2009 DAILY STAR BASEBALL ALL-STARS
By P.J. Harmer
Staff Writer
DAILY STAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JIM HAMILTON MEMORIAL AWARD
Jeff Wiltsie, Oneonta senior P/SS
Did it all for the Yellowjackets this season at shortstop and pitcher. ... Led Oneonta in 10 of 14 offensive categories. ... Hit .486 and had 35 hits, including seven doubles, three triples and five homers. ... His season home run total is second all-time at Oneonta behind former New York Yankees utility player Clay Bellinger, who hit six in 1986. ... Also finished perfect in stolen bases (10-for-10) and walked 19 times. ... Went 3-4 with a 3.41 ERA and a team-best 51 strikeouts over 41 innings. ... Completed seven of eight starts. ... "Besides being one of the nicest people and athletes I've coached, he's a quality human being," OHS coach Joe Hughes said. "You can't find a better person right now. ... He's a great kid. He listens and he works hard and he's a team player."
DAILY STAR COACH OF THE YEAR
Bob VanValkenburgh
South Kortright, 26th season, 17-2
A coach for all seasons, VanValkenburgh watched the three teams he coached this past academic year go a combined 61-5-1 and win three Section Four Class D titles. ... Led baseball team to 17-2 mark, including a 7-1 victory over Jefferson in the Section Four Class D final that clinched the program's first sectional championship. ... Rams fell to Hamilton, 4-2, in state quarterfinals. ... Also named Daily Star Coach of the Year in basketball after leading Rams to a 26-0 record and a Class D state championship. ... Steered Rams to a sectional soccer title this past fall.
DAILY STAR FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
Eric Burns, South Kortright senior SS
Three-sport standout played a sharp shortstop for the Rams. ... Hit .467 this season with 21 walks as the No. 4 hitter. ... Led the team with 34 runs scored. ... Finished with 29 RBIs and 11 extra-base hits. ... "When he's up there, he has good pop for his size," SK coach Bob VanValkenburgh said. "Any time he's up there, you're thinking something big can happen. He's also a good baserunner." ... Also a Daily Star first-team selection in soccer and basketball. ... VanValkenburgh said Burns will attend SUNY Cobleskill in the fall and look to play basketball and baseball. ... Class D second-team all-state selection.
Luke Burns, Delhi senior P/SS
Helped Bulldogs to a 14-6 record by hitting a team-best .409 and a .577 on-base percentage. ... Also had team-highs in hits (27), triples (7), doubles (5), walks (14) and tied for the team lead in homers (2) and RBIs (18). ... Went 16-for-16 in stolen bases. ... Went 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA. ... "He's a competitor in every facet of the game," Delhi coach Fred Barkalow said. "He wants to be the person that makes the play, scores the winning run or gets the big hit. He has a great work ethic and he's always trying to improve." ... Also a first-team Daily Star selection in football. ... Looking to play baseball at Hudson Valley CC.
Victor Coronado, Afton senior catcher
Transfer from Harpursville helped Afton to a 16-6 record. ... State runner-up in wrestling at 145 pounds went 32-for-33 in stolen bases. ... Hit leadoff for the Crimson Knights and batted .448. ... Also drew 17 walks and had 15 RBIs. ... "Basically, if he got on base, he was on third in four or five pitches," Afton coach Ron Rapp said. "It came that easy to him. ... He's a winner and he knows how to win and what it takes. If I could have had him for the last four years, we would have been contenders a lot more than we have been." ... Class D third-team all-state selection.
Cody Hall, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton senior SS/3B/P
All-around athlete was a key part to G-MU's Tri-Valley League championship. ... A strong hitter, Hall also has soft hands in the field, G-MU coach Jim Johnson said. ... "He's pretty smooth at every sport he does," Johnson said. "Whatever he's doing, he always looks like he knows what he's doing. He's just an all-around good athlete." ... Hit team-best .474 as the Raiders finished 18-4. ... Also led G-MU in hits (36), doubles (10), on-base percentage (.549) and slugging percentage (.711). ... Finished 5-3 on the mound with a 1.81 ERA. ... Named to the Class D All-State second team.
Kyle Liner, Cooperstown junior catcher
Strong-armed catcher took over this year for the graduated Philip Pohl, a two-time Daily Star and Class C state Player of the Year. ... Hit .552 for the Redskins and had a .653 on-base percentage. ... Struck out twice in 19 games. ... Led Cooperstown in RBIs (23) and doubles (6). ... Defensively, picked off four runners at second base and two at first. ... Caught 7 of 10 would-be base stealers. ... Had one passed ball all season. ... Cooperstown coach Frank Miosek said Liner calls a strong game and handles pitchers well. ... Also pitched for the Redskins.
Dan Many, South Kortright senior P/3B
Went 6-1 with a 1.31 ERA for the Section Four Class D champion Rams. ... Struck out 77 over 55 innings. ... Led team with a .472 average. ... Had 34 hits and 36 RBIs, which were also team-bests, and hit four home runs. "He pitched some big games for us," South Kortright coach Bob VanValkenburgh said. "He's a tough competitor. He has a good fastball and he's always around the plate. He also swung a big stick for us." ... First-team Class D all-state selection. ... Co-valedictorian will attend Siena in the fall.
Chris Mead, Walton senior 3B/P
Hard-hitter batted a team-best .435 for Warriors, including three homers and six triples. ... Also had an on-base percentage of .506 and had an .823 slugging percentage. ... "He was a leader on the field," Walton coach Gary Backus said. "He's the type of kid who loved to play baseball. He'd come to practice and everything was upbeat. He loved the game. That made it fun. If you had more kids like that, it's an easy job as a coach." ... First-team Daily Star All-Star in football this past fall and a member of Walton's 2007 state champion team. ... Plans to attend Mohawk Valley CC or Broome CC to play baseball.
Tyler Newman, Unatego senior P
Right-hander helped Unatego to a 15-8 record and a berth in the Section Four Class C quarterfinals. ... Finished 6-1 with a 1.80 ERA. ... Lone loss came in a 5-1 setback vs. Elmira Heights in sectionals. ... Received no-decision in Midstate Athletic Conference final against Hancock, but hit a key RBI double in 15-10 victory. ... "He didn't blow anybody away, but every big game in the league, he threw," Unatego coach Frank Microni said. "He worked his tail off to take over that No. 1 spot. His velocity improved and his control was good." ... Third-team Class C all-state selection. ... Daily Star first-team linebacker in the fall.
Mike Quagliano, Jefferson senior SS
Helped J-Hawks to a 16-2 record and a spot in the Section Four Class D final. ... Went 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA during the regular season and 1-0 with one save in sectionals. ... Hit .489 with 20 RBIs. ... Had a .702 on-base percentage and .809 slugging percentage. ... "He wasn't overpowering as a pitcher," Jefferson coach John Toroni said. "He was as good of a shortstop as there was in the (Delaware League). He was solid offensively." ... Batted .500 during sectional play with three RBIs and seven runs, including a 3-for-4 performance in Jefferson's 14-4 victory over Edmeston in a sectional quarterfinal.
Jordan Williams, Edmeston senior pitcher
Four-year starter did a bit of everything for Edmeston. ... Finished with a .427 average and had eight homers and 30 RBIs. ... Went 14-for-14 in stolen bases and led the team in hits (32), runs (33), RBIs, home runs, average, slugging percentage (.880) and on-base percentage (.500). ... Strong-armed right-handed pitcher went 6-4 with a 1.45 ERA over 58 innings, striking out 89. ... Opponents hit .149. ... "He could play anywhere," Edmeston coach Mike Clark said. "He's a sound ballplayer and he knows the game. ... He's a great athlete, so he had the capability to fill in where we needed him." ... Will attend Hudson Valley CC to play baseball in the fall.
DAILY STAR SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
Mack Curran, Cooperstown sr.
Chet Davis, Unatego sr.
Nick Davoulas, Cooperstown sr.
Andrew Delmar, G-MU sr.
Adam Halay, CV-S sr.
Kyle Hotaling, South Kortright sr.
Bryant Mead, Walton jr.
Dalton Smith, Oneonta sr.
Alex Stevens, Edmeston sr.
Troy Tucker, Delhi sr.
DAILY STAR HONORABLE MENTIONS
Kegan Althiser, Worcester
Jake Baulch, Edmeston
Mike Brown, Stamford
Ryan Carr, Laurens
James Carson, Oneonta
Kevin Gilley, Davenport
Mike Iacono, Windham
Cody Komenda, Unatego
Justin Kovacevich, Gilboa
Don Jennings, Downsville
Mike Muller, Afton
Pat O'Connell, Margaretville
Josh Palmatier, South Kortright
Paul Parsons, B-G
Justin Peck, Unadilla Valley
Dale Rifenbark, Unatego
Dustin Rutz, B-G
Eric Scheer, Oneonta
Stephen Schmitt, Jefferson
Spencer Staley, CV-S
Tyler Wildfeir, G-MU
Brenden Wolfanger, Oneonta
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