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Dover’s Jordan Hutchins led the state in batting average, hitting .524 in the regular season and .518 when including the three playoff games the Senators played on their way to a fourth-consecutive trip to the state semifinals. (Delaware State News file photo)
Jordan Hutchins is one of the best baseball players to ever come through Dover High, according to his coach Dave Gordon.
And this year, Hutchins was the best baseball player in Delaware, according to the Delaware Baseball Coaches Association.
The Dover shortstop was awarded the state’s Player of the Year award for his senior season. He was one of six downstate players named to the All-State First Team.
Hutchins was Dover’s starting shortstop ever since the third game of his freshman year. This year, he moved into the starting rotation and rotated between pitcher and shortstop, thus making the All-State team as a utility player.
He led the state in batting average, hitting .524 in the regular season and .518 when including the three playoff games the Senators played on their way to a fourth-consecutive trip to the state semifinals.
Hutchins, who also was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, is headed to play at the University of Delaware next season.
“He will go down as the best shortstop to play the position at Dover High,” Gordon said. “If anyone wants to argue with me, the numbers do not lie.
Jordan’s speed, tools, and athleticism that he will bring to the turf at Bob Hannah Stadium will give him an opportunity to play right away in the middle of the field (at Delaware). Coach (Jim) Sherman will be very pleased with the addition of Jordan to the University of Delaware baseball program, just as I was for the past four years.”
Hutchins scored 30 runs, stole 15 bases, hit nine doubles and five triples over the course of the season. On the mound he finished with a 7-0 record, 59 strikeouts and a 1.80 earned run average in 49 innings pitched.
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Dover’s Garrett Lawson was actually honored twice, making the team as a pitcher and as a designated hitter. (Delaware State News file photo)
Joining Hutchins on the first team from the Henlopen Conference was Dover teammate Garrett Lawson, Smyrna’s Jared Gillis, Polytech’s Carter Chasanov, Lake Forest’s Tyler Collins and Cape Henlopen’s Austin Elliott.
Lawson was actually honored twice, making the team as a pitcher and as a designated hitter. He made his varsity debut as a sophomore before battling through an injury as a junior with the Senators.
But this year he was fully healthy and led the state in strikeouts with 94 while going 7-3 with a pair of shutouts in 11 starts.
“With Garrett Lawson, everyone witnessed the process and maturation of a young student athlete putting it altogether and performing at a very high level,” Gordon said. “He worked extremely hard during the off-season in the weight room after being injured the previous season. Garrett was a lights out pitcher for Dover and sometimes unhittable in the games he pitched.”
Lawson has signed to pitch for Delaware State University next year.
“It has been very gratifying to watch Garrett become the top pitcher in the state and it will be very exciting to follow him during his collegiate career at Delaware State,” Gordon said. “Garrett has the ability to throw four pitches for strikes and when his command of those pitches becomes even better, his ceiling will get higher.”
This was the first season Lawson got to be a full-time batter with the Senators and he didn’t disappoint. He batted .463 with an on base percentage of .608, 24 runs, 23 RBIs and a home run.
Gillis, who will join Lawson at Delaware State next season, helped lead Smyrna to its first ever Henlopen Conference Northern Division title. The four-year starter for the Eagles at third base finished the year with a .491 batting average, a .609 on-base percentage, two home runs, 12 stolen bases and 19 RBIs.
Collins made the first team as a first baseman and became the first Lake Forest player to receive first team recognition since John Zimmerman in 1999. Collins, a senior, had the best slugging percentage of all first-teamers (.902). He batted .490 with 11 doubles, two homers and drove in 22 runs.
Chasanov was honored as a second baseman and joins his older brother Conner (2014) and father Heath (1987) as having been named first team All-State. Chasanov, a junior, had a .451 batting average, .563 on-base percentage, two home runs, 22 RBIs, 19 runs and 10 stolen bases.
Elliott, a sophomore outfielder from Cape Henlopen was the final downstate representative. He finished the year with a .449 batting average, two home runs and 20 RBI.
All-State
DBCA ALL-STATE BASEBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
P – Garrett Lawson, sr., Dover; P – Joseph Silan, so., Caravel; P – Sean Gilardi, sr., St. Mark’s; C – Brock Nowell, jr., Conrad; 1B – Tyler Collins, sr., Lake Forest; 2B – Carter Chasanov, jr., Polytech; 3B – Jared Gillis, sr., Smyrna; SS – Andrew Orzel, sr. Archmere; OF – Brandon Fraley, sr., Caravel; OF – Austin Elliott, so., Cape Henlopen; OF – Chris Kramedas, sr., Conrad; DH – Garrett Lawson, sr., Dover; Utility – Jordan Hutchins, sr., Dover
SECOND TEAM
P – Ryan Bradigan, jr., Conrad; Nick Robino, sr., Salesianum; Ryan Steckline, jr., Appoquinimink; Tyler Campbell, sr., St. Georges. C – Joe Singley, sr., Archmere. 1B – Ryan Steckline, jr., Appoquinimink. 2B – Colin Lynch, jr., Archmere. 3B – Logan Gilbert, sr., St. Georges. SS – Justin Hill, sr., Sussex Tech; Zack Gelof, so., Cape Henlopen. OF – Michael Ricci, sr., St. Elizabeth; Nolan Henderson, jr., Smyrna; Maurice Parson, jr., Mount Pleasant. DH – Nick Sensabaugh, so., Delcastle. Utility – Andrew Reich, sr., St. Mark’s
HONORABLE MENTION
P – Matthew Danz, jr., DMA; Cole Dunn, so., Middletown; Austin Elliott, so., Cape Henlopen. C – Zach Miller, jr., Salesianum. 1B – Matt Theodorakis, jr., St. Mark’s. 2B – Hunter Fleetwood, fr., Lake Forest; John Weglarz, jr., Appoquinimink. 3B – Brett Nowell, sr., Conrad. SS – Zack Roseman, sr., Tatnall. OF – Donovan Simpson, sr., St. Andrew’s; Quintin Ivy, sr., Caesar Rodney; Jeff Gillis, sr., DMA. DH – Aidan Riley, fr., St. Georges; Josh Maguire, so., Salesianum. Utility – Tyler Campbell, sr., St. Georges
Player of the Year: Jordan Hutchins, sr., Dover
Coach of the Year: Matt Smith, St. Mark’s
Assistant Coach of the Year: Roger Rolfe, Hodgson