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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.

Before we get into results from last year, lets address how realignment impacted this Region. There are only two teams that were members of Region B in 2019 back this spring, Colonial Forge and Riverbend. The Cardinal District teams were members of Region 6C last year, with the exception of Potomac which played in 5D for the postseason. The Cedar Run District schools were in 6D, with the exception of John Champe, which was in 5C and the Potomac District. The final member of the new Region B is Massaponax, which stays in the Commonwealth District but moves up from 5D to Class 6 this year.

In 2019, these teams were obviously spread across multiple regions. Colonial Forge finished as the Region B runners-up to James River (Midlothian) and advanced to the State Tournament, where the Eagles saw their season end in the quarterfinals. Both Battlefield and Patriot were defeated in the Region D semifinals, making 2019 the first time since 2015 that neither one had been in the State tournament. In Region C, only Forest Park advanced out of the first round, falling in the semifinals to West Springfield.

 

Top Prospects in Region B

Name	School	Class	Position	Commitment
Jackson Baird	Battlefield	2021	RHP	George Mason
Mason Balsis	Patriot	2022	C	Virginia
Diego Barrett	Hylton	2021	SS/RHP	George Mason
Jed Barrett	Osbourn Park	2020	SS	VMI
Griffin Boone	Forest Park	2020	SS	VCU
Everett Catlett	Colgan	2020	LHP	Georgetown
Bryce Demory	Patriot	2021	OF
Riley Eikhoff	Patriot	2020	SS/RHP	Coastal Carollina
Carson Estridge	Battlefield	2022	RHP	West Virginia
CJ Faulkenberry	Colgan	2021	OF
Ryan Grzesiak	John Champe	2022	RHP
Ryley Johnson	Colgan	2020	OF	East Carolina
Ryan Kennedy	Colgan	2022	RHP	Virginia Tech
Braden Mack	Potomac	2020	RHP/C	Cornell
Carter Newman	Woodbridge	2022	SS	Virginia Tech
Brett Renfrow	Colgan	2023	OF/RHP	Virginia Tech
Shane Saunders	Osbourn Park	2020	OF	VMI
Eli Serrano	Patriot	2022	LHP/1B	NC State
Adam Shepard	Osbourn Park	2022	C	Indiana
Aiden Tierney	Colonial Forge	2020	OF	Longwood
Kyle Vandenburg	Patriot	2022	C
Aidan VanVickle	Riverbend	2020	RHP	Longwood
Matthew Westley	Colgan	2023	SS	Virginia Tech
Bryan Wilson	Patriot	2021	OF

 

2020 Region B 

Cardinal	Cedar Run	Commonwealth
Colgan	Battlefield	Colonial Forge
Forest Park	John Champe	Massaponax
Freedom (Woodbridge)	Osbourn	Riverbend
Gar-Field	Osbourn Park
Hylton	Patriot
Potomac	Stonewall Jackson (Manassas)
Woodbridge

Region B will be an eight team Region tournament with the teams being placed in the Region in about as confusing a way as possible. The Cardinal and Cedar Run Districts are guaranteed three teams in the Region each year, with the Commonwealth schools guaranteed their top Class 6 team in District finish (the Commonwealth is a mixed District). If two Class 6 Commonwealth schools finish in the top three of the District, then they both go to the Region, otherwise only one team will go. In the event that the Commonwealth District only sends one team, one of the other Districts will send their fourth place team, with which District gets the extra team predetermined years in advance. This year the Cardinal is the District that would get a fourth team. Additionally, there is no third place game to determine the final Region bid in the Cedar Run or Cardinal District, so any ties in the playoffs will go to the better team in regular season finish.

 

Cardinal District

Colgan
The Sharks had an up-and-down 2019 season, but qualified for the Region C tournament, falling in the quarterfinals to TC Williams and finishing a game under .500. Brady Carter and Connor Cropp graduated, but the most significant loss that Colgan suffered during the offseason was an injury to senior centerfielder Ryley Johnson (East Carolina), which will likely keep him out for most of the season. Aside from that, the Sharks have a strong roster coming back and should contend for a Region title in 2020. On the mound, seniors Everett Catlett (Georgetown) and Jared Dingus emerged as a pair of reliable arms in 2019 that both showed the ability to shut opponents down. Look for the two of them to bring that experience to the top of a rotation that has also has lot of high-end young talent that could force itself into the mix in sophomore Ryan Kennedy (Virginia Tech) and freshman Brett Renfrow (Virginia Tech). In the field, sophomore shortstop Brandon Cassedy is coming off of a solid freshman season and should return to the middle infield where he potentially could be joined by  freshman Matthew Westley (Virginia Tech). Another player to watch is junior outfielder CJ Faulkenberry, who moved to Northern Virginia during the summer and was one of the standout talents at our February events. Senior Jackson Horton (Ferrum) adds length to a lineup that has the potential to be dynamic. While some key pieces for Colgan are young, they are without a doubt the most talented team in the Cardinal District in 2020 and should contend for the Region B title and a State tournament spot.

Forest Park
For the second straight season, the Bruins reached the Region C semifinals in 2019, only to fall to Fairfax powerhouse, this time seeing their season end at the hands of the 2018 State Champs, West Springfield. Forest Park did finish with a winning season and are poised to compete again in 2020. Back this spring is junior Nathan Williams, who emerged as a top arm in 2020. While Chase Stoltman, Andrew Frye (Elmira College), and Todd Dearborn have graduated, the lineup will have plenty of firepower with the returns of Griffin Boone (VCU), James Dumoulin, and Dominick Proctor. The Bruins lost some depth in the rotation behind Williams, but assuming they an find that they should be a threat in the Cardinal District and a tough out in the Region tournament in 2020.

Freedom (Woodbridge)
The Eagles are members of the Region, but will not play a varsity schedule in 2020.

Gar-Field
The Indians were gutted by graduation after a landmark 2018 campaign and could not follow it up in 2019, struggling to find consistency on the mound and missing the Region C tournament. The Indians bring back the core of their lineup this spring, with the return of seniors Gavin Bassett and Drew Early as well as Jordan Aleskowitz and Andrew Vasquez. Bassett and Early also double as the top arms for an Indians team that is looking to bounce back in 2020.

Hylton
The Bulldogs bounced back from a down 2018 season to finish .500 in 2019 and earn a Region C tournament bid, falling in the quarterfinals to Fairfax. Riley Arndt, Angeles Pierpoint and Kaileb Vanderveen have graduated, but otherwise the Bulldogs bring a lot back in 2020 and should build off of that success from last season. A pair of two-way players will be key for Hylton this spring, with juniors Diego Barrett (George Mason) and Tyler Mitchell being cornerstone players in the lineup and the backbone of the pitching rotation. Senior Ethan Marotske (Lynchburg) will again man the outfield and Byron Coleman and Logan Kneibert also return to a lineup that has length and should be solid this spring.

Potomac
Potomac won the Cardinal District in 2019, but were upset in the Region 5D tournament and did not return to the State tournament after having been the 2018 Class 5 State runners-up. The Panthers lose Brody Mack (William & Mary) to graduation, who has been their ace and best hitter for multiple years. Also graduating were Adrian Touch and Josue and Julian Cumba, depriving Potomac of a chunk of their batting order. The Panthers do have plenty of talent coming back and will be a strong team in 2020. Senior Braden Mack (Cornell) will move into the top spot of the rotation and again be a key bat in the middle of the lineup. Also back in the middle of the lineup is senior Ben Thomas (Ferrum), who is coming off of a 2019 season that saw him hit .515 and earn All-State honors. Another returner who will become a key player this spring for Potomac is sophomore outfielder Matthew Drumgold, who had a solid freshman season and will move into a more important role in the lineup.

Woodbridge
Woodbridge had an overall down season in 2019, but the Vikings did make a trip to the Region C tournament, eventually losing in the quarterfinals to the State Champs, Lake Braddock. Senior arms Jack Lamb (Bryant & Stratton) and Magnus Ellerts (Harford CC) graduated, as did bats Shane Morrisey and Ian Briddell. The Vikings also lost their three stick to transfer when junior Bryce Demory moved to Patriot during the offseason. While losing those arms and bats will hurt, even with Ellerts having missed most of 2019, the Vikings have plenty coming back in the lineup this spring. Bryce King is back and contributed on the mound and in the lineup in 2019, look for him to continue to be a key two-way player. Also back in the lineup is junior infielder Eric Hiett, as well as sophomore Carter Newman (Virginia Tech) and Chris Hund. Look for Newman to move up the lineup this spring as the Vikings look to rebound this spring.

 

Cedar Run

Battlefield
The Bobcats finished second in the Cedar Run District in 2019, winning the District Tournament and reaching the Region D semifinals before being eliminated by eventual State Runners-up, Westfield. Battlefield lost a bunch to graduation, most importantly ace and key bat Zach Agnos (East Carolina). Also gone from the rotation is JT McGuire as well two other key hitters from the top of the 2019 lineup, Carter Cunningham (Gardner-Webb) and CJ Miles (George Mason). Despite losing those key pieces, Battlefield has plenty on the roster this spring and as usual will battle for the Cedar Run title and push for a State Tournament berth. The rotation has an interesting combination of veteran depth as well as high-end young talent. Seniors Jacob Lawler (Randolph-Macon), Cole Snead (Randolph-Macon), and Colby Volmer (Shepherd) all got their feet wet in 2019 and will make a good group on the mound. Underclassmen Jackson Baird (George Mason) and Carson Estridge (West Virginia) will push for time on the mound as well this spring. In the lineup, senior Peter Benavides (Randolph-Macon) is back as are Tyler Klus and Adam Kuzmicki, both of whom became mainstays in the lineup as 2019 progressed. Junior Connor McAuley worked his way into the outfield in 2019 and could also be another option on the mound this spring for a deep Bobcat team.

John Champe
The Knights move up to Class 6 for 2020 after putting together a stronger 2019 campaign than they did in 2018. While they did not qualify for the Region tournament, the trend is upward for a team that doesn't lose much beyond Austin Gutierrez (Pitt-Johnstown). Seniors Jaden Keuhner (Washington & Lee) and Logan YI (Washington MD) are back in the middle of the lineup and Matt Walker returns to the leadoff spot. Brandon Wood and Grant Switzer also are back in pretty experienced lineup. On the mound, sophomore Ryan Grzesiak got a lot of opportunities to pitch in 2019 and he should again this spring. He is one of the highest upside arms in the Region and is a must-see for college coaches this spring. Also look for sophomore Caiden Ertter to push for a role on the mound and potentially in the infield as well. There is a chance for Champe to end up with good 1-2 punch on the mound to pair with an experienced lineup, a combination that will make them dangerous this spring as they look to earn a Region bid.

Osbourn
The Eagles finished a bit under .500 in 2019 and missed the Region D tournament, falling in a District tournament game to Stonewall Jackson. Top arm and middle of the lineup presence Cole Reddington has graduated. Much of the rest of the order is back, with junior Alex Brown back in the middle of the lineup along with Ryan Donahue, Julian Elizondo and Tyler Husband. Look for all of them to be in the mix on the mound this spring as the Eagles search for some consistent quality innings as they look to battle for a Region berth.

Osbourn Park
The Yellow Jackets continued their upward momentum from 2018 in 2019 as their young roster got another year older, this time finishing second in the Cedar Run District in the regular season and again earning a Region D tournament berth, unfortunately falling to Yorktown in the first round. Yet again, the bulk of the Osbourn Park roster is back this spring. There will be veteran experience on the mound with seniors Jack Braley (CNU) and Cam Mozingo-Morales (Shepherd) back to top the rotation. Junior Liam Gannon is a good option out of the pen and also a mainstay in the infield along with senior shortstop Jed Barrett (VMI). That pair in the middle coupled with senior centerfielder Shaun Saunders (VMI) and sophomore catcher AJ Shepard (Indiana) make OP strong up the middle defensively. Shepard has an argument for best hitter in Prince William County, regardless of class and is the centerpiece in a deep offense that has speed with Saunders at the top and extra thump behind Shepard in junior Ben Riddick. All of the key pieces to this team return this spring, and Osbourn Park is poised to challenge Patriot, Battlefield, Potomac, and Colgan for the top spot in Prince William this spring and earn a State Tournament berth.

No. 6 Patriot
The Pioneers were mostly a young team in 2019 and that youth came into its own very early as Patriot cruised to the Cedar Run District title (which goes to the regular season champ) and eventually to the Region D semifinals. For the second straight year, and third time in five, the Pioneers were eliminated on their home field by Centreville, missing a State Tournament bid. The Pioneers lost three pieces out of their 2019 lineup with the graduations of Tyler Helbert, Andrew Casey, and Jaden Minnick, but the entire rest of the team is back, plus a pair of transfers in junior Bryce Demory and sophomore Mason Balsis (Virginia). On the mound, the Pioneers have the top senior arm in the District in Riley Eikhoff (Coastal Carolina), with plenty of talent to back him up, with experienced seniors AJ Escobar, Luke Basler, and Bert Redding (Wake Tech). Demory and sophomore Eli Serrano (NC State) are also options on the mound. The lineup will gain feature sophomores Kyle Vandenburg and Serrano, both of whom excelled as freshmen and are a tough duo to deal with. Demory and junior Brian Wilson put speed on the bases in front those two, with Balsis and senior Conor Jersey (Patrick Henry CC) adding some down-the-lineup pop for the Pioneers. Defensively, Demory, Wilson, and Vandenburg cover some serious ground in the outfield, and Balsis will shut down just about any running game. Sophomore Max Ehrhardt takes over at shortstop where he fits well defensively and has a chance to develop into another solid bat. Patriot is loaded this spring with a deep lineup that is pretty much back as well as veteran group on the mound, they are easily the on paper favorites in the Cedar Run and Region B, as well as a clear State Title contender.

Stonewall Jackson
The Raiders 2019 record wasn't great, but they did upset Manassas rival Osbourn to earn a Region D tournament berth, which is something they had not managed in 2018. There are some pieces back again this spring for a team that was more competitive in 2019 than it had been in recent years. Seniors Ronaldo Pulinario, Eric Sledge, Steven Thorne, Ryan Costello, and Mark Klein all return for their final seasons. Mitchell Breeding is the most notable loss to graduation, which will hurt Stonewall on the mound, but there is position player talent there for them to compete. Sophomore Ernie Gonzalez got a lot of playing time in 2019 and is an interesting follow who should get some time on the mound this spring as the Raiders look to make a return trip to the Region tournament.

 

Commonwealth

Colonial Forge
The Eagles had a big 2019 season, recovering from an early rough start to eventually finish as the Region B runners-up and advance to the State quarterfinals before losing a pitcher's duel to Ocean Lakes. Forge has seen longtime lineup mainstay Jake Wortman (Bucknell) graduate, and also lost Nate Zimmerman, Jordan Tauriac, and top arm Aiden Henderson (Bryant & Stratton) off of last year's roster. That being said, a talented core does return for a Colonial Forge team that is looking to return to the State tournament through the new Region. Shorstop Robert Moffett is back in the middle and in the leadoff spot in front of senior outfielder Aiden Tierney (Longwood). Senior Keegan Doyle (CNU) is also back to provide some more thump in the middle of the lineup. The Eagles' biggest question mark will be what they do on the mound this spring, with the bulk of their innings graduating. Some players to keep an eye on for the rotation include seniors Nolan Brown (Southern Maryland), Charlie Morris (Charleston WV), and junior Ben Rorhbach. 

Massaponax
The Panthers had a tough 2019 season and were knocked out in the first round of the Region 5D tournament. This spring, they move up to Class 6 and bring back most of their lineup. Anthony Zicari returns to the top of the order, in front of a lineup core that will again feature Aaron Leinenbach, Mike Shanahan, and Kaiden Rosenbaum. On the mound, Jack Clements and Ben Stovall (Elizabethtown) are gone, but Shanahan got some work on the mound and John Fartro was a good option out of the pen who could see his role expand in 2020.

Riverbend
The Bears had a tough 2019 regular season, but did earn a spot in the Region 6B tournament and pulled one of the biggest playoff upsets of 2019, knocking off Thomas Dale, before being eliminated by James River (Midlothian). The Bears lose Seth Sherman (City College of New York), Cade Fletcher, and Alex Correa to graduation, gutting the top of their lineup. The lineup does have some experience coming back with the returns of Nate Sherman, Tony Skinner, and Ryan Baechtel. On the mound, senior Aidan VanVickle (Longwood) returns. He demonstrated the ability shut big offenses down when he shut down Dale in the Region tournament, but he will need to be more consistent as he battled command at times earlier in the season. If he can pitch consistently the way that he did at times during 2019, the 2020 Bears should be improved.

 

More 2020 Previews