Seven Cavaliers Named to VaSID All-State Baseball Team

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Seven Virginia players were named to the University Division All-State Baseball team, chosen by the Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID) and announced Tuesday by the organization. Danny Hultzen (Jr., Bethesda, Md.), a three-time first-team selection, was named Pitcher of the Year for the third-consecutive season, while UVa head coach Brian O’Connor was picked as the Coach of the Year.

Hultzen (pitcher) was joined on the all-state first team by third baseman Steven Proscia (Jr., Suffern, N.Y.), outfielder David Coleman (Sr., Richmond, Va.) and pitchers Branden Kline (So., Frederick, Md.) and Will Roberts (Jr., Richmond, Va.). Virginia swept the three first-team pitching slots and also claimed one of the second-team spots with Tyler Wilson (Sr., Midlothian, Va.). UVa led all schools with five players on the first team and seven players overall. John Hicks (Jr., Sandy Hook, Va.) also was a second-team selection at catcher.

The first three-time All-American in Virginia history, Hultzen was 12-3 this year with a 1.37 ERA, which was fifth lowest in Division I. He also struck out 165 batters, which ranked second among all Division I pitchers and most in a single season in UVa history. He became Virginia’s all-time career leader in wins (32) and strikeouts (395) this season and also is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. Last week he was named the recipient of the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award.

Hultzen was the second pick in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. In 118 innings this season, Hultzen allowed 26 runs (18 earned), 76 hits and 23 walks. Batters hit just .184 against him.

O’Connor was named the state’s Coach of the Year for the sixth time. His Cavaliers finished the season with a 56-12 record, setting a school record for wins in a season. Virginia won the ACC Coastal Division and tournament titles before capturing NCAA regional and super regional titles en route to the program’s second College World Series berth in three years. UVa was 10-0 against in-state schools this season.

Proscia hit .320 with eight home runs and 59 runs batted in this season. A first-team All-ACC honoree, he ranked 22nd in the ACC in batting. He finished with 88 hits, including 19 doubles, and also stole 11 bases. He was selected in the seventh round of the MLB Draft by Seattle this season.

Coleman finished third in the ACC in batting this season with a .362 average. He also was selected first-team All-ACC this season after racking up two homers, 12 doubles and 40 RBI while scoring 40 runs.

Kline was a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award as he tied the school and ACC single-season records with 18 saves in 2011. The NCBWA First-Team All-American posted a 4-1 record with a 1.88 ERA this year. In 43 innings, he allowed just nine earned runs, 30 hits and 22 walks while striking out 56. Batters hit .207 against him.

Roberts went 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 2011. In 18 appearances (17 starts), Roberts worked 105.2 innings, giving up 21 earned runs, 80 hits and just 14 walks while striking out 93. He tossed three shutouts, setting a school record. The most memorable of those shutouts came on March 29, when he fired the eighth nine-inning perfect game in Division I history, a 2-0 blanking of George Washington.

Hicks batted .332 with eight homers and 59 RBI this season. A third-team All-America selection by the ABCA as well as Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger, Hicks posted a team-high 92 hits and 21 doubles. He was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award and also was named first-team All-ACC. Hicks was a fourth-round selection of the Seattle Mariners in the 2011 MLB Draft.

Wilson was a perfect 10-0 with a 2.24 ERA this season. In 104.1 innings he allowed 26 earned runs, 75 hits and 22 walks while striking out 124. Batters hit a paltry .200 against him. He ranked third in the ACC in opponent batting average, fifth in strikeouts, seventh in wins and eighth in innings pitched. He also was named the recipient of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for Baseball, one of the most prestigious awards in college athletics.