May 31, 2002
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Charles White
Overlea
White capped a stellar season by leading the Falcons to a 14-4-1 record and the Class 2A North regional title. He hit .537 with 35 RBIs and 22 runs scored to go along with six doubles, three triples and five home runs. The highly scouted pro prospect also stole 18 bases. In four playoff games, White was 5-for-11 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. In the Falcons' final game of the season, a 4-3 loss to Southern of Anne Arundel County in the state semifinals, he was 2-for-4 with an RBI. The opposition was successful stealing on the catcher only twice in 12 attempts, according to his coach, Shawn Tormey.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Paul Bernstorf
St. Paul's
Despite coaching a team with just three seniors, Bernstorf led the Crusaders to a 25-7 record and the school's first MIAA A Conference tournament championship. Along the way, said Bernstorf, the Crusaders reached their team goals of a 2.31 ERA (down from .250 last spring) and a batting average of more than .300 (.302). The St. Paul's pitching staff kept the opposition on its toes by throwing first-pitch strikes 60 percent of the time. Along the way, the Crusaders defeated Calvert Hall for the league title, and had other big wins over Pennsylvania power Haverford and St. Alban's of Washington.
FIRST TEAM
Brandon Berlett
Eastern Tech
The 6-foot-6 senior pitcher went 5-2 with a 1.75 ERA, struck out 38 and walked only 11. Berlett wasn't too shabby at the plate, either, hitting .442 with 15 RBIs, five doubles, three triples and 16 runs scored. A repeat first-team selection, he went 5-0 with a 1.93 ERA as a junior, earning second-team All-Metro honors. He is headed to Stetson University in Florida.
Danny Brown
Parkville
A major force in the Knights' drive to the Class 4A state semifinals, Brown was a near flawless outfielder. Not only did he go 5-0 as a pitcher, striking out 15 batters, but he was also a steady contributor at the plate. The junior hit .395 with 19 RBIs, including eight doubles, two triples and a home run.
Corey Cascio
Poly
The junior led the Engineers to their second straight Baltimore City League title, an 18-1 record and a berth in the 2A North regional semifinals. As a pitcher, Cascio went 6-1 with 81 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.60. At the plate, he hit .434 with eight doubles, a triple and three home runs. He was one of Poly's six starting underclassmen.
Jack Herzog
Archbishop Curley
Herzog was the bright spot in the Friars' 16-16 season. He hit .366 with five home runs and drove in 35 runs. He also doubled seven times and scored 22 runs. A versatile athlete, even at 6-4, 250 pounds, Herzog earned All-Metro honors as a two-way lineman in football. He will play football at West Point.
Steve Johnson
St. Paul's
The son of former Orioles pitcher Dave Johnson, the freshman pitcher went 7-1 with three saves and 49 strikeouts against 27 walks. Johnson was the winning pitcher in the Crusaders' 4-1 championship win over Calvert Hall. He also batted .350 with 22 RBIs, seven doubles and three home runs, and stole 10 bases.
Chris Jones
Towson
The junior was the Generals' best hitter, leading his team to the 2A North regional final after defeating Poly in the semifinals. In three playoff games, Jones hit .500 and drove in seven runs. For the season, he batted .428 with 24 RBIs and 25 runs scored to go along with seven doubles and two home runs.
John Kline
Calvert Hall
The first baseman and pitcher was a workhorse for the Cardinals. He hit .403 with three doubles and home runs. On the mound, the left-hander pitched in 12 games, going 6-3 with 83 strikeouts. Kline is considering Loyola, St. John's, UMBC and Towson. .
Eric Loewe
Overlea
The junior outfielder was at his wily best on the base paths, where he stole 25 bases. Loewe hit .470 with 22 RBIs, scored 25 runs, doubled 12 times and hit two home runs. As a pitcher, he went 4-1 with one save and a 2.30 ERA in 21 innings.
Chris Parker
Franklin
This senior's lightning-quick reflexes from the shortstop position may have been unrivaled in the area. He finished with 12 putouts and 47 assists. He was equally potent on offense, batting .473 with five home runs, 12 RBIs and 32 runs for the Indians.
Joe Peeler
Mount St. Joseph
The senior's season ended prematurely with an elbow injury that kept him out of the playoffs. But before that he pitched just over 51 innings, going 8-1 with a 1.47 ERA and 64 strikeouts. Peeler also hit .431 and led the team with 32 RBIs.
Jeff Poff
Mount St. Joseph
The sophomore showed poise and aggressiveness on the base paths, stealing 30 bases. In center field, he had 61 putouts. He also hit .473 and knocked in 23 runs. His 36 runs scored led the team.
Nick Stewart
Dulaney
The third baseman allowed no errors and had 28 putouts to go with 27 assists in 55 chances. Stewart's bat was equally potent. He hit .466 with 13 RBIs, four doubles and a triple.
Eddie Van Daniker
Eastern Tech
The surprise of the Mavericks' season, the junior went 8-0 as a pitcher. Van Daniker struck out 50 in 44 innings and finished the season with an 0.80 ERA. He also threw six complete games, shutting out two teams.
Jason Volker
Cardinal Gibbons
The senior hit .360 with eight doubles, three triples and two home runs, drove in 27 runs and scored 22 more for the Crusaders. As a pitcher, he went 6-3 with 39 strikeouts in 44 innings. He will play baseball at St. Joseph's in Philadelphia.
Team selection
The Sun's 2002 All-Baltimore City/County baseball and softball teams were selected by Lem Satterfield and Derek Toney, respectively, after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
