For the second time in three years, Trico Division baseball coaches voted Columbia High's Brandon Verley their co-player of the year for 2004.
Verley, a senior outfielder/pitcher, shared the award in 2002 with Nick Patee of Ridgefield.
This time, coaches bestowed the honor on Verley and Ridgefield senior pitcher Billy Jones.
Jones was one of four players for the Trico champion Spudders named to the All-Trico First Team.
Senior catcher Jason Carlock, a first-teamer in 2003 as a utility player, joined CHS teammate and classmate Verley on the elite first team.
Verley, a four-year letter-winner at CHS, led the Bruins in nearly every offensive category during the 2004 season, in which the team went 14-7 and finished second in Trico standings.
Verley batted .639 (39 for 61) and had 24 extrabase hits, including nine home runs.
He drove in 36 runs, scored 37 and stole 12 bases. He walked 22 times and struck out just four.
Verley also was first on CHS's pitching staff in earned-run average (1.30), second in innings pitched (27) and strikeouts (53), and tied for third in victories (2).
Carlock posted a .521 batting average (38/73), belted three home runs and scored a team-leading 41 runs hitting second--one spot above Verley--in CHS's batting order.
Trico coaches also selected two Columbia High players for second-team status, senior first baseman James Cowan and junior pitcher Jon Bryan. Bryan was a repeat second-team selection.
Three others, seniors Dane Ludwig and Dayne Combelic and sophomore David Giron, received honorable mention.
Cowan, an honorable mention selection a year ago, hit .338 (22/65) in his second season as a full-time starter, with nine extrabase hits and 22 runs batted in.
Defensively, Cowan was among the league's best at picking throws out of the dirt and stretching that extra bit to get the out.
Bryan's five victories were tops on the CHS staff, as were his 47-2/3 innings and 60 strikeouts. His earned-run average of 2.28 was third best among the starters.
Ludwig (.367, 16 RBIs) was a second-team pick last year while Combelic (.361, 20 RBIs) garnered honorable mention for the second time in his career.
Giron (.361, 26 runs, 15 RBIs) earned coaches' recognition for the first time, in his first full varsity campaign.
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