NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team has seen one of its own named All-State by the Virginia Sports Information Directors, VaSID officials announced Wednesday.

Senior designated hitter Chandler Kezele (Marshall, Va.) adds All-State Second-Team accolades to All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference and ABCA All-South Region honors earned earlier this spring.

Kezele batted .369 with a team-leading six home runs, adding seven doubles, 21 RBI and 11 runs scored. He put together a .438 on-base percentage and a .754 slugging average as he reached base safely in all 17 games in which he played with a 16-game hitting streak. Kezele had six multi-hit games, six multi-RBI games and four multi-run contests over the course of the season.

It is the first time since then-senior Brandon Lineberry was tabbed all-state in 2016 that an E&H player has been recognized by VaSID.

Shenandoah University's Colby Martin was selected as State Player of the Year while University of Lynchburg's Brandon Pond was honored as State Pitcher of the Year. Jay Cassady of Christopher Newport University earned State Rookie of the Year laurels while Lynchburg mentor garnered State Coach of the Year accoldaes.

VaSID, founded in 1983, names 44 all-state teams in 23 sports each year, as well as an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all sports information professionals working at a university or conference in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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2021 VaSID All-State Baseball Teams

Player of the Year: Colby Martin, Shenandoah
Pitcher of the Year: Brandon Pond, Lynchburg
Rookie of the Year: Jay Cassady, Christopher Newport
Coach of the Year: Lucas Jones, Lynchburg

ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM
SP – Matt Nickles (Randolph-Macon)
SP – Brandon Pond (Lynchburg)
SP – Zack Potts (Lynchburg)
RP – Jake Andrews (Marymount)
RP – Grayson Thurman (Lynchburg)
C – Jacob Selden (Randolph-Macon)
1B – Keegan Woolford (Shenandoah)
1B – Reece Yeargain (Randolph-Macon)
2B – Colby Martin (Shenandoah)
3B – Pearce Bucher (Shenandoah)
SS – Alex Lemery (Marymount)
OF – Josh Greenway (Ferrum)
OF – Jaylon Lee (Eastern Mennonite)
OF – Avery Neaves (Lynchburg)
DH – Carter Plunkett (Roanoke)
UTL – Kinston Carson (Lynchburg)

ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM
SP – Ryan Bergenhagen (Marymount)
SP – Tad Dean (Shenandoah)
SP – Josh Husby (Christopher Newport)
SP – Will Turner (Roanoke)
RP – William Flanagan (Bridgewater)
RP – Clint Wheeler (Marymount)
C – James DiGiulian (Marymount)
1B – Garrett Jackson (Lynchburg)
2B – Chapin Bassi (Washington and  Lee)
3B – Ozzie Millet (Bluefield)
SS – Frankie Ritter (Shenandoah)
OF – Ethan Iannuzzi (Randolph-Macon)
OF – David Lambertson (Mary Washington)
OF – David Meech (Bluefield )
DH – Chandler Kezele (Emory & Henry)
UTL – Jay Cassady (Christopher Newport)