Coastal Plain League: The Nation's Hottest Summer Collegiate Baseball League

CPL All-Decade Team

After celebrating its 10th Anniversary season in 2006, the Coastal Plain League, its teams and league office, have compiled a listing of the best players and head coach to perform in the CPL over the past 10 years. This list is known as the Coastal Plain League All-Decade Team.

The list of All-Decade members consisted of one head coach, two players per infield position, six outfielders, two designated hitters, and eight pitchers. Not only is it an impressive list of talented ballplayers who chose to call the Coastal Plain League home, but of the 26 players honored, nine of them - Dallas McPherson, Russ Adams, Ryan Zimmerman, Kevin Youkilis, Ty Wigginton, Jason Dubois, Justin Verlander, David Aardsma, and Tom Mastny - have gone on to make their Major League debuts after their respective careers in the CPL.

“We are very pleased to announce our All-Decade Team,” said CPL President and Commissioner Pete Bock. “Our league has had a wonderful first 10 years and with that, a great amount of talented ball players come through our ballparks. This list is just a hint of that talent, but we feel each and every name on this list are players who played exceptionally well in our league, and many of them have benefited from that by going on to play in professional baseball and quite a few in the Majors. On behalf of our teams and league office, we congratulate each player and Darrell, the coach, on what they accomplished in the Coastal Plain League and wish them all the best now and in the future as always!”

Below is a listing of the All-Decade Team, by position, and with their individual accomplishments while in the Coastal Plain League:

Head Coach:
Darrell “Skip” Handelsman, Fayetteville SwampDog, 2005-06

•2005 season:
- 33-21 regular season record / 2-2 postseason
- First Half South Division Championship
- 20 wins in a half (tied for league record)
- Head Coach of the American CPL All-Star Team
- Coastal Plain League Coach of the Year
- Six (6) Players made CPL All-Star Team
- One (1) Player earned CPL Player of the Year honors

•2006 season:
- 39-12 regular season record / 2-2 postseason
- Broke league record for most wins in a reg. season (39)
- Broke league record for most wins in an entire season (41)
- First and Second Half South Division Championships
- Featured winning streaks of 11 and 10 games during season
- 20 wins in a half (tied for league record)
- Head Coach of the American CPL All-Star Team
- Coastal Plain League Coach of the Year
- Seven (7) Players made CPL All-Star Team
- One (1) Player earned CPL Player of the Year honors

•Overall:
- Has 76 career wins in the CPL, tied for most by any coach
- .673 career winning percentage in CPL (third-best overall)
- .500 winning percentage in CPL Petitt Cup Tournament
- Three (3) South Division Half Championships
- Two-time American CPL All-Star Head Coach
- Two-time CPL Coach of the Year (most by any coach)
- 13 Players to make All-Star Team
- Two (2) Players of the Year

Catchers:
Mike Rucci (Rowan) Outer Banks Daredevils, 2002-04
• In 2002, batted .286 with 54 hits, 28 runs scored, 13 doubles, two home runs, 73 total bases and 27 RBIs
• In 2003, batted .276 with 50 hits, 33 runs scored, 16 doubles, four home runs, 39 RBIs, and 78 total bases
• In 2004, batted .236 with 34 hits, 18 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, four home runs, 16 RBIs, and 54 total bases
• Career .269 batting average with 205 total bases, and 82 RBIs
• Ranks in the Top 10 in League history in career hits (138), career runs scored (79), and career doubles (35)
• Named as a Mizuno Hitter of the Week after week two of the 2002 season
• A three-time CPL All-Star: starting catcher for the North CPL All-Stars in 2002 and 2003, and the starting dh for the National CPL All-Stars in 2004
• Helped lead Outer Banks to two Petitt Cup Championships in 2002 and 2003

Bucky Strickland (Chattanooga State Tech / Angelo State) Edenton Steamers, 2005-06
• In 2005, batted .305 with 29 hits, 11 runs scored, four doubles, 21 RBIs, 33 total bases, a .347 slugging percentage, a .350 on-base percentage, three stolen bases, and a .995 fielding percentage
• In 2006, batted .252 with 33 hits, 23 runs scored, four doubles, four home runs, 10 RBIs, 49 total bases, a .374 slugging percentage, a .327 on-base percentage, one stolen base, and a .989 fielding percentage
• Career .274 batting average with 82 total bases
• Starting catcher of the National CPL All-Star team in 2006
• Helped lead Edenton to the Petitt Cup Championship in 2005

First Basemen:
Dallas McPherson (The Citadel) Asheboro Copperheads, 1999
• League-bests in batting average (.349) and hits (58)
• Featured 19 runs scored, three home runs and 28 RBIs
• Named the Coastal Plain League Most Valuable Player
• Drafted in the second round of the 2001 MLB Draft by Anaheim
• Made Major League debut on September 10, 2004 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Zach Brown (The Citadel) Thomasville HiToms, 2005-06
• Career batting average of .295
• Featured 2005 team-bests in hits (58), doubles (9), RBIs (24), and total bases (57)
• Featured 2006 team-bests in hits (63), doubles (14), home runs (12), RBIs (44), total bases (113), and stolen bases (13)
• For his career, racked up 121 hits, 23 doubles, 12 home runs, 55 runs scored, and 68 RBIs
• Had a slugging percentage of .557 and on-base percentage of .403 in 2006
• Named as one of Baseball America’s Top 10 CPL Prospects in 2006
• Helped lead the HiToms to their first-ever Petitt Cup Championship in 2006
• A two-time CPL All-Star: Starting first baseman of the National CPL All-Star team in 2006 and back-up first baseman of the American CPL All-Star team in 2005

Second Basemen:
Russ Adams (North Carolina) Durham Braves, 2000
• Batting average of .257, with four doubles and one home run
• Scored 29 runs and drove in 13
• Was walked 22 times
• Drafted in the first round of the 2002 MLB Draft by Toronto
• Made Major League debut on September 3, 2004 with Toronto

Mike Chambers (Franklin-Pierce) Petersburg Generals, 2005
• Batted .337 with 63 hits, 26 runs scored, 15 doubles, five home runs, 28 RBIs, and 93 total bases
• Also finished with 30 walks, 13 stolen bases, a slugging percentage of .497 and on-base percentage of .436
• Named as a Rawlings Hitter of the Week after week one of the 2005 season
• A CPL All-Star selection as a second baseman (back-up) for the American All-Star team in 2005
• Named the Coastal Plain League and Rawlings Offensive Player of the Year in 2005
• Drafted in the 32nd round of the 2006 MLB Draft by Boston

Third Basemen:
Ryan Zimmerman (Virginia) Peninsula Pilots, 2003
• Team-best marks in batting average (.331), hits (47), slugging percentage (.423) and total bases (60)
• Featured eight doubles, one triple and one home run to go with 19 RBIs
• Starting third baseman of the North CPL All-Star team
• Drafted in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft by Washington
• Made Major League debut on September 1, 2005 with Washington
• Was the runner-up for the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2006 with the Washington Nationals

Kevin Youkilis (Cincinnati) Florence RedWolves, 1999
• Batted .284 with four doubles, one triple and a pair of home runs
• Scored 17 runs and racked up 16 RBIs
• Had an on-base percentage of .424 and a slugging percentage of .373
• Was walked 31 times
• Starting third baseman of the South CPL All-Star team
• Drafted in the eighth round of the 2001 MLB Draft by Boston
• Made Major League debut on May 15, 2004 with Boston
• Helped the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004

Shortstops:
Ty Wigginton (UNC-Asheville) Rocky Mount Rockfish, 1997 / Florence RedWolves, 1998
• In 1997, batted .225 with 43 hits, 28 runs scored, 10 doubles, three home runs, 25 RBIs, 24 walks, 62 total bases, and four stolen bases
• In 1998, batted .500 with eight hits, four runs scored, one double, nine total bases, three RBIs, and two stolen bases
• Career .246 batting average with 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, 28 RBIs, and 71 total bases
• Drafted in the 17th round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the New York Mets
• Made Major League debut on May 16, 2002 with the New York Mets

Shawn Roof (Illinois) Fayetteville SwampDogs, 2005-06
• In 2005, batted a team-best .315 with 47 hits, 24 runs scored, two doubles, 18 RBIs, 49 total bases, a .446 on-base percentage, and 15 stolen bases
• In 2006, batted .268 with 44 hits, 37 runs scored, a double, 19 RBIs, 45 total bases, a .406 on-base percentage, and a team-best 20 stolen bags
• Career .291 batting average with 61 runs scored, 37 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases overall
• Two-time CPL All-Star: starting second baseman of the American CPL All-Star team in 2005 and starting shortstop of the American CPL All-Star team in 2006

Outfielders:
Jimmy Gallagher (Duke) Peninsula Pilots, 2005-06
• Career batting average of .373, including setting the league mark for highest average in a season at .423 in 2006
• Had slugging percentages of .410 (2005) and .583 (2006)
• Featured 23 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 161 total bases, and 19 stolen bases
• Scored 57 runs and tallied 66 RBIs
• Named as a Rawlings Hitter of the Week after week six of the 2006 season
• Named as one of Baseball America’s Top 10 CPL Prospects in 2006
• Starting leftfielder for the National CPL All-Star team in 2006
• Led Peninsula into the playoffs in 2006 and to the North Division Second Half Championship
• Named the 2006 Coastal Plain League and Rawlings Offensive Player of the Year

Marshall Hubbard (William & Mary / North Carolina) Outer Banks Daredevils, 2002-03
• Career batting average of .319, including a team-best average of .337 in 2003
• Had a team-best .566 slugging percentage in 2003
• Featured 30 doubles (including a league-best 15 in 2002), one triple, 11 home runs, 168 total bases (including a league-best 94 in 2003) and nine stolen bases
• Scored 56 runs and racked up 64 RBIs
• Named as a SW Bat Hitter of the Week after week two of the 2003 season
• Named as a Mizuno Hitter of the Week after week five of the 2002 season
• Led Outer Banks to two Petitt Cup Championships in 2002 and 2003
• A two-time CPL All-Star: starting right fielder for the North CPL All-Star team in 2002 and 2003
• Named the 2003 Coastal Plain League Offensive Player of the Year
• Drafted in the eighth round of the 2004 MLB Draft by Seattle

Jason Dubois (Virginia Commonwealth) Rocky Mount Rockfish, 1998
• Led the league in home runs (17), RBIs (51), slugging percentage (.712) and extra base hits (30)
• Batted .324 with 55 hits, 29 runs scored
• Named the CPL Most Valuable Player in 1998
• Drafted in the 14th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs
• Made Major League debut on May 19, 2004 with the Chicago Cubs

Matt Leake (Tennessee Wesleyan) Edenton Steamers, 2005 / Martinsville Mustangs, 2006
• In 2005, batted .291 with 37 hits, 26 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, one home run, 15 RBIs, 48 total bases, a .377 on-base percentage, and 21 stolen bases
• In 2006, batted .320 with 57 hits, 27 runs scored, 13 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 28 RBIs, 89 total bases, a .500 slugging percentage, a .381 on-base percentage, and 11 stolen bases
• Career .308 batting average with the most career triples in league history (6), ranked in the Top 10 for most career RBIs (43), 53 runs scored, 137 total bases, and 32 stolen bases
• Named as a Rawlings Hitter of the Week after week nine of the 2005 season
• Named as a Rawlings Hitter of the Week after week two of the 2006 season
• Starting right fielder on the National CPL All-Star team in 2006
• Helped lead Edenton to the 2005 Petitt Cup Championship
• Signed with the Joliet Jackhammers of the Northern League in 2007

Tommy Lentz (Winthrop) Spartanburg Stingers, 2004
• Batted a team-best .335 with 53 hits, 29 runs scored, 16 doubles, nine home runs, 33 RBIs, 96 total bases, and six stolen bags
• Also featured a .608 slugging percentage, a .436 on-base percentage, and was walked 22 times
• Led the league in five offensive categories: total bases (96), doubles (16), home runs (9), extra base hits (25), and slugging percentage (.608)
• Named as a Rawlings Hitter of the Week after week six and eight of the 2004 season
• Named the Coastal Plain League and SW Bat Offensive Player of the Year

Chris Rahl (William & Mary) Peninsula Pilots, 2003-04
• In 2003, batted .261 with 42 hits, 25 runs scored, 10 doubles (team-best), one home run, 14 RBIs, 55 total bases, and 18 stolen bases
• In 2004, batted .304 with team-bests in hits (56), RBIs (28) and stolen bases (27)
• Also in 2004, had 26 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, and 62 total bases
• Career .284 batting average with 42 RBIs (Top 10 in league history), 117 total bases, and 45 stolen bags
• Named as one of Baseball America’s Top 10 CPL prospects in 2004
• Starting center fielder of the American CPL All-Star team in 2004

Designated Hitter:
Chip Cannon (The Citadel) Thomasville HiToms, 2002-03
• In 2002, batted third-best on the team with a .268 average, with 45 hits, 27 runs scored, 14 doubles (a team-best), six home runs (a team-best), 29 RBIs, 77 total bases (a team-best), a .458 slugging percentage, and three stolen bags
• In 2003, batted third best on the team with a .291 average, with 41 hits (a team-best), 32 runs scored (a team-best), eight doubles, a triple, eight home runs (a team-best), 29 RBIs (a team-best), 75 total bases (a team-best), five stolen bags, and a .532 slugging percentage
• Career .278 batting average with 86 hits, 22 doubles, 14 homers, 59 runs scored, and 58 RBIs
• Ranks in the Top 10 all-time in CPL history for a single season in home runs (8) and extra base hits (20)
• Ranks in the Top 10 all-time in CPL history for a career in runs scored (59), doubles (22), home runs (14), RBIs (58)
• Starting third baseman of the CPL South All-Star team in 2003
• Drafted in the eighth round of the 2004 MLB Draft by Toronto

David Wood (Texas State) New Bern River Rats, 2005-06
• In 2005, batted a team-best .304 with 49 hits, 21 runs scored, nine doubles, six home runs (a team-best), 27 RBIs, 76 total bases (a team-best), a .472 slugging percentage, and seven stolen bags
• In 2006, batted .347 thru 18 games with 26 hits, 11 runs scored, five doubles, a pair of home runs, 13 RBIs, 37 total bases, four stolen bags, and a .493 slugging percentage
• Named as one of Baseball America’s Top 10 CPL Prospects in 2005
• A CPL All-Star in 2005: backup right fielder for the American All-Star team

Pitchers:
Justin Verlander (Old Dominion) Wilson Tobs, 2002
• Made seven appearances on the mound, finishing with a 1-4 record and a low 2.68 ERA
• Surrendered only 14 runs, 12 of which were earned
• Struck out 54 while walking only 26 and held opposing batters to a low .161 average
• Drafted in the first round of the 2004 MLB Draft by Detroit – was the top collegiate player taken in the draft that year
• Made Major League debut on July 4, 2005 with Detroit
• Helped guide the Detroit Tigers to the 2006 World Series against St. Louis
• Named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2006

Buddy Hernandez (North Carolina Wesleyan) Wilmington Sharks, 1999-2000
• Career record of 13-2 with ERA’s of 1.19 in 1999 and 1.13 in 2000
• Pitched for 108.2 innings, allowing only 60 hits, while walking 37 and striking out an impressive 155 (including a league-best 85 in 2000)
• Started 20 games for the Sharks over the two years
• Named as a CPL Pitcher of the Week after week nine of the 1999 season
• Help led the Sharks to the 1999 CPL Championship
• Named the Coastal Plain League Most Valuable Pitcher in 2000
• Pitcher on the South CPL All-Star Team in 2000
• Signed as an undrafted free agent by Atlanta in 2000

Luke Prihoda (Sam Houston State) Fayetteville SwampDogs, 2005-06
• Career record of 4-0 with ERA’s of 2.00 in 2005 and 0.00 in 2006
• Made 29 appearances on the mound and earned 20 saves over his two years
• Set the all-time single-season saves record with 18 in 2006
• Pitched for 37.1 innings, allowing only 15 hits, two runs (both earned), walked three and struck out 64
• Didn’t allow a single earned run during the 2006 regular season, including in an exhibition game against Team USA
• Named as a Rawlings Pitcher of the Week after week one and week seven of the 2006 season
• Named as one of Baseball America’s Top 10 CPL Prospects in 2006
• Named to the American CPL All-Star team in 2006 and earned the save as the squad’s closer
• Named the Coastal Plain League and Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year in 2006

Jeff DeMara (VMI) Petersburg Generals, 2003 / Peninsula Pilots, 2004
• Career record of 5-1 with ERA’s of 2.03 in 2003 and 0.35 in 2004 • Made 45 career appearances in his two years and earned 23 saves (including a league-best 11 in 2004) in that time
• Overall, pitched 52.2 innings, allowing 31 hits, nine runs (seven earned), walked 17, and struck out 74
• Named as a Rawlings Pitcher of the Week after week five of the 2004 season
• Two-time CPL All-Star: pitcher for the North CPL All-Star team in 2003 and a pitcher on the National CPL All-Star team in 2004
• Named the Coastal Plain League and Diamond Defensive Player of the Year in 2004

David Aardsma (Penn State / Rice) Fayetteville SwampDogs, 2001
• Featured a perfect 4-0 record with a low 2.31 ERA
• Made nine appearances, pitching for 58.1 innings
• In that time, allowed 34 hits, 20 runs (15 earned), walked 33, and struck out 58
• Held opposing batters to a league-best .168 average
• Drafted in the first round of the 2003 MLB Draft by San Francisco
• Made Major League debut on April 6, 2004 with San Francisco

Jaymie Russ (Belmont Abbey) Gastonia Grizzlies, 2002
• Featured a 9-1 record with a very low 1.23 ERA
• Had a league-best nine wins on the season
• Made 11 appearances – eight starts, and had four complete games and two shutouts
• Recorded one save
• Pitched 66 innings, allowing 38 hits, 12 runs (nine earned), walked 29 and struck out 90
• Named as a Diamond Pitcher of the Week after week seven of the 2002 season
• Starting pitcher for the South CPL All-Star team in 2002
• Named the Coastal Plain League and Diamond Pitcher of the Year in 2002
• Signed as an undrafted free agent by Florida in 2003

Josh Cribb (Clemson) Florence RedWolves, 2002-03
• Career record of 9-5 with a career 1.76 ERA
• Pitched a total of 133 innings, allowing 92 hits, 35 runs (26 earned), walked 29, and struck out an impressive 150
• Pitched a league-best 78 innings in 2002
• Two-time CPL All-Star pitcher: Pitching for the South CPL All-Star team in both 2002 and 2003
• Named the Diamond Defensive Player of the All-Star Game in 2003 after picking up the win for the South squad with four complete shutout innings on the mound
• Ranks in the Top 10 all-time in most starts (11) and strikeouts (83) in a single-season
• Ranks in the Top 10 all-time in most wins (9), starts (19), innings pitched (133), complete games (6), and strikeouts (150) in a career
• Drafted in the eighth round of the 2006 MLB Draft by Kansas City

Tom Mastny (Furman) Wilson Tobs, 2001 / Wilmington Sharks, 2002
• Career record of 7-5 with a career 1.40 ERA
• Pitched a total of 96.1 innings pitched, allowing career numbers of 62 hits, 17 runs, 15 earned runs, 22 walks, and 107 strikeouts
• Pitcher on the North CPL All-Star game in 2002
• Ranks in the Top 10 all-time in complete games (5) and strikeouts (107) in a career
• Drafted in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by Toronto
• Made Major League debut on July 30, 2006 with Cleveland