkerson was named the Region 1-AAAAA Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

Wilkerson, who has signed with Georgia Southern, took a 9-1 record with a 1.81 ERA into the state playoffs.

The right-hander pitched in 15 games, starting 11 and completing 10. He had three shutouts and struck out 114 batters in 81 innings while walking just 10.

Wilkerson was no slouch at the plate either, hitting .513 with six doubles, four home runs and 38 runs batted in.

Lowndes coach Danny Redshaw, who led the Vikings to the Region 1-AAAAA championship, was named the Coach of the Year.

Joining Wilkerson and Wallace on the first team were outfielders Matt Harper of Lowndes, Israel Troupe of Tift County and Brad Jackson of Houston County.

The first-team infielders were Charlie Edwards of Tift County, JonMichael Redding of Lowndes, Ryan Danbury of Valdosta and Chase Brown of Houston County.

Tift County sophomore Christian Glisson was the first team catcher.

Scott Shuman of Tift County and Chris Mederos of Lowndes were the other two first-team pitchers.

Harper led the region in hitting with a .559 average. He also led it home runs with seven.

Mederos was 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 inning for the Vikings during the regular season.

Shuman was 7-2 on the mound with a 1.96 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 57 innings. He threw two shutouts. He also batted .321 with six home runs and 24 runs batted in.

Wallace batted .440 with seven doubles, a triple and a home run and tied with Pitts for the team lead with 16 runs batted in.

His biggest game came in the come-from-behind 15-14 victory over Tift County in which he went 5-for-5 with three doubles and a grand slam.

The second team included catcher Jamaal Smith of Coffee; infielders Pitts, Brett Carter of Coffee, Chance Veazey of Tift County and Briggs Smotherman of Valdosta; outfielders Will Flail and Will Welch of Valdosta and Dax Spriggs of Lowndes.

Vikings catcher Randy J. Williams was named as the designated hitter.

Jacob Stinson and Austin Smith of Tift County and Tuzer Chism of Valdosta were the second team pitchers.

Pitts batted .382 with five doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs for the Packers.

Receiving honorable mention were Brett Turner of Valdosta and Ryan Beitler and Joe Vasquez of Houston County.

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