Follow @PBRVirginiaDC 
Facebook + Instagram

Welcome to our 2020 VHSL Previews. In each preview, we will give you a brief recap of the 2019 season along with the breakdown of each Region and what the rules are to qualify for postseason play under the new alignment. We will also highlight the top prospects in each Classification, as well as some teams to watch during the 2020 season.

Region D is home to the 2019 Class 5 State Champions, the Stafford Indians. The Indians are also the defending Region D champs and finished on an eight game winning streak. They won their State Semifinal and Championship games on walk-offs, with Tucker Sullivan driving in the Championship run 

Unbelievable ending. W/two outs, like the majority of their runs past two days, the Indians rallied. A walk and a Lambros single get two runners on and Tucker Sullivan would then deliver a walk-off single to right. @PrideTeamIndian wins this one 4-3 over Mills Godwin. #5AStates pic.twitter.com/Rq5PfOI63o

— PBR Virginia/DC (@PBRVirginiaDC) June 14, 2019

 

A young Mountain View team finished as a Region semifinalist, along with Orange County. For four years in a row a State finalist has come out of Region D, the 2019 Champs in Stafford, and runner-ups Potomac in 2018, Halifax County in 2017, and Mountain View in 2016.

Realignment has made Region D significantly smaller, sending a third of the teams out that have been in the Region for the last two years. Massaponax and Potomac move up to Class 6 where they will play in Region B. Halifax and Orange County both move down to Class 4 going forward.

 

 

Top Prospects in the Region

Name	School	Class	Position	Commitment
Jimmy Baker	Stafford	2020	SS/RHP	Marymount
Elmer Figueroa	North Stafford	2021	C	Norfolk State
Elvin Figueroa	North Stafford	2021	1B	Norfolk State
Jackson Foreman	Stafford	2020	SS	Shenandoah
Seneca Gregory	Mountain View	2021	RHP	Penn State
Evan Hamill	Mountain View	2021	SS/RHP
AJ Labrusciano	North Stafford	2022	SS/RHP
Jett Shue	Albemarle	2020	SS/RHP	Swarthmore
Tucker Sullivan	Stafford	2020	RHP/SS
Hunter Trimarchi	North Stafford	2021	SS/RHP

 

2020 Region D

Commonwealth	Other Districts
Brooke Point	Albemarle
Mountain View	Harrisonburg
North Stafford	Patrick Henry (Roanoke)
Stafford	William Fleming

Region D will be an all-in Region again, but now with just eight schools so all teams start in the quarterfinals. Power points will be used to seed teams and they will play a straight bracket, with no more flipping in the semifinals or North/South division as there had been in the past years in Region D.

 

Team Outlook

Albemarle
The Patriots put together a winning season in 2019 and advanced to the Region quarterfinals before running into Halifax County and seeing their season come to an end. Jack Bruns has graduated, but senior Jett Shue (Swarthmore) will be back this spring. Freshman two-way talent Will Coleman is an interesting prospect to follow in the coming years.

Brooke Point
The Blackhawks had a tough 2019 season and were knocked out by Mountain View in the Region tournament. Brooke Point also suffer a loss as Ryan Bellamy and Owen Bellamy moved to North Carolina, depriving the Blackhawks of a pair of very promising underclassmen. Also gone via transfer is senior infielder Jackson Foreman (Shenandoah), who is now at Stafford. Senior Josh Iannarelli and sophomore Jaden Isidro are a pair of talented returners from the top half of Brooke Point's batting order as the Blackhawks look to battle for a winning season in 2020.

Harrisonburg
The Blue Streaks finished 2019 just under .500 and fell in the first round of the Region D tournament. Jose Rocha (Patrick Henry CC) and Owen Stewart (Alderson Broaddus) have both graduated, taking away the heart of Harrisonburg's lineup as well as an important arm in their rotation. The team was young last year and the bulk of it will be back in 2020. A quartet of freshmen played their way into the lineup in 2019 and they will be back this spring as Dylan Burnette, Evan Bert, Zach Cooper, and Josh Engle will be interesting to follow as they play out their sophomore seasons this spring. Also back this spring will be juniors Diego Gallegos and Aidan Perkins in a lineup that should be another year older and a bit more dangerous. Bert and Perkins will contribute on the mound for a team that should develop as the season progresses and will be a threat to make a run in the postseason.

Mountain View
The Wildcats were a younger team in 2019, and they finished the season under .500 overall, but they surged down the stretch, winning four straight games, including an upset of Potomac, to reach the Region semifinals before running into Halifax County and seeing their season end. Graduated are Andrew Neff (Concord), Brandon Lindauer (Washington-MD), and Zach Kaatz (Lock Haven), but the rest of the lineup is back for a team that should be on the rise this spring. Senior Caleb Menders will be flanked by a group of returners that includes juniors Evan Hamill, Cameron Murray, Nicolas Rodriguez, and sophomore TJ Johnson. On the mound, juniors Seneca Gregory (Penn State) and Britt Yount give the Wildcats the makings of a strong 1-2 punch, with Hamill capable of being a bullpen option as well. Mountain View is a younger team entering this season, but with the experience in that youth, look for them to be a dark horse contender to win Region D and earn a State Tournament berth.

North Stafford
The Wolverines had a winning season in 2019 but saw it come to an end earlier in the Region tournament. They lost a couple key pieces with the graduation of Cody Carter (King) and Owen Ledford (Roanoke), but they have a good group of guys coming back and are stacked with young talent on the roster in 2020. A pair of thumpers will anchor the middle of the lineup with return of junior brothers Elmer Figueroa (Norfolk State) and Elvin Figueroa (Norfolk State). Junior Jacob Via will also round out the middle of the order and contribute in a rotation that should be deep as well. Flanking Via in the rotation will be another pair of two-way contributors in junior Hunter Trimarchi and AJ Labrusciano. Some other interesting younger players to watch include junior Ryan Hawkins and sophomore Keenan Fulwood. North Stafford has a young roster that is deeply talented, and while they should contend for a Region title in 2020, the bulk of this team will be back next year as well.

Patrick Henry (Roanoke)
The Patriots had a strong regular season in 2019, playing well against the Class 3 and Class 4 opponents they face in the River Ridge District and finishing in the middle of the District pack in the regular season before rolling through the District Tournament with wins over Salem and Christiansburg to capture the District Title. They did not go very far in the Region tournament, defeating Fleming in the first round but then falling in the quarterfinals to see their season end. The Patriots lose 10 seniors to graduation and the departures of Carter Plunkett and John Stockstill will deprive them of the heart of their order, with Plunkett doubling as a top arm. The Patriots will celebrate that District championship but will need to rebuild with a new core in 2020.

Stafford
The Indians put a bow on a recent run of strong seasons in 2019 by capturing the Region D and Class 5 State Championships, wrapping up a 24-3 season with a dogpile after winning the State Semifinal and Championship on walk-offs. Last year's team got a special season on the mound from Michael Tolson (Western Carolina), who has graduated, as has Robbie Baker (West VA Weslyan). Where the Indians were hurt the most for 2020 was not from graduation, but by transfer. Outfielder Eli Lambros (Virginia Tech) transferred to Fredericksburg Christian and pitcher Gunther Braendal left for IMG Academy in Florida. The Indians did pick up one new face during the transfer window, with senior Jackson Foreman (Shenandoah) coming over from Brooke Point. Despite the losses, the Indians should be strong defensively with a senior infield featuring Foreman, Tucker Sullivan, and Jimmy Baker. Sullivan will likely see his role on the mound expand and Baker can also contribute there if needed. Look for Stafford to yet again be in the mix late in the season as the Indians look to defend their Region and State titles.

William Fleming
The Colonels again had a rough season in 2019 and their season came to an end in the first round of the Region tournament.

 

 

 

 

More 2020 Previews