Harrisonburg Turks

Member of the Valley Baseball League and NACSB.

  • 1955 VBL Champions
  • 1958 VBL Champions
  • 1959 VBL Champions
  • 1962 VBL Champions
  • 1964 VBL Champions
  • 1969 VBL Champions
  • 1970 VBL Champions
  • 1971 VBL Champions
  • 1977 VBL Champions
  • 1991 VBL Champions
  • 2000 VBL Champions
  • 2012 VBL Champions
  • 2023 VBL Champions

Harrisonburg’s Danny Wells Named to All Valley Team

8/8/2006 – Valley League Baseball News

Lurays Kuhn, Waynesboros Nesselrodt Among 2006 Valley League Honorees Valley League Baseball News Luray’s Tyler Kuhn of West Virginia University was named Valley League Most Valuable Player. Shortstop Tyler Kuhn, who recently led Luray to the Jim Lineweaver Cup Championship, and Waynesboro manager Lawrence Nesselrodt were named Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year respectively as the Valley Baseball League announced its 2006 All-League awards on Tuesday, August 8. Tyler Kuhn (Louisville, Ky.) recently finished his sophomore season at West Virginia University. Kuhn’s award marks the second straight year that a Luray Wrangler was named MVP. Last year, Daniel Murphy of Jacksonville University was honored. In addition to leading the Wranglers to a 3-2 championship series win over the Staunton Braves on Saturday, he led the VBL in eight offensive categories during the regular season, including batting average (.374), slugging percentage (.570), runs (34), hits (67), triples (5), total bases (102), plate appearances (198), and at bats (179). Nesselrodt was honored as Valley League Coach of the Year in his first season with the Waynesboro Generals. The Valley League veteran who previously coached the Staunton Braves guided Waynesboro to a 27-15 regular season mark and the top seed in the Southern Division. The Generals had the second-best record overall in the league during the regular season. Kuhn was one of 16 players honored on the 2006 All-League team and one of two Wranglers on the squad. Waynesboro led the all-league selections with four, followed by New Market with three. In addition to Luray, Harrisonburg, Haymarket, Staunton, and Winchester had two each to round out the squad. Among the Generals to be named to the All-League squad were Akron third baseman Kurt Davidson (N. Canton, Ohio), West Virginia outfielder Adam White (Morrisdale, Pa.), West Virginia utility player Justin Jenkins (Ridgeley, W.Va.), and Butler starting pitcher Jon Dages (Indianapolis, Ind.). Davidson was fourth in the VBL in on-base percentage (.418), third in walks (25), and first in hit by pitches (12) while hitting .275 with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 26 RBIs. White finished third in the league with a .359 batting average and third with a .427 on-base percentage. Jenkins only played in 22 games for the Generals, but hit .427 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in that span. Dages was the league’s ERA champion with a 1.60 ERA. He also led the league in opposing batting average at .185. He went 4-0 with 38 strikeouts in 45 innings. New Market had the Valley League’s best regular season record at 32-10. Among the Rebels honored were Columbus State outfielder John Geiger (Lilburn, Ga.), College of New Jersey designated hitter Gerard Haran (Matawan, N.J), and Tusculum closer Brandon Dickson (Marburg, Ala.). Geiger hit .320 with 26 runs scored, seven doubles, a .453 slugging percentage, and finished second in the league with 22 stolen bases. Haran was third with a .526 slugging percentage, second with 30 runs scored, second with 12 doubles, second with seven home runs, and tied for third with 72 total bases. Dickson led the league with 13 saves, six more than the next closest total. He finished 4-0 with a 0.31 ERA and 32 strikeouts with just four walks in 28.2 innings. In addition to Kuhn, Luray outfielder Jamie McOwen (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was an all-league pick. The Florida International product hit .285 with 14 doubles, four home runs, and led the league with 33 RBIs. He also had 11 stolen bases and ranked fifth with 71 total bases. Staying in the Northern Division, Haymarket’s Drew Candlin (Columbus, Ga.) and Josh Judy (Morgantown, W.Va.) were selected. A utility player from Columbus State, Candlin finished second in the league with a .361 batting average and third with 53 hits. Indiana Tech starting pitcher Josh Judy was fourth with a 1.93 ERA and fourth with a .216 opponent batting average. He went 4-1 with 40 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. Also in the North, Winchester’s Tyler Belcher (Bristol, Va.) and Paul Burnside (Montgomery, Ala.) were selected. Belcher, a catcher from Old Dominion, hit .302 with six doubles and 17 RBIs. A starter from Auburn, Burnside made a quick impression after throwing a perfect game in his first start. He finished the season second in the league with a 1.89 ERA and second with a .194 opponent batting average. In the Southern Divison, Staunton first baseman Tyler Brown (Monroe, Ga.) and second baseman Matt Hacker (Glen Allen, Va.) and Harrisonburg reliever Danny Wells (Plainfield, Ill.) rounded out the squad. Brown, from Mercer, was second in the league with 29 RBIs and hit .292 with 42 hits, 10 doubles, and five home runs. Hacker, from Virginia Tech, hit .312 with 48 hits and nine doubles. Together, they helped lead Staunton to a runner-up finish in the Valley League. Wells, from Southern Illinois, went 4-1 with two saves and 40 strikeouts in 35 innings. 2006 Valley League All-League Team First Base – Tyler Brown, Staunton Second Base – Matt Hacker, Staunton Third Base – Kurt Davidson, Waynesboro Short Stop – Tyler Kuhn, Luray Outfield – John Geiger, New Market Outfield – Jamie McOwen, Luray Outfield – Adam White, Waynesboro Catcher – Tyler Belcher, Winchester Designated Hitter – Gerard Haran, New Market Utility Player – Drew Candlin, Haymarket & Justin Jenkins, Waynesboro Starting Pitcher – Paul Burnside, Winchester Starting Pitcher – Jon Dages, Waynesboro Starting Pitcher – Josh Judy, Haymarket Relief Pitcher – Brandon Dickson, New Market Reilef Pitcher – Danny Wells, Harrisonburg 2006 Valley League Most Valuable Player – Tyler Kuhn, Luray 2006 Valley League Coach of the Year – Lawrence Nesselrodt, Waynesboro Note: Due to ties, two utility players were selected.