Suwannee baseball hit the magic number of 20 wins again this year posting a 20-9 season. The Dogs celebrated another great year with the annual awards banquet May 24 at the Live Oak Church of God.

The program began with the JV awards. This year’s JV baseball Dogs posted a 9-9 season. Not the best, but according to Jim Montgomery, a JV assistant coach helping to hand out the JV awards, the JV played a tougher schedule this year and it was a learning year. Harvey Williams is the JV coach assisted by Montgomery, Bryce Lay and Phillip Hurst.

Winning the JV Academic Award was Austin Brewster with a 4.0 GPA along with Daniel Tillman also carrying a 4.0.

The JV HEAD Award, standing for hustle, effort, attitude and desire went to pitcher Daniel Tillman.

JV Offensive Player of the Year was Michael Staley with a .389 batting average.

JV Defensive Player of the Year went to Lee Radford.

The JV Pitcher of the Year was Ty Smith.

JV 10th Man Award went to Brendan Kirby.

Coach Ronnie Gray presented the varsity awards. Gray said he was pleased with the season but disappointed by its end. “I thought this was our year to break through and play in the final four,” Gray said.

According to Gray, the schedule was more challenging this year with the addition of teams like Bishop Kenny and the omission of teams Suwannee has traditionally romped

over. Gray said he plans to play an even more competitive schedule next year.

“It was a more rewarding year for me as a coach,” Gray said. “Because of the teams we played and who we beat. We did not get focused on self. We need to keep that focus. If you forget self, you will find it.”

Gray handed out the varsity Pitcher of the Year Award first. He said if your team doesn’t have a pitching game, there is no need to show up in the game of baseball.

Billy Moran took home the Pitcher of the year Award. Moran went 4-2 with 74 strikeouts. “Billy stepped up big,” Gray said. “If he had not, we probably would have gone to the house early.”

Varsity Offensive Player of the Year went to two players this year. Gray said he had to split the award because both deserved it. Ross Aretino and Rheed Baldwin shared the honors. Lead-off hitter Aretino had six home runs, four of them off the first pitch of the game, a .352 batting average, 27 RBIs and struck out only eight times in 102 at-bats. Aretino holds the school record for the most runs in a season with 39. Baldwin, hitting in the middle of the order, had four home runs, a .445 batting average, 28 RBIs and struck out only seven times in 92 at-bats. Baldwin set the record for the most hits in a season with 41 this year.

The Defensive Player of the year award went to catcher Taylor Abercrombie. Abercrombie had only two passed balls all year with a runner on third.

The varsity HEAD Award went to Matt Yanossy.

Most Improved varsity player went to Mark Radford. Radford, a left-handed pitcher had a break-out year according to Gray. Radford went 5-2 with 33 strikeouts.

The varsity 10th man Award went to Josh Wigelsworth. Gray said, the 10th man is crucial to the success of a team.

The Varsity Academic Award went to Rheed Baldwin with a 3.970 GPA.

At the end of the program, Gray presented the very special Coach’s Achievement Award. This year’s award went to Suwannee baseball’s only senior in 2005, Ryan Stovall. Stovall has a scholarship at Wallace College and set several Suwannee records. Stovall, a four-year letterman in baseball, set the school record for number of games played at 104. Stovall set the number of at-bats record at 314. Stovall holds the most home runs record with 16 and the most RBIs with 86.

Janet Schrader-Seccafico may be reached by calling 1/386/362-1734 ext. 134 or by e-mail at janet.schrader@gaflnews.com.