Seven Generals Selected for VBL All Star and Prospect Games

By Braden Ramsey

NEW MARKET, Va. – Earlier this week, the Valley League announced the rosters for the 2023 VBL All Star Game and the select group of players who will represent the Valley in this year’s Prospect Games.

Seven Waynesboro players earned selections for the exhibition contests, with six heading north for the All-Star festivities and three traveling south for the Prospect showcase.

The three Generals who will be participating in the Prospect Games are (in alphabetical order):

• 1B Alexander McCoy: 15 G (15 S), 24/58 (.414 AVG.), 4 2B, 16 R, 10 RBI, 11 BB, 11 K, 18 SB (1 CS)

McCoy has been a staple in the Waynesboro batting order, playing first base and hitting second in nearly every game this season. His 18 stolen bases are tops in the VBL. Prior to Tuesday’s game in Winchester, he was the only player in the Valley with 10 or more swipes to have not been caught on any occasion.

• C Parker Stroh: 9 G (8 S), 9/27 (.333 AVG.), HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 8 BB, 11 K

Stroh brings great pop and patience from a position that historically prioritizes defensive ability over offensive production. This summer, he is one of two Generals players to reach base in five of five plate appearances during a single game (2/2, 3 BB vs. Purcellville; June 7) and the lone General to record 5 RBI in one outing (at Culpeper; June 10).

• SP Benito Valle-Jhanda: 3 APP. (3 S), 15.0 IP, 11 H, 10 R (7 ER), 9 BB, 16 K; 2-0, 4.20 ERA

Waynesboro’s ace has been a steady hand atop the rotation. Valle-Jhanda is the only member of the pitching staff with multiple victories, produced the Generals’ first quality start with six innings of four-hit, one-run ball versus Front Royal on June 9 and has thrown at least four frames in each of his three appearances. He would be an All-Star if not for his selection here.

Valle-Jhanda is listed on the roster for the first Prospect Game (Monday).

The six Generals suiting up in the All-Star Game are (in alphabetical order):

• SP Conor Hensley: 3 APP. (3 S), 15.0 IP, 22 H, 11 R (10 ER), 7 BB, 17 K; 1-1, 6.00 ERA

Like Valle-Jhanda, Hensley has completed four or more innings in all of his starts. Outside of his first innings against Culpeper and Staunton, he sports a 2.08 ERA across 13 frames.

• 1B Alexander McCoy: 15 G (15 S), 24/58 (.414 AVG.), 4 2B, 16 R, 10 RBI, 11 BB, 11 K, 18 SB (1 CS)
• 3B Luis Ramirez: 12 G (12 S), 14/44 (.319 AVG.), 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 R, 10 RBI, 7 BB, 11 K, 3 SB (0 CS)

This Bloomfield Bear has done nothing but produce since his arrival in Waynesboro. Ramirez has reached base in all but one of his appearances, and hit home runs on back-to-back nights versus Winchester and Woodstock. In that road affair against the River Bandits, he went 5-for-5 and finished a triple shy of the cycle.

• OF Sean Shelly: 10 G (10 S), 11/36 (.306 AVG.), 2B, 3B, HR, 5 R, 10 RBI, 5 BB, 15 K

Shelly didn’t earn his first start until the Generals’ fourth game of the summer, but he made quite an impression, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. He has added both a three-RBI and four-RBI game to his name in the past week, and has tallied at least one hit in eight of ten outings.

• C Parker Stroh: 9 G (8 S), 9/27 (.333 AVG.), HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 8 BB, 11 K
• OF Jeremy Wagner: 14 G (14 S), 19/51 (.373 AVG), 2B, 12 R, 9 RBI, 9 BB, 8 K

Jeremy has both followed in his father’s footsteps and taken his own path. The Crozet native has scored in eight different games, recorded multiple hits in six VBL matchups and is the lone Gen to have drawn more walks than strikeouts while playing in more than ten contests.

The 2023 VBL All-Star Game takes place in Front Royal on Sunday, June 25. The 2023 Prospect Games are at Liberty University in Lynchburg on Monday, June 26 and Tuesday, June 27.