VALDOSTA, Ga – The Valdosta State Blazer baseball team was well represented in the 2025 GSC Baseball Season Awards as Orlando Pena was the headliner with the third baseman being named GSC Player of the Year.
 
Pena was selected First Team All-GSC along with infielder Pedro Moreno to conclude the first team. On the Second Team All-GSC, VSU ace Hunter Booth was the top starting pitcher with Ryan Brown being named the lone reliever. Hunter Stowe was the final Blazer represented on the second team as he was slotted at the DH position.
 
Both teams go as follows:

First Team All-GSC
SP – Drake Fontenot, Delta State
SP – Dalton Neuschwander, West Florida
SP – Adiel Melendez, Montevallo
SP – Bryany Quimby, West Alabama
RP – Judah Buckner, West Alabama
C – Brett Rowell, West Florida
1B – Cole McCallum, Trevecca Nazarene
2B – Joey Parliment, Trevecca Nazarene
3B – Orlando Pena, Valdosta State
SS – Logan Shurden, Mississippi College
IF – Pedro Moreno, Valdosta State
OF – Brett Burrell, Delta State
OF – Carson Chavies, Union
OF – Bryce LaRocca, Mississippi College
OF – Jordan Evans, Mississippi College
DH – Brock Butler, UAH
UTL – Korey Cooper, Mississippi College
 
Second Team All-GSC*
SP – Hunter Booth, Valdosta State
SP – Dylan Farley, Delta State
SP – Cooper Casteel, Lee
SP – Jacob Heath, West Florida
SP – Kade Manderschied, West Florida
RP – Ryan Brown, Valdosta State
C – Isaiah French, Lee
1B – Jalen Smith, Christian Brothers
2B – McGwire Turner, Montevallo
3B – Connor Crowson, Montevallo
SS – Dom Presto, West Florida
OF – JJ Williams, Lee
OF – JT Vance, Mississippi College
OF – Alex Urias, West Florida
OF – Tyrese Rooks, AUM
DH – Hunter Stowe, Valdosta State
UTL – Evan Radford, Montevallo

 
Delta State's Drake Fontenot was named pitcher of the year with UWF outfielder Alex Urias named Freshman of the Year while Delta State's Rodney Batts was named GSC Coach of the Year with the Statesmen winning the regular season title.
 
Orlando Pena is the seventh Blazer to be named GSC Player of the Year as he joins Jason Bulger (2001), Robert Morgan (2004), Matt Costello (2009), Brandon Decker (2010), Christian Glisson (2012), and EJ Doskow (2022) on an elite list of Valdosta State greats to be named GSC POTY. Pena led the GSC in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and OPS. Pena is currently ranked seventh in the nation in home runs with a total of 20 and is fourth in RBI with 78 while his .750 slugging percentage is 34^th in the nation. The Jersey City, NJ product is approaching some records, as he is six RBI away from tying the single season record that was set by Brandon Decker in 2009 at 84. He is also three home runs away from tying the single season home run record, that is currently held by Bobby McDonald at 23 back in 1997.
 
This is the second consecutive season that multiple Blazers were selected to the first team as last season, three Blazers were named to the first team including current Blazer Hunter Stowe.
 
Pedro Moreno was an anchor in head coach Jan Weisberg's lineup, as the primary shortstop batted .306 on the year with 59 hits while leading the team in runs scored with 52 and stolen bases with 20. Moreno is getting on base at a .420 clip and has driven in 25 while tallying ten doubles, one triple, and one home run.
 
Hunter Booth was named to Second Team All-GSC as the righty proved his value at the top of the rotation. Booth is 7-5 in 13 starts and is currently holding a 3.45 ERA while striking out 73, good for fourth in the GSC. Booth is holding opponents to a .246 batting average as he has allowed a total of 75 hits with 22 of those being for extra bases. Booth is the first starting pitcher named to the All-GSC Team since Zach Henderson was named to Second Team All-GSC in 2023.
 
Ryan Brown has been the top arm out of the VSU bullpen this season, as he has appeared in 20 games out of the pen and has an ERA of 2.17 while picking up seven saves and carrying a 4-1 record. The southpaw pitched in 29.0 innings and struck out 22 batters while they were hitting .248 against Brown. Brown is the first reliever named to the All-GSC Team since JP Gates was named to Second Team All-GSC in 2023 as a reliever/utility player.
 
Hunter Stowe is making his second consecutive appearance on the All-GSC as he was named to First Team All-GSC in 2024. Stowe is the first Blazer to be named to an All-GSC team in back to back seasons since Bryant Hayman was selected to the first team in 2014 and 2015. After starting the season off slow, Stowe bounced back in a big way as he finished the regular season with 16 doubles which is tied with teammate Easton Hood for team lead and second in the conference. Stowe was second on the team in home runs with ten which was also tied for tenth in the conference. Stowe tallied 54 hits for a .323 while scoring 35 times and is third on the team in RBI with 41.
 
The No. 2-seeded Blazers are competing in the first round of the GSC Baseball Championship tomorrow as they take on No. 7-seeded Lee at 2 p.m. ET at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.