Player of the Year: Adam Donahue

A transfer from Riverdale Baptist, Donahue proved to be the final piece in the Bowie High baseball team’s championship puzzle. The senior left-hander, who helped lead Bowie to the 2004 4A state championship, is the Star/Gazette Baseball Player of the Year. Donahue tossed a no-hitter against longtime Bowie nemesis Eleanor Roosevelt in the 4A South Region title game. But Donahue’s work was far from finished. He came in to close a victory against Thomas Stone in the 4A state semifinal game. And he pitched the Bulldogs to an 8-2 victory against Sherwood to win the 4A state tittle , giving the school its first championship in 20 years. He was a menace to the opposition, allowing just 23 hits and 27 walks in 62 innings. Donahue amassed 87 strikeouts and a 1.24 earned run average as he went 8-0 with one save. At the plate, he batted .451, with three homers, 38 RBI and 38 runs scored.

Coach of the Year: Bill Seibert

Seibert began his career 30 years ago as an assistant at Douglass with legendary county coach William ‘‘Bumps” Vaughan. Three years later, Seibert accompanied Vaughan to Bowie High and the rest is history. Having already decided before the season that 2004 would be his last year with the team, Seibert guided his team to a championship in his last year on the bench. He surpassed the 300-win plateau this spring, finishing his career with a 322-74 record as a head coach, with the final victory coming over Sherwood in the 4A title game. Seibert said he hopes to continue to keep records for the Bowie program, and said he ends his coaching career optimistic with the direction county baseball is headed.

‘‘The famous question I get every time someone talks to me about this season is, ‘You went 25-1, who did you lose to?’” Seibert said. ‘‘In Bowie if you win, nobody remembers, but by God, when you lose everybody wants to know.”

First Team

Robert Spencer, Gwynn Park, Jr., pitcher — Spencer was the top pitcher for the County 3A/2A league champion Yellow Jackets. He beat 4A power North County toward the end of the regular season and nearly helped Gwynn Park win the inaugural county title game with an 11-strikeout performance against eventual 4A state champion Bowie. Spencer was 5-2 with an 1.73 earned run average.

Joe Murray, Laurel, Jr., pitcher — An integral part of the Spartans’ rise to the second seed in the 4A South Region, Murray pitched and played shortstop for Laurel. On the mound, Murray went 4-2, struck out 66 and walked only 17 with a 0.97 ERA in 39 innings. Murray also helped the Spartans by hitting .301 with one double, one triple. He scored nine runs and stole 10 bases in 13 attempts.

Robbie Campbell, DeMatha, Sr., pitcher — Campbell returns to the Star/Gazette first-team after another impressive campaign. The powerful right-hander posted a 6-2 mark with 61 strikeouts in 52 innings for the three-time defending WCAC champs. Campbell, 14-3 the last two seasons, had a 1.49 ERA and was selected All-WCAC for the second season. He will attend East Tennessee State on a baseball scholarship.

Brett Cecil, DeMatha, Sr., pitcher — Bound for the University of Maryland, Cecil went 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 2004. In 53 innings, he allowed only 30 hits and eight walks to earn All-WCAC first-team honors for the second straight spring.

Joe Palumbo, DeMatha, Sr., infielder — Palumbo was again the spark for another DeMatha’s championship run. The shortstop batted .402 with 19 RBI and 22 stolen bases for the Stags, who captured their third straight WCAC title this spring. Palumbo, a second-team All-WCAC selection, also had 13 doubles and four triples. A two-time Star/Gazette first-team pick, Palumbo will play for Maryland next season.

Shane Kogok, Bowie, Sr., infielder — Kogok was Bowie’s top power hitter with a team-high six homers. He was second on the team with 44 hits in 78 at-bats, good enough for .526 batting average, also second on the team. Kogok added 34 RBIs and tied for the team lead in triples with seven.

Jesus Mattias, Parkdale, Soph., infielder — Mattias was one of the most exciting players in the County 4A league this spring. He led the Riverdale school with a .650 average and had eight homers and 21 RBI as the Panthers lost to eventual state 4A champ Bowie in extra innings in the South Region semifinals.

Mitch Saum, Riverdale Baptist, senior, infielder — The Star/Gazette 2003 Player of the Year did little to damage his reputation during a solid spring campaign. Saum batted .430 with 10 doubles and five homers, drove in 40 runs and scored 36 more. He drew 22 walks to propel his on-base percentage to a team-high .570 and was second to Goughenour with a .707 slugging percentage.

Bryan Trotter, Bowie, Sr., catcher — Trotter was a vital cog in Bowie’s first state title in 20 seasons. He registered team highs in batting average (.550), RBI (51) hits (44) and runs (41). He was also 2-0 as a pitcher, including a gutty performance against Thomas Stone in the 4A state semifinal.

Nick Jowers, DeMatha, Sr., outfielder — Jowers was the glue of the Stags’ outfield. He was the team’s defensive MVP after making no errors, earning All-WCAC honors. At the plate, he led DeMatha in hitting at .414, and had 23 RBI and stole 14 bases. He’s one of three Stags headed to the University of Maryland on a baseball scholarship.

Kyle Curry, McNamara, Sr., outfielder — An All-WCAC second team choice, Curry was the spark and defensive presence the Mustangs needed in an up-and down season in one of the area’s best conferences. Curry batted .274 with 22 RBI and two home runs. In 60 at bats, he struck out just 15 times while earning a .385 on-base percentage.

Derek Goughenour, Riverdale Baptist, Sr., outfielder — In his first year with the Crusaders, Goughenour led the team in batting at .458 with 13 doubles, two triples and three homers. He drove in 33 runs and scored 36 more for a Riverdale team that averaged nine runs per game.

Anthony Russell, DeMatha, Sr., utility — Russell was the feared performer in a potent DeMatha lineup this season. A second-team Star/Gazette pick a year ago, Russell batted .370 with a team-high 36 RBI and five homers. He was runner-up for WCAC Player of Year Honors, and Stags’ coach Charlie Sullivan said Russell showed tremendous strides playing third. He will be joining teammate Robbie Campbell at East Tennessee State.

Steve Ulrich, Roosevelt, Sr., utility — Though the Raiders missed the state 4A semifinals for the only second time since 1998, Ulrich was a clutch performer. The senior batted .429 with 26 RBI and scored 21 runs. On the mound, he was 4-1 with a 1.50 ERA, and had 24 strikeouts.

Joe Montibeller, Douglass, Sr., utility — There was not much that Montibeller did not do in his best varsity season. He led the team with a .627 average in 43 official at-bats. He tallied 27 hits, with 11 going for extra bases. He drove in 36 runs while crossing the plate 25 times. Montibeller added 15 stolen bases. He also pitched 31 innings, allowing only seven earned runs with 37 strikeouts, a 1.88 earned run average and a 5-1 record.

Second Team

Max Brady, DuVal; Jeff Casey, Bowie;Matt Clark, Crossland; Richard Dearstyne andDennis Sherman, Grace Brethren;Nick Feeser and Steve Henry, Laurel;Mike Fritsch, Riante Jones and Patrick Leslie, Gwynn Park; Rob Gardner, DeMatha;Jabari Graham, Northwestern; Jamell Jones, Friendly; Justin Kersey, McNamara;Brian Nalley and Tommy Rossi, Pallotti;Eisthel Pujols, High Point; Jacob Young, Douglass.