Botetourt County baseball players were key members of collegiate teams this spring, building on their success with the James River and Lord Botetourt programs. Eight players with local ties were on collegiate rosters.
Garrett Dorton had a strong freshman season at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va., earning G-MAC All-Freshman team honors. He played in 42 games and had 40 hits, including a home run and five doubles, with a .282 batting average. Unfortunately, Garrett broke his wrist in the last game of the season, keeping him from playing for the Roanoke Rails this summer.
Two James River graduates were on the Eastern Mennonite University team. Bailey Hall, a freshman pitcher, appeared in 10 games and started six. He had 24 strikeouts in 26 innings while posting a 1-3 record for the Royals.
Bayard Stevens of Fincastle was a junior pitcher for EMU. He appeared in two games.
Michael Mnich, a Lord Botetourt grad, was a senior pitcher for Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, W.Va. Mnich was 4-5 with a 4.37 ERA while striking out 45 in 55 and two-thirds innings. He pitched seven innings in wins over Hillsdale and Ohio Valley and started 10 games during the season.
Zack Kelly, a senior at Newberry College in Newberry, S.C., is another LB pitching product. He was 7-3 for the Wolves with a 3.72 earned run average, leading the team with 94 strikeouts. He also led the team in wins and innings pitched with 82 and a third.
Ryan Fralin, a freshman from LB, completed his first season at Concord University in Athens, W.Va., with a .315 batting average. After pitching and playing the outfield at Lord Botetourt, Fralin was strictly an outfielder with the Mountain Lions. He played sporadically at the beginning of the season but won a regular spot and finished strong, playing in 29 games while starting 21. He had 23 hits and scored 22 runs, including a four-hit game against West Virginia Wesleyan on April 15.
Two Lord Botetourt graduates were on the roster of the Roanoke College baseball team that went to the NCAA Division III “Final Four.” Freshman right-hander Matt Henderlite was 5-0 on the season with a 3.51 earned run average. He started two games and was a staple out of the bullpen for coach Matt McGuire, appearing in relief 10 times for RC.
Chance Henry, a sophomore pitcher from LB, missed the entire season with an injury but hopes to be back on the bump next season for the Maroons, who finished the season as the third ranked team in all of Division III.
