RCBL Spirit Award

The RCBL Spirit Award is named for Chris Cofer and Ronnie Brunk and recognizes a person who is an advocate and an ambassador for the RCBL, loves its history, and has left a positive impact on others, and be respected by players, coaches and fans.

2024 - Kevin Rush

Kevin Rush, the most senior current player in the RCBL has played for almost three decades. He has been a mentor to many young players in the league and continues to leave a positive impact on all that he comes in contact with. Below are testaments from former players and coach.

Kirk Messick:
"Kevin Rush truly exhibits what love of the game is all about. His dedication and commitment to the sport is truly unmatched, and it is evident in every game he plays. I have had the privilege of both playing alongside him as a teammate and facing off against him as an opponent, and I can say without a doubt that Kevin's passion for baseball shines through in everything he does on the field. The Rockingham County Baseball League is undoubtedly better in many ways because of Kevin's contributions. Not only does he bring his best every time he steps onto the field, but he also inspires those around him to elevate their own performance. His leadership both on and off the field sets a positive example for everyone in the league, and his sportsmanship is second to none. In short, Kevin Rush is a true asset to the RCBL and embodies everything that makes baseball such a special sport. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to compete alongside him and witness firsthand the impact he has had on our league."

Mitchell Wilson:
"Having played for 3 franchise teams during his 28-year tenure, Kevin has been around and experienced a lot of quality baseball! He first came into the league with the original Grottoes Cardinals. Due to some unforeseen circumstances Kevin and several others were forced to seek playing time elsewhere due to not having a home field to having some funding issues. Rush and some former teammates had only a couple of months to put together a team. That is when the New Market Shockers were formed in the early 2000’s. For a number of years he was able to play under his father Smokey Veney, who this year got inducted into the RCBL Hall of Fame. Kevin is now ending his 28th Year in the RCBL with the current Broadway Bruins, which he has been with for the last 8 years. His on the field stats is something that everyone can see, however, what they don’t see is the amount of time and effort he puts into the field. Kevin is our only grounds keeper and has been for years. Kevin isn’t the type of person that complains about his duties or wants any type of recognition. Kevin just simply loves being apart of the game and always asking how he can help out when and where he can. The last couple of years the Bruins have had numerous rookie RCBL players and with that being said, Kevin has helped them get acclimated in the league as best he can. What impresses me the most about Kevin is he never once demands playing time, he accepts his role whatever that might be during the season and we take it game by game. Kevin and I have had numerous lengthy conversations this year prior to every game, in which we analyze each game and come up with a game plan how we can approach our next opponent. He’s been a huge part of our success this summer and helping me transition into first year manager and I can’t thank him enough. In the end, I couldn’t be more proud that Kevin got the spirit award, he is the most deserving of this title!"

Zach Stiles:
“Kevin embodies what makes this league so great. He is a local guy who plays for the love of the game which is the type of player that has made such a huge fan base for the league as a whole. Kevin and his family helped form an organization in the New Market Shockers to expand the league because of that love of the game Kev has. To me Kevin, his family and everyone involved with the Shockers organization became a second family and were a big part of my life through some tough times for myself and my family. Kevin defiantly became one of my baseball brothers through the years we played together and then later against. It has been awesome to see Kev continue to compete and have success against guys who are still playing at the college level. My hat goes off to him as he continues to play in the RCBL. He is very deserving of this award and I couldn’t be more happy for him and know Smokey is smiling down on him about it too!”

2023 - Fred Hill

Fred Hill was involved with the County League for more than 25 years as a player and a manager. Between 1971 and 1994, he played 21 seasons, all but two of those with Clover Hill.

A left-handed pitcher and outfielder, he helped Clover Hill to three regular season pennants, as well as 11 series playoff appearances, and five series wins. Among the five RCBL pitchers to have struck out 21 batters in a game, Fred actually performed this feat several times. He consistently held a batting average above .400 and was a perennial All-Star selection.
As a player, Fred was known for his work ethic, his athleticism, his “hustle,” and an irrepressible spirit that motivated his teammates to their best effort. His former opponents and teammates also say Fred was also the rare player who could balance competitiveness with good sportsmanship.

Fred was recognized with an exceptional combination of post-season honors. He is one of three players to collect both MVP and Pitcher of the Year awards, and he is the only player to win both awards in the same year, which he did in 1977. He was also co-MVP in 1983.

Known as a student of the game, Fred was also a Valley League and collegiate umpire for more than 25 years. Taking on a manager’s role with the Bucks was a natural move after his playing days ended in 1994. He was highly-respected by both his players and peers, and earned Manager of the Year honors after that first season. His recruiting efforts laid the groundwork for the Bucks’ domination in years to come. In 1997, he led his young team to their first series win in 10 years.

After the 1998 season, Fred stepped down, though he remained active on the Bucks’ board of directors and is now currently serving on the board. He is happy that his bonus children, Emily and Zach are involved with the team handling public relations and press box duties.

Since 2017 Fred has been the batting practice pitcher for the Bucks. Besides throwing BP he gets the baseballs ready for the game, keeps pitch counts for the home and away pitchers and is a cheerleader during the game. If you are standing near the Clover Hill dugout it is not hard to hear Fred encouraging players between innings. When asked about the future of the RCBL he says this league is thriving and he is very optimistic about its continuing success.

2022 - Kirk Messick

Kirk Messick's first season in the RCBL was 2002 when he was 16 years old and a student at Broadway High School. He has since played in the RCBL every year since then with the exception of 2013 and 2014. He spent his first seven seasons with Broadway from 2002-2008 and has been with the New Market Shockers for the rest of his RCBL career. In his 19 seasons, he's a two-time league Pitcher of the Year recipient -- once at age 20 in 2006 and again at age 35 in 2021. He has played in 8 or 9 All-Star Games (and been asked to play in 11 or 12 of them, according to him), and won his first championship in the league with New Market in 2021.

While he has been one of the most successful players in the league over the past two decades, what he does off the field deserves just as much, if not more, recognition. Kirk is the winner of the 2022 RCBL Spirt Award. This award is named after two RCBL icons we've lost in recent years -- Chris Cofer in 2020 and Ronnie Brunk earlier this summer -- and is awarded to a person who is an advocate and an ambassador for the RCBL, loves its history, has left a positive impact on others, and be respected by players, coaches and fans.

"People around the league know the type of player that he is and the success he's had throughout his career, and he deserves every bit of recognition that he receives as a pitcher." said New Market manager Nolan Potts, who has been with New Market since 2014, "but on top of that, he's genuinely one of the nicest, most helpful human beings that you'll ever meet. He does so many things behind the scenes for our organization that go completely unnoticed. Whether he's attending league meetings and coming up with new ideas to help the league move forward, going out in the community to talk with potential sponsors, looking for foul balls that went into the yards behind our field, or taking care of the field after games, he's willing to do it all because he knows it's going to benefit the RCBL or the Shockers organization in some capacity. I'm obviously a little biased because I've seen him do these things for years, but I'm positive the sentiment around the rest of the league is the same. He's all about playing the game the right way, treating people with respect, and making sure this great league that we're apart of continues to grow and succeed into the future."

"Kirk has always been an active part of this league, not just as a player but a contributor to the advancement and steady growth of this league,” said Montezuma manager Chris Rush, who previously served as New Market’s manager and coached Messick from 2015-2018. “Kirk exemplifies what a team looks for in a player, but over the past few years has taken an active role in board meetings, sitting on committees, and helped develop and implement the digital program that is now used to sign and track players in the league. Kirk is known throughout the league by players and coaches as being professional, honest, and doing what is best for the league and its future.”

"Kirk is the guy that does it right," said Stuarts Draft manager Les Sandridge, the two-time reigning RCBL Coach of the Year. "Whether in a board meeting discussing the best direction for the league or on the field trying to win a game, he speaks with respect towards others. He wins with class and, occasionally, has to show he can lose with class as well. I've never had a conversation where someone, player or coach, has had anything less than respect for Kirk. I think that is well deserved and earned by the way he respects the game and the league as a whole. He's a very well deserving recipient of the Spirit Award for sure."

"I can't think of a person more deserving of this award than Kirk," said Broadway's Kevin Rush, currently the longest tenured player in the RCBL who, at age 43, just completed his 27th season playing in the league. "Kirk embodies what I think league is all about. He's a local guy who not only knows and values the history that surrounds the RCBL, but he's been a huge part of that history as well with almost 20 years as a player in the league. I have been both a teammate and opponent of Kirk, and I know firsthand the passion he has for the game and his willingness to do whatever is asked of him to help his team succeed. People outside the Shockers organization probably don't realize the time that he puts in behind the scenes to keep the Shockers going each year, and not just the Shockers, but the league as well. To me, it's not necessarily his performance on the field, although that certainly helps, but it's dedication and longevity through the years that has earned the respect of those around the league."

"Kirk is the definition of what I believe the RCBL is about," said former longtime teammate Zach Stiles, who played with Messick in New Market for eight seasons. "He's a local guy who used the league as a high school player to develop into a college player, and now uses the league to continue to play the game he loves. To play in a league like this as long as he has shows his love for the game. He is also a person who will help younger players trying to develop their game not only vocally, but also with his play on the field when he steps on that mound. Kirk has, without a doubt, become a face of the league. It was an honor to play alongside a guy like Kirk for so many years. He's very deserving of this award and I'm happy he won it!"

2021 - Donnie McNett

It is very hard to think of Montezuma baseball without mentioning Donnie McNett. Donnie has played an instrumental role throughout the Braves organization as well as the RCBL. Donnie has been a Braves Board member since 1995. When the Briery Branch Braves disbanded in 1999, Donnie took over as team president in 2000 of the newly formed Montezuma Braves. Donnie served on many RCBL committees in the late 90s and 2000's, and serves today on the scheduling committee. He has made Montezuma Ruritan Park a home for the Area 4 Special Olympics softball team for many years. In 2020 he made the park available for numerous high school, colleges, AAU and RCBL teams for use when no fields were available. Donnie has served most of his life ensuring that there will always be baseball in Montezuma, for its fans, players and most of all the community.

2020 - George Laas

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.