Here’s another round of applause for individuals and organizations doing great things in the region.

Valdosta High pitcher D.L. Hall was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with 21st pick of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft. Hall became the 12th player drafted out of Valdosta High School — the second in as many years — and the first to be selected in the first round. Hall transferred from Houston County, where he’d help the Bears with the Class 5A state championship a year ago, back to his hometown prior to his senior season. After a short adjustment period, Hall went on to display all the skill and ability that led to him entering into the season as a MaxPreps All-American with a signed LOI to play baseball at Florida State. As the ace of the Valdosta pitching staff, and the slugger in the middle of their lineup, Hall helped the Wildcats advance to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. As a senior, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound lefty compiled an ERA of 1.36 over 51 1-3 innings on the mound for the Wildcats. Hall struck out 105 batters, allowing just 25 walks and 24 hits all season as opposing batters hit .129 against him.

On the morning of April 17, 1986, a tractor-trailer veered into the median and struck Lowndes County Sheriff’s Deputy John Hall Rowe Jr. and his patrol car. Rowe passed away in the incident, which occurred just two months after he became a full-time sheriff’s deputy. Monday, Rowe’s family gathered in the squad room of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office for the dedication of the intersections of Interstate 75 to the intersection of U.S. 41/S.R. 7 to Rowe. David Ferrell, an investigator with the Southern District Attorney’s Office, worked with Rowe and was one of the driving forces behind the dedication. “There were a lot of people involved in this and they put a lot of work into this,” Ferrell said. “I met John in 1985 when I started at the sheriff’s department. I got to know him a lot better when he started working full time. You know the people you work with and you learn people well. You talk all night. You become family.”

The Georgia Batmen Elite 9U baseball team won the Peach State Diamond Sports Event held Saturday at the Crisp County Recreation Complex. The Batmen dominated from start to finish going 4-0 and winning by a combined score of 65-5. During the first three games, the Batmen pitchers (Kannon Plain, Gabe Grubbs and Patrick Williams) combined to throw three back-to-back to-back no hitters. The team members include Tres Ellison (tournament MVP), Austin White, Dawson Coleman, Grubbs, Cason Fletcher, Plain, Jonathan Stone, Michael Fletcher, Ethan Tuten and Williams. Scott Fletcher, Pat Williams, Jason Grubbs and Mike Fletcher were coaches.

A rising seventh grader was given an opportunity to be a member of Valdosta’s SWAT team Tuesday morning at Lowndes County’s Emergency Operations Center. Brad Marion has wanted to be a SWAT member since he was 5, said his mother, Ellen Mulvaney. She said she feels her and his stepfather’s employment in law enforcement plays a role in his dream. Marion initially asked his teachers at Hahira Middle School to simply meet a SWAT member, but the school took his dream one step further with the help of Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress and the Valdosta SWAT team. SWAT team members showed equipment to Marion and gave him a walk-through of the vehicle. After equipping Marion with a vest, he was informed he would be “securing” the EOC building with the rest of the team.