- Valley Baseball League
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Valley Baseball League Sport baseball Founded 1923 Motto "Gateway to the majors" No. of teams 12 Country(ies) United States
Most recent champion(s) Covington Lumberjacks Official website Valley Baseball League The Valley Baseball League is an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Each Valley Baseball League season consists of 44 games played during summer. Many Valley Baseball League players have continued on to play in Major League Baseball.
The league was started in 1923 and sanctioned by the NCAA in 1961. It has been a wooden bat league since 1993. It is one of eight leagues in the National Alliance of Collegiate Summer Baseball.
In 2007, The Valley Baseball League expanded to include one new team with the addition of the Fauquier Gators. Another team was supposed to be added in Lexington, Virginia but there were difficulties with the lighting system that delayed their addition to the league. The VBL announced, officially, in July 2008 that the Rapids (playing in Lexington, on Washington and Lee's field) will be playing in the 2009 season. This additional team will break the league into three divisions.
Contents
Teams
Valley League Playoff Series
2007 Playoffs
Valley League playoffs for the 2007 Season began on July 31, 2007 and concluded on August 10, when Waynesboro defeated Luray.
The following seedings and games occurred during the Valley League Playoffs.
Seedings- 1-Waynesboro
- 2-Harrisonburg†
- 3-Luray*
- 4-Winchester†
- 5-Staunton††
- 6-Front Royal†
- 7-Covington††
- 8-Woodstock†
First Round:(Best of 3 series)-
- #1 Waynesboro played #8 Woodstock. (Waynesboro won series 2-1)
- #2 Harrisonburg played #7 Covington. (Covington won series 2-0)
- #3 Luray played #6 Front Royal. (Luray won series 2-1)
- #4 Winchester played #5 Staunton. (Staunton won series 2-1)
† Eliminated during first round.
Second Round:(Best of 3 series)-
- #3 Luray played #5 Staunton. (Luray won series 2-0)
- #1 Waynesboro played #7 Covington. (Waynesboro won series 2-1)
†† Eliminated during second round.
Championship(Best of 5 series)-
- Luray vs. Waynesboro (Waynesboro won series 3-1)
Bold indicates 2007 Champion.- *Indicates Runner-Up.
2008 Playoffs
Valley League playoffs for the 2008 Season began on July 28, 2008 and ended August 5, 2008 when the Luray Wranglers defeated Covington.
The following seedings and games occurred during the Valley League Playoffs.
Seedings- 1-Waynesboro††
- 2-Luray
- 3-Fauquier†
- 4-Winchester†
- 5-Staunton††
- 6-Covington*
- 7-Harrisonburg†
- 8-Haymarket†
The number 1 and 2 seed will be decided during a game with Luray and Waynesboro, while the number 7 and 8 seed will be either Harrisonburg or Haymarket, pending the outcome of that game. Both games will be played on July 28, 2008.
First Round:(Best of 3 series)- #1 Waynesboro played #8 Haymarket. (Waynesboro won series 2-1)
- #2 Luray played #7 Harrisonburg. (Luray won series 2-1)
- #3 Fauquier played #6 Covington. (Covington won series 2-0)
- #4 Winchester played #5 Staunton. (Staunton won series 2-1)
† Eliminated during first round.
Second Round:(Best of 3 series)
- #1 Waynesboro played #6 Covington. (Covington won series 2-0)
- #2 Luray played #5 Staunton. (Luray won series 2-0)
†† Eliminated during second round.
Championship(Best of 5 series)
- Luray played Covington*. (Luray swept series 3-0)
Bold indicates 2008 Champion.- *Indicates Runner-Up.
Champions
- 2011 - Covington
- 2010 - Luray
- 2009 - Haymarket
- 2008 - Luray
- 2007 - Waynesboro
- 2006 - Luray
- 2005 - Covington
- 2004 - Winchester
- 2003 - Winchester
- 2002 - New Market
- 2001 - Winchester
- 2000 - Harrisonburg
- 1999 - Staunton
- 1998 - Waynesboro
- 1997 - Winchester
- 1996 - Staunton
- 1995 - Staunton
- 1994 - New Market
- 1993 - Winchester
- 1992 - Winchester
- 1991 - Harrisonburg
- 1990 - Winchester
- 1989 - New Market
- 1988 - Waynesboro
- 1987 - Winchester
- 1986 - Front Royal
- 1985 - Staunton
- 1984 - Waynesboro
- 1983 - Winchester
- 1982 - Winchester
- 1981 - Winchester
- 1980 - Winchester
- 1979 - Winchester
- 1978 - Madison
- 1977 - Harrisonburg
- 1976 - Staunton
- 1975 - Madison
- 1974 - Shenandoah
- 1973 - Shenandoah
- 1972 - Shenandoah
- 1971 - Harrisonburg
- 1970 - Harrisonburg
- 1969 - Harrisonburg
- 1968 - Luray
- 1967 - Luray
- 1966 - Luray
- 1965 - Luray
- 1964 - Harrisonburg
- 1963 - Shenandoah
- 1962 - Harrisonburg
- 1961 - Shenandoah
- 1960 - Shenandoah
- 1959 - Harrisonburg
- 1958 - Harrisonburg
- 1957 - Staunton
- 1956 - Elkton
- 1955 - Harrisonburg
- 1954 - Staunton
Championships per team
- Elkton-1
- Front Royal-1
- Haymarket-1
- Harrisonburg-11
- Luray-7
- Covington-2
- Madison-2
- New Market-3
- Shenandoah-5
- Staunton-6
- Waynesboro-4
- Winchester-13
- Not all teams have been with VBL since 1954. Throughout its history, teams have been removed and added.
The summer of 2008 was highlighted by a promotion called Around the Valley in 60 Days. This promotion was started by Crystal Clear Delivery and S. Carter Studios and encouraged patrons to visit all 11 parks in the 60 day season. The program was deemed a huge success as some fifty fans completed the program and attended all 11 ballparks.
Notable players
- Jason Kipnis, Covington '07, second baseman for the Cleveland Indians
- Javier Lopez, New Market ’96
- Mike Lowell, Waynesboro ’93
- Mike Maroth, Staunton ’96 ’97
- Kyle Snyder, Winchester ’97
External links
Collegiate Summer Baseball Leagues Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League · Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League · Cape Cod Baseball League · Florida Collegiate Summer League · Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League · New York Collegiate Baseball League · Southern Collegiate Baseball League · Valley Baseball LeagueAlaska Baseball League · California Collegiate League · CenTex Collegiate League · Coastal Baseball League · Jayhawk Collegiate League · M.I.N.K. Baseball League · Mountain Collegiate Baseball League · Northern Illinois Baseball League · Pacific International League · Pacific Southwest Baseball League · Rocky Mountain Baseball League · Sooner Collegiate League · Southern California Collegiate Baseball Association · Walter Johnson League · Western Baseball AssociationAtlantic Baseball Confederation · Coastal Plain League · Futures Collegiate Baseball League · Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League · Horizon Air Summer Series · KIT League · New England Collegiate Baseball League · Northwoods League · Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League · Prospect League · Rockingham County Baseball League · Southern California League · Texas Collegiate League · Triple Crown College Baseball League · West Coast LeagueDefunct LeaguesBig States League · Central Illinois Collegiate League · Clark Griffith Baseball League · Sierra Baseball LeagueCategories:- Summer baseball leagues
- College baseball leagues in the United States
- Baseball leagues in Virginia
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