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BASEBALL: Eastside's Colby Shivers wins region player of the year
Eight Eastside Eagles make all-Region 4-AAAA squad
Colby Shivers
Eastside junior Colby Shivers had the kind of season that warranted him top honors in Region 4-AAAA and strong consideration for All-Covington News Player of the Year. -photo by Anthony Banks

COVINGTON, Ga. —  Eastside baseball came away with eight players being named to the All-Region 4-AAAA team, with Colby Shivers taking home the region’s highest accolade. 

Shivers, a junior, was named Region 4-AAAA Player of the Year after hitting .410 and finishing the season with 34 hits, 11 doubles, three home runs, 28 RBIs and 39 runs scored. 

His consistently hot bat helped Eastside to a 22-5 season overall with a 12-1 Region 4-AAAA record and region runner-up status behind Woodward Academy. The Eagles led the region in runs scored with 232 and Shivers’ performance at the plate was a big part of that. 

Just as important to the Eagles’ 2019 success was the contributions first-year head coach Brandon Crumbley received from his pitchers. Four Eagles hurlers — Brayden Downs, Parker Daniel, Jackson Feeney and Cade Mitchell — were selected after the young but sturdy members of bullpen all picked their moments to shine this past season. 

Mitchell, a sophomore, led the way statistically, posting a 5-2 record and recording 51 strikeouts in 32.2 innings of work. He finished with a 2.70 ERA. 

Feeney wasn’t far behind. Often called upon to toe the rubber against Eastside’s best opponents, the junior fanned 41 batters and went 4-3 with a save while posting a 2.953 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched. Daniel and Downs combined for an 8-0 record and 65 strikeouts in 53.1 total innings of work. Downs’ 1.296 ERA was the team’s lowest. 

In addition, outfielder Aron Cox was selected after batting .367 with 20 hits, 19 RBIs and a home run. Infielders Noah Cook, Sambo Button and Kyle Shivers — Colby’s brother — a freshman — were also tabbed. 

The younger Shivers was impressive, notching a .417 batting average with 30 hits, five doubles, a triple, 22 RBIS and 24 runs scored.   

Eastside’s season came to an end on the wrong end of a two-game sweep administered by Northside-Columbus in the first round of this year’s playoffs. But with so many young players returning, coach Brandon Crumbley is expected another push for a region title and a playoff berth in 2020.