VALDOSTA — This was the most competitive baseball season Region 1-AAAAA has seen in years, and this year’s All-Region baseball team was reflective of that.

Every hitter on the All-Region first team batted at least .341 this year, and every pitcher won at least seven games and had an earned run average of 1.96 or lower.

Five of the six teams were represented on the first team. Region champion Lowndes High placed three players on this season’s All-Region team, and had the Coach of the Year, Danny Redshaw.

Redshaw earned Coach of the Year honors for the sixth time, after winning his sixth region championship in the last eight years. The Vikings are currently 21-6, ranked No. 9 in the state, and preparing for their second-round matchup with Brunswick.

The region Player of the Year honors went to Houston County pitcher/first baseman Brian Wilkerson for the second year in a row. Wilkerson, a highly-touted right-hander who has signed with Georgia Southern, went 9-1 this season with a 1.81 ERA and three saves. He struck out 114 batters in 81 innings, and pitched 10 complete games.

Wilkerson was almost as dangerous at the plate, batting .513 with four home runs, 38 RBIs, a .738 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage.

Joining Wilkerson on the team was an impressive cast of players, five of whom hit over .400.

The region’s best hitter was Lowndes center fielder Matt Harper. Harper won two-thirds of the region triple crown, with a .559 batting average and seven home runs, and also drove in 25 runs. He also had 12 doubles, scored 26 runs, had a .649 on-base percentage, and a mind-boggling 1.031 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, Harper went 4-1 with a 4.06 ERA and struck out 27 batters in 31 innings.

Lowndes pitcher/shortstop JonMichael Redding joins Harper on the first team. Redding batted .410 with three home runs, and had a .535 on-base percentage. As a pitcher, he went 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA despite elbow troubles that kept him off the mound part of the season.

The other Lowndes player on the first team was pitcher Chris Mederos. Mederos entered the season as the team’s No. 3 pitcher, but stepped up for the Vikings, and became one of the region’s best pitchers. He is currently 8-0 with a 1.40 ERA and three saves, and has struck out 49 batters in 40 innings this season.

Valdosta’s representative on the first team was shortstop Ryan Danbury. Danbury, the Wildcats’ leadoff hitter, batted .341 this season, with a .402 on-base percentage, and stole an impressive 28 bases, easily leading the region. He also provided strong defense for Valdosta, and went 2-0 as a pitcher.

Joining Harper in the first-team outfield is Houston County center fielder Brad Jackson, who batted .468 with two home runs and 29 RBIs, stole 11 bases, and had six outfield assists. The other outfielder is Israel Troupe of Tift County, who batted .388 with three home runs and 24 RBIs, had a .490 on-base percentage, and stole seven bases.

Joining Danbury and Redding in the first-team infield are Tift third baseman Charlie Edwards, who batted .430 with five home runs and 36 RBIs, with a .774 slugging percentage. The fourth infielder is Houston shortstop Chase Brown, who batted .385, scored 40 runs and stole five bases.

For the second year in a row, the first-team catcher is Tift’s Christian Glisson, who hit .351 with three homers and 26 RBIs this season. The designated hitter is Andrew Wallace of Colquitt County, who batted .440 for the Packers and was also the team’s top pitcher.

Joining Wilkerson and Mederos among the first-team pitchers was Tift County’s Scott Shuman, a Valdosta native. Shuman went 7-2 with a 1.96 ERA, and struck out 78 batters in 57 innings. He also started at shortstop for Tift, and batted .321 with six home runs and 24 RBIs.

Valdosta placed four players on the second team. Will Flail, an outfielder/pitcher, batted .377 with three home runs and 20 RBIs, and on the mound, went 8-4 with a 3.29 ERA and struck out 59 batters in 63 innings. Teammate Will Welch batted .394 with three homers and 14 RBIs for the Wildcats, and also had a .506 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases. Valdosta second baseman Briggs Smotherman led the team with a .407 average and a .474 on-base percentage, and stole 17 bases. And first baseman/pitcher Tuzer Chism batted .380 with a home run, 22 RBIs and a .444 on-base percentage, while going 7-3 with a 3.64 ERA on the mound.

Lowndes placed two players on the second team. Catcher Randy J. Williams batted .387 with three home runs and 17 RBIs, and had a .462 on-base percentage. Teammate Dax Spriggs batted .350 and was a valuable utilityman for the Vikings, playing several different positions.

The other second-team players were: Tift second baseman Chance Veazey (.371), Coffee shortstop Brett Carter (.394), Colquitt first baseman Chance Pitts (.382) and Coffee catcher Jamaal Smith (.358, 6 HR). The other two pitchers were Tift County’s Jacob Stinson (7-1, 2.16) and Austin Smith (6-1, 2.56).

Making honorable mention was Valdosta catcher Brent Turner, who batted .347 and played excellent defense. He was joined by Lowndes third baseman Jarrod Pass, who batted .326, and Lowndes first baseman John Simpson, who batted .292 with a pair of home runs. Houston players Joe Vazquez and Ryan Beitler also received honorable mention.