SA baseball posts best record ever at 17-6
Published 9:56 am Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Southampton Academy’s Tonee Hill, from left, Jacob Holland, Wesley Barnes, Matt Nixon and Dillon Matthews received Virginia Commonwealth Conference and Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association honors. Nixon was named to the state and conference first team, along with Holland, who was also named to All-VCC Tournament team. Barnes and Hill were named to the second team, while Matthews was named to the All-Academic team. -- SUBMITTED
BY BRIAN WHITT/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
bmwhitt@mail.roanoke.edu
COURTLAND—The Southampton Academy baseball season ended with the team having a .305 batting average and state runner-ups in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association finals.
The Raiders also won 10, one-run games and posted its best record ever at 17-6.
Coach Tim Nixon attributed the success to senior leadership, timely hits and a strong defense.
Senior second baseman Matt Nixon and sophomore pitcher and shortstop Jacob Holland were named to the all-state and Virginia Commonwealth Conference teams.
Sophomore pitcher and shortstop Tonee Hill, senior centerfielder Wesley Barnes and sophomore outfielder Dillon Matthews received conference honors. Matthews also was named to the All-Academic team.
This was the second time the team had made it to the state finals. The Raiders took the title in 2007.
Tim Nixon for next year said he will rely on the junior varsity program to replace Barnes, Matt Nixon and senior Carson Camp; none have expressed an interested in becoming college ball players.
Last year seven seniors graduated. That team made it to the state semi-finals.
Tim Nixon said he is proud of his team, noting he has coached most of them since T-ball.