RCBL: Draft’s Cooper, Thompson grab league honors

The Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks took home two RCBL honors, and both went to former area prep standouts.

Ryan Cooper, a Stuarts Draft graduate, took home the league’s Most Valuable Player honors and Jay Thompson, who helped lead Waynesboro to back-to-back Group AA Final Four appearances, was named the league’s top rookie.

Cooper spent the season splitting time between the mound and first base and finished the season with a 6-1 record and a 1.58 ERA. He recorded two saves with opposing teams hitting .256 against him.

Cooper also led the team at the plate by hitting five home runs (a team high), driving in 25 runs and slapping 11 doubles — both team highs as well. Cooper was second on the team with a .414 batting average. He trailed only Thompson, who hit .469 in his first season playing in the league.

Thompson drove in 17 runs on the year, with seven doubles and two home runs.

Montezuma’s Alex Foltz was the league’s Pitcher of the Year and New Market skipper Smokey Veney was named the Manager of the Year.

The Diamondbacks are still alive in postseason play, holding a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five semifinal against Elkton. Clover Hill, which beat Draft by one game for the regular-season crown, has already clinched a spot in the RCBL Championship series.