Follow @PBRVirginiaDC 
Facebook + Periscope + Instagram

As we have crossed the midpoint in January and are now under five weeks to go until public school practices can get underway, we continue our look ahead to warmer days to come with more of our Spring Forward series. 

Today we will look at a very deep list of senior (2019) lefties from Northern Virginia who were big parts of their teams' success last spring and project to be back in that ace role again this spring. This particular group of lefties is special because of how large it is and how good they have all been so far during their high school careers. 

Without further adieu, here are senior lefties to see in Northern Virginia this spring:

 

2019 NOVA Senior Lefties

 

 

 

Donovan Burke LHP / Loudoun County , VA / 2019 Burke is a James Madison commit who is a late bloomer with a ton of upside as he continues to fill out and develop. He had some strong outings for the Raiders in 2018, including 5 shutout innings and 9 strikeouts in an early-season win over Potomac Falls. Burke has swing and miss stuff and has the potential to be able to take over games for County in 2019.

 

 

Peter Colevas LHP / Bishop O'Connell, VA / 2019 Colevas is uncommitted and had some big outings on the season for a young Knights team. One of the highlights of his 2018 season was a tough-luck no-decision against Paul VI that saw him throw 6.2 innings of 3 hit ball while striking out 11, only for O'Connell to lose in extra innings while being no-hit. Look for Colevas, fellow senior Will Pickford (Virginia Tech), and healthy junior Jake Berry (Virginia) to potentially lead the Knights to a resurgent 2019.

 

 

Todd Hartman LHP / OF / Thomas Jefferson S&T, VA / 2019 Hartman is a Johns Hopkins commit who works in the low 80s and can touch higher with feel for multiple quality offspeed pitches and pitchability. Hartman was a big part of some key victories for the Colonials in 2018, including a 9 strikeout, 5 inning performance against Falls Church and a 12 strikeout 5.2 inning outing against Stuart (Justice). Hartman on the mound gives TJ a chance to hang with just about any team in Northern Virginia.

 

 

Matt Howat LHP / OF / James Madison, VA / 2019 Howat had a monster 2018 season and emerged as a second ace for the Warhawks down the stretch. He committed to William & Mary and will be back this spring for Madison as he looks to build off of his strong junior season with an even better senior year as Madison's ace. In 2018, he went 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA and struck out 71 in 53.2 innings. His slider is a true swing-and-miss pitch and plays very well off of his fastball.

 

 

Clark Klitenic LHP / St. Albans, VA / 2019 Klitenic was the 2018 IAC Player of the Year and led the Bulldogs to the DCSAA Championship game, where he kept them in the game before St. Alban's lost in extra innings after he exited the game with 11 strikeouts in 8 innings. He is a Duke commit and showed his ability to beat any team he faces all season long, shutting down eventual WCAC champ St. John's in the 2018 opener for a Bulldog win.

 

 

Brody Mack LHP / 1B / Potomac , VA / 2019 Mack was the ace and the centerpiece of the lineup for the 2018 Class 5 State Runners-up and should step right back into that role again in 2019. He is a William & Mary commit and is a gamer who just beats people. His 2018 numbers reflect this as he went 11-2 with a 1.21 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 81 innings for Potomac.

 

 

Carson McCusker LHP / OF / Fauquier , VA / 2019 McCusker is a Roanoke commit who played a major two-way role in the Falcons' 2018 run to the State Tournament. He played centerfield while hitting in the middle of the lineup and also picked up some starts and came into close when needed. He has a deceptive crossfire delivery that allows his fastball to get on hitters quickly and he pounds the strikezone. With the depth of the Falcon rotation this spring, he could end up just closing as he did down the stretch in 2018. McCusker could easily slot back into the rotation if needed in 2019, as he had some strong outings as a starter last season, including 6 innings in a win over Woodbridge. If he stays the closer behind Lane Pearson (Indiana Univ PA) and Harrison Whitt, the Falcons should be a threat to return to the Class 4 State Tournament.

 

 

Seth Richards LHP / Oakton, VA / 2019 Richards is a Villanova commit and has been a varsity contributor since his freshman year for the Cougars. He has pitched some big games for the Cougars during his career, including shutting down a favored Battlefield team in the Region Quarterfinals in 2017 and he helped lead Oakton to first-round Regional upset win over McLean in 2018. Richards has a good three pitch mix and feel for the zone, look for him to put together a big season for an Oakton team that should rebound in 2019.

 

 

Dylan Weber LHP / OF / Dominion, VA / 2019 Weber is a Christopher Newport commit and led Dominion to one of their best seasons in program history in 2018. He went 5-2 with a 0.55 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 51.1 innings for the Titans. Look for him to return to the top of the rotation this spring as he will be joined by senior transfer Cortland Lawson (Tennessee) in what has a chance to be the best 1-2 punch in the Dulles District.

 

 

Harrison Whitt LHP / Fauquier, VA / 2019 Whitt transferred in the offseason from Battlefield where the uncommitted lefty had been a significant contributor to the Bobcats since his sophomore year. He had some strong outings for the Bobcats in 2018, including 5 shutout innings in a win over Chantilly and an outstanding week in the middle of the season with six strong innings and 7 strikeouts in a win over Osbourn Park followed by a save in a victory over rival Patriot. Whitt will move to Fauquier where he will have a chance to form a dominant top three with fellow seniors Lane Pearson and McCusker.

 

 

 

 

Bonus Junior lefty:

 

Nate Savino LHP / Potomac Falls, VA / 2020 While this list was meant to focus on the senior lefties, it'd be wrong to not throw Savino in this group of impact lefties to see, as he arguably had the best 2018 season of anyone on this list and will remain the top lefty in Northern Virginia this spring. Not only that, but the Virginia commit is currently ranked as one of the top arms in his graduating class in the entire country and projects to be a very high draft pick. As for stats, as a sophomore, Savino went 7-2 with a 0.82 ERA for the Panthers, striking out 109 in 51.1 innings.

 

 

 

More Spring Forward