Published: July 07, 2009 12:00 am      

Eight area baseball players all-state

South Kortright graduate Dan Many earned Class D first team all-state honors from the New York State Sportswriters Association, which announced its 2009 teams Friday.

Many, a senior pitcher/infielder, was one of eight area players to receive recognition on the all-state teams, which honor the top players in classes AA, A, B, C and D from across the state.

Many helped the Rams to an 18-2 record and the Section Four Class D championship. Teammate Eric Burns made the second team in Class D, as did Gilbertsville-Mount Upton's Cody Hall. Edmeston's Jordan Williams and Afton's Victor Coronado earned third-team all-state honors.

In Class C, Unatego's Tyler Newman made the third team and Delhi's Luke Burns and Cooperstown's Kyle Liner were named to the fourth team.

Many went 6-1 with a 1.31 ERA for the Rams this season, striking out 77 over 55 innings. He also led the Rams in hits (34) and RBIs (36) and hit four home runs.

Many, who played third base when he wasn't pitching, was also a member of all three Section Four Class D champion teams this past academic year. South Kortright swept the boys Class D sectional titles in soccer, basketball and baseball. Many and Burns started for the Rams' basketball team, which went 26-0 and won the Class D state title.

South Kortright went on to win its first sectional baseball title, when it beat Jefferson, 7-1, in the championship at Oneonta State on June 4. The season ended for the Rams in the state quarterfinals with a 4-2 loss to Hamilton on June 9 at Syracuse's Alliance Bank Park.

Eric Burns, a senior shortstop who also played for all three sectional champion squads, hit .467. He drew 21 walks as the No. 4 hitter, scored a team-best 34 runs and finished with 29 RBIs.

Hall, a senior shortstop and pitcher, was a key ingredient in G-MU's Tri-Valley League championship season, helping the Raiders finish a program-best 18-4 after falling to South Kortright in the sectional

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semifinals. A do-it-all player, Hall manned shortstop and pitched for the Raiders. He hit a team-best .474 and also led the team in hits (36), doubles (10), on-base percentage (.549) and slugging percentage (.711). Hall also went 5-3 with a 1.81 ERA.

Coronado led Afton to the Section Four semifinals, where the Crimson Knights fell to Jefferson. A senior catcher and Afton's leadoff hitter, Coronado hit .448, scored 32 runs and stole 28 bases. He also drew 17 walks and had 15 RBIs.

Williams, a senior pitcher/utility player, hit .427 for the Panthers. Williams hit eight homers and went 14-for-14 in stolen bases.

Newman, a senior pitcher and shortstop, went 6-1 with a 1.80 ERA for the Spartans, who finished 15-8 this season. Newman's lone loss came in a 5-1 Section Four Class C quarterfinal setback to Thomas A. Edison.

Luke Burns helped Delhi to a 14-6 finish. A senior pitcher/shortstop, Burns led the Bulldogs with a .409 average. He had seven triples, five doubles and two homers and also went 16-for-16 in stolen bases. On the mound, he went 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Liner, a junior, caught for 12-6 Cooperstown. He hit .552 and had a .635 on-base percentage. In 19 games, Liner struck out twice and had one passed ball.