July 10, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - - Virginia head baseball coach Brian O'Connor, sophomore left-handed pitcher/first baseman Sean Doolittle and freshman pitcher Jacob Thompson earned top honors on the 2006 University Division All-State Baseball team as chosen by the Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID). O'Connor won the Coach of the Year award for the third straight season, while Doolittle was named the 2006 VaSID Pitcher of the Year. Thompson was selected as the Rookie of the Year. UVa had four players selected to the first team and three more players selected to the 2006 VaSID All-State second team.

Doolittle, the 2006 ACC Player of the Year, a finalist for the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year award and a consensus second team All-American, posted an 11-2 record with a 2.38 ERA with 108 strikeouts in 90.2 innings. Thompson, a second team All-ACC selection, Baseball America and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, was 10-4 with a 2.60 ERA for the Cavaliers.

Jacob Thompson was named the 2006 VaSID Rookie of the Year.

O'Connor, in his third season at Virginia, was named the VaSID Division I Baseball Coach of the Year for the third straight year after directing the Cavaliers to a 47-15 season, including a trip to the NCAA tournament. O'Connor guided Virginia to the most wins in school history. O'Connor was also named a national Coach of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation.

Designated Hitter/Utility player Tom Hagan and outfielder Brandon Marsh joined Doolittle and Thompson on the first team as UVa and James Madison each had four players chosen to the 12-man first team. Doolittle was named second team as a first baseman while outfielder Brandon Guyer and lefty Mike Ballard were named to the second team.

JMU's Kellen Kulbacki was chosen the 2006 VaSID Baseball Player of the Year. Kulbacki, the Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger National Co-Player of the Year, a Collegiate Baseball and College Baseball Foundation First-team All-American and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser and Brookes Wallace Awards, hit .464 while setting school and CAA records for home runs (24) and tied the JMU single-season RBI mark with 75.

Doolittle along with Phillip Laurent of Liberty and VCU's Sergio Miranda were the only repeat selections on the first team of the VaSID squad. Including second team selections, Virginia had a total of seven players named followed by JMU and ODU with four each, Liberty with three, VCU and George Mason with two, Richmond, VMI and William & Mary with one each.

Here is a complete look at the 2006 VaSID All-State Team:

2006 VaSID All-State Baseball First Team
Name, Position, School
Patrick Nichols, C, Old Dominion
Nate Schill, 1B, James Madison
Michael Cowgill, 2B, James Madison
Sergio Miranda, SS, VCU
Kelly Sweppenhiser, 3B, VMI
Kellen Kulbacki, OF, James Madison
Phillip Laurent,,OF, Liberty
Brandon Marsh, OF, Virginia
Tom Hagan, DH, Virginia
Sean Doolittle, P, Virginia
Jacob Thompson, P, Virginia
Ryan Reid, P, James Madison

Coach of the Year: Brian O'Connor, Virginia
Player of the Year: Kellen Kulbacki, James Madison
Pitcher of the Year: Sean Doolittle, Virginia
Rookie of the Year: Jacob Thompson, Virginia

2006 VaSID All-State Baseball Second Team
Name, Position, School
Robby Jacobson, C, George Mason
Sean Doolittle, 1B, Virginia
Michael Just, 2B, Liberty
Greg Sexton, SS, William & Mary
Chad Miller, 3B, Liberty
Ben Zeskind, OF, Richmond
Jimmy Miles, OF, Old Dominion
Brandon Guyer, OF, Virginia
Dana Arrowood, DH, Old Dominion
Mike Ballard, P, Virginia
Jason Godin, P, Old Dominion
Harold Mozingo, P, VCU