Valley Baseball League

Valley Baseball League

Sport	Baseball
Founded	1923
Motto	"Gateway to the majors"
No. of teams	12
Country	United States
Most recent champion(s)	Waynesboro Generals
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. The league is also sanctioned by Major League Baseball and receives a small grant for operating expenses.

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) they began playing in the 2009 season.

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

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

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

Championships per team

• 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
• Cory Spangenberg, Winchester ’10
• Aubrey Huff, Staunton
• Luke Scott, Staunton

External links

• Valley Baseball League
• Town of Haymarket
• Around the Valley in 60 Days