2020 RCBL End of Season Awards

By Mitchell Broughton
This year has been unlike any other. With so many unknowns happening at once, having baseball in the Shenandoah Valley still brought a sense of peace, familiarity, and comfort to the players, coaches, and fans of the RCBL. We are blessed to get through the regular season in our 96th year without any major complications, and are proud of the product that has been put out by all eight teams. This league is true American baseball — the way it’s supposed to be. We’ve seen a lot in our condensed season. Walk-offs, blow outs, veterans leading the way, rookies surprising everyone — this season was one for the books and we are proud to announce the award winners for 2020. 

Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year — Chase DeLauter, Broadway Bruins

Without a doubt, the most exciting individual performance in recent RCBL history has come from the hands of Chase DeLauter. The James Madison freshman All-American has been this league’s Mike Trout, he can simply do it all. In the field, on the mound, and especially at the plate Chase has excelled and then some. The lefty leads the RCBL in almost statistical batting categories: batting average (.545), hits (36), runs (36), home runs (13), extra base hits (25), RBIs (39), on-base percentage (.656) and more. At the mound, he had the seventh best ERA in the league at 3.60 and struckout 19 while only allowing eight hits in his four appearances for Broadway. He is, without a doubt, the most valuable player on the Bruins’ roster and in the entirety of the league — and this is his rookie season. Who knows if DeLauter will be back in the county league next year, he has the capability and skills to move on to bigger things, but for those who had the opportunity to watch Chase this season it really was a sight to see. DeLauter, if he sees that many pitches at all in the playoffs (he’s been intentionally walked almost a dozen times now) will be the player to watch as the Bruins make a push for their third championship title and first since 1938. 

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Pitcher of the Year — Adam Riggleman, Broadway Bruins

On opening night of this season, I was fortunate enough to join an online broadcast with Matthew Atkins covering the reigning champion Clover Hill Bucks and Broadway Bruins at Buck Bowman Park. Late in the game, a Bruins pitcher comes in from the bullpen that neither one of us knew of — it was Riggleman. The right hander had no expectations, but surprised everyone in his short stint with his arsenal of pitches that for once seemed to fool the Bucks at the plate that night. The Beverly, West Virginia native and Glenville State Pioneer went on to dominate on the mound this year. With plenty of high profile arms around the league, Riggleman flew under the radar of most and surprised them with his skill. The Broadway starter was undefeated on the season with three wins. He pitched a total of 23 innings in six appearances with a league-leading 0.78 ERA. In those 23 innings, Riggleman had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of almost five, finishing the regular season with 24 strikeouts and 5 walks. Riggleman is just one of the many talented arms on the Bruins roster and will definitely be a big proponent in their championship run. 

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Coach of the Year — Kevin Chandler, Clover Hill Bucks

From what I’ve witnessed in my first year covering the RCBL, the Clover Hill Bucks have the most passionate organization by far. Buck baseball runs deep in Dayton, the hundreds of fans that congregate to Buck Bowman Park every home game have an expectation for their team — championship or bust. Kevin Chandler certainly knew this and knew that he had big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of his former manager and beloved Buck Chris Cofer. The former player occasionally stepped on the mound with “the highest leg kick on this side of the Mississippi,” but had the biggest impact at the wheel of the Buck Train. In his first year as manager, Kevin has shown that he has the knowledge and skill set to continue the legacy of the many Bucks that came before him. While many teams this season scurried to pick up free agents left and right after the cancellations of many leagues in the area, Kevin Chandler was confident that his core group of veterans could get the job done. While they may have not had the regular season they hoped for, finishing in fourth, Clover Hill is still the reigning champions and still has the respect that comes with it. KC had a big time opportunity when he was offered the manager position and he took that to the fullest this season. 

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Chris Cofer Person of the Year — George Laase, Bridgewater Reds

Simply put, Chris Cofer is an RCBL legend. The longtime Clover Hill Buck sadly passed away earlier this year and the RCBL wanted to memorialize his impact to the league and the game of baseball by creating this award that goes to the individual that positively promotes and embodies the spirit and tradition of the RCBL just like Cofer did every night at the Clover Dome. Cofer was recognized for his success both as a player and a coach, but was perhaps appreciated more for his commitment to bettering the Clover Hill community around him. Cofer was a first-class human, always welcoming everyone and doing so much for the ball club and the Clover Hill area. Tradition runs deep in the valley, and it is people like Cofer who keep these traditions afloat by their commitments to doing everything the right way. This year, the RCBL wanted to recognize George Laase of the Bridgewater Reds as the Chris Cofer Person of the Year. 

Laase, the Staunton High School and Strasburg Express head coach, just wanted to get the opportunity to lace his cleats up one more time when the Valley League cancelled their 2020 season. The Bridgewater Reds gave the veteran a chance when they put him on their roster, and he’s exceeded everyone’s expectations. In a league where college players can be the headliners, Laase has shown that playing baseball the right way can lead one to success. Filling in at any role he can, whether at the plate, in the field, or in the dugout, Laase has been an asset for the Reds and the RCBL. He exemplifies what makes this league special. On and off the field, he is a fan favorite for sure. My first experience seeing Laase was when the Reds traveled to Buck Bowman park to take on Clover Hill. When Laase singled to right field driving in two runs for Bridgewater, it seemed as if both sides cheered. It’s obvious that George has had a positive impact on the league, its players, and its fans this season. We couldn’t think of anyone better to be the first recipient of such a meaningful award.