CHESTERTOWN — Two Washington College baseball players have earned all-region recognition from D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Senior infielder Drew Kinsey of Monkton [Hereford High School] was placed on the All-Region 5 first team by D3baseball.com and All-Region V second team by the ABCA, while freshman outfielder Brett Connolly of Downingtown, Pennsylvania was a second-team performer for both.
Kinsey is now a two-time all-region selection from both D3baseball.com and the ABCA — first team on both occasions from D3baseball.com and second team twice from the ABCA.
This year, for 22-20 Washington, Kinsey established program records for runs scored [60] and walks [37] and also led the team with 29 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .510.
He batted .347 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and career bests in hits [50], doubles [10] and triples [3].
Kinsey started all 42 games, establishing single-season program records for game appearances and game starts.
Over four years, Kinsey appeared in 133 games with 130 starts.
He’s a career .330 hitter with 31 home runs, 109 RBI, 137 runs scored [one off the school record], 149 hits, 28 doubles and seven triples.
At the end-of-the-year Senior Awards, Kinsey received Washington College’s Eldridge Eliason Award as the male athlete who, with scholastic standing in the upper half of the class, has accomplished the most in the field of athletics.
Connolly set program records for hits [67] and total bases [125].
He had at least one hit in each of his final 10 games, and 19 of the final 20.
Connolly appeared in 40 games with 39 starts.
He led the team in batting average [.409], triples [6], slugging percentage [.762] and on-base plus slugging percentage [1.211], tied for the team lead with six sacrifice flies, and was second on the team with 12 home runs and 52 RBI.
His line included 49 runs scored, 10 doubles, 13 steals and an on-base percentage of .449.
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In all-star voting by the Centennial Conference’s 10 head coaches, Kinsey, Connolly and junior pitcher Michael Lewis of Glen Allen, Virginia were placed on the elite first team, senior catcher Reese Hirsh of Yardley, Pennsylvania earned a spot on the second team, and senior pitcher Elias Philiposian of Woolwich Township, New Jersey and senior infielder Chase Ruppel of Shamong, New Jersey received honorable mention.
Also, senior pitcher Matt Corda of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey represented Washington on the conference’s All-Sportsmanship Team.
To maintain fairness and avoid bias or conflicts of interest, the Centennial Conference rules dictate that each head coach must cast their ballot exclusively for players from opposing institutions, though coaches may nominate their own standout players for consideration.
Kinsey is a three-time All-Centennial pick, while Connolly, Hirsh, Lewis, Philiposian and Ruppel are first-time All-Centennial performers.
Connolly was Rookie of the Year, setting the Centennial Conference record for home runs by a freshman with 12 and tying the conference record for most hits in a season by a freshman with 67.
In his first season at Washington, after two years at conference rival Swarthmore, the right-handed Lewis was the team’s ace, going 5-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 11 appearances.
He led the team in starts [10], wins, innings pitched [60.2] and strikeouts [53].
In Centennial Conference play, Lewis went 3-1.
He piled up a career-best 10 strikeouts in a 6-1 victory at Gettysburg in the first game of the April 26 doubleheader that clinched the Shoremen’s first appearance in the Centennial Conference Tournament since 2022.
The three first-team All-CC selections are the most ever for Washington, and the six total all-stars matches the program record set by the 2022 squad.
Washington went 10-8 in conference games.
Seeded third in the five-school Centennial tournament, Washington made a quick exit after losses to No. 2 seed McDaniel, 12-4, and No. 4 seed Ursinus, 9-1.
