The Shadow
COVINGTON – With the first half of the 2024 Valley Baseball League season out of the way, Covington (8-14) will look to improve on an up and down first half.
The Lumberjacks ended the first half of the season on a huge positive note following a 14-1 road victory over Staunton at Gypsy Hill Park on Friday night. The win was much needed for the Jacks’ who had prior to the victory were on a five-game losing streak.
The five-game losing streak that was snapped by Covington tied the clubs longest losing streak of the season. The Lumberjacks had dropped five in a row during the middle of June as well.
Prior to that Covington only had two small two-game losing skids.
You take away the two five-game losing streaks and the Lumberjacks have played fairly well. The most wins the Jacks’ have had against their South Divisional opponents is Harrisonburg and Staunton. The Jacks’ have defeated the defending VBL champion Turks three out of their first five meetings, including a 9-1 road victory at Veterans Memorial Park back on June 19th. The team has also defeated the Braves three out of five.
Brennon Wright, who is no longer with the club as of June 18th was having a slashing first half of the season. Wright was batting an outstanding .425 with 17 hits in 40 at bats. The left-handed batter out of Meridian Community College also had five RBI’s. Wright accomplished this in only 11 games. The Starkville, MI native hit safely in all 11 games, including two three-hit performances.
In 16 games, Jackson Toberman, one of five Lumberjacks selected for the VBL All-Star Game, leads the team in RBIs with 17. Toberman goes into the second half with a .311 batting average and three home runs.
Fellow All-Stars Chenar Brown and Kaleb Henry each head into the second half with three home runs and 13 RBIs apiece. Brown is batting .275, while Henry is just a few points below him at .266.
Cesar Valera, one of two Covington pitchers who were selected for the VBL ASG, leads the team at the halfway point with a 1.92 ERA. Valera, whose five appearances all have come out of the bullpen, has been a tough one to solve. Valera has only given up four hits in 9.1 innings, while striking out 10.
The other VBL ASG pitcher selected for the Lumberjacks, Jorge A. Garcia III. is just behind Valera in ERA at Garcia III. has been just as unhittable with a 2.00 earned run average. Garcia III. has struck out 11 batters in nine innings.
Matthew Someillan, Garrett Darner, John Vazquez, and Carlos Escobosa, lead the team with 13 strikeouts each. Someillan and Vazuez, also lead the team with a pair of wins. Garcia III. and Landon Lucas each have two saves for the Jacks’.
Covington at the All-Star break sits nine games out of the South Division-leading Charlottesville. The TomSox sit at 17-5 at the break and are 4-0 against the Lumberjacks with four more games left to go against one another.
For the Lumberjacks to get back into the playoff race they’ll need to rely on their home crowd as 11 of their final 18 regular season games will be home at Casey Field.
The Jacks’ will open the second half of the season with five of their first six games at home at Casey Field, including four straight starting on Tuesday against Staunton.
