LebCo Male Athletes of the Week: Adrian Gonzalez & Colten Shaffer (Week Ending May 5, 2024)

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Adrian Gonzalez

On May 3rd, Adrian Gonzalez took the hill for Northern Lebanon and led them to a 2-1 victory over Pequea Valley. In the contest, the sophomore threw all seven innings and struck out eleven. That performance moved him past the one-hundred-strikeout milestone for his varsity career. While he only pitched in one game, the Vikings were 3-0, with Gonzalez going 4-7 with five RBI and two walks. With this outstanding performance, the LebCoSports.com voters honored the reigning LebCo Pitcher of the Year by naming him a LebCo Male Athlete of the Week.

When asked about Gonzo, also known as “AG,” Coach Travis Thome said, “Adrian has been consistent for us on the mound and at the plate all year long. He does his job efficiently and effectively. His stats speak for themselves.”

The stats which he speaks of are quite impressive. He was the leading pitcher for a talented set of arms that drove them to an 18-2 record and the Lancaster Lebanon League Section 4 Championship. During the regular season, Gonzalez was 6-1 and threw four complete games, three of which were shutouts. His ERA in those games stood at a stunning 0.58 through 48 innings pitched. In those trips to the mound, Gonzalez struck out 63 opposing batsmen. While he was saddled with a loss in Northern Lebanon’s League Playoff loss to Lampeter-Strasburg, he still put up an admirable line that read: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 K.

At the plate, Gonzalez has been equally as dangerous. In the twenty-one games the Vikings have played, he is batting .375 with 21 hits and 18 RBI. He has also shown great discipline in drawing 19 walks. His OBP stands at .526. His frequent appearances on the basepaths have resulted in him scoring 17 times.

Speaking about his performance on May 3rd, Gonzalez pointed to the confidence he is feeling each time he is called upon to pitch. He said, “Overall, my stuff on the mound was feeling really good. I felt like i could throw whatever pitch I wanted and wherever I wanted.”

That confidence, not cockiness, carried over to the offensive side of the game. Gonzalez said, “At the plate, I had lots of opportunities to drive runners in my confidence never lacked, and I always felt like I was the guy to drive them in.”

Last season, Gonzalez was great as a freshman for the Vikings in their run to the school’s first State Playoff appearance. He finished the year with a 4-4 record and a 3.48 ERA. He struck out 40 in 52 innings. While he had a solid foundation, he has obviously kicked it up a notch during his sophomore campaign.

About this growth, Gonzalez spoke of the learning experience he had last year, stating, “Last year as a freshman on varsity i had to understand that im young playing with guys that are 3-4 years older than me. Meaning that the pitching is going to be a lot tougher to hit and the hitter will be harder to get out on the mound.”

This year, his veteran status is showing, and he is ready to lead Northern Lebanon into Districts and beyond. Right now, Northern Lebanon is slated to be the #3 seed in the 4A District 3 Championships. Gonzalez has the goal of making them the #1 team by the time the tournament is finished.

While Gonzalez has a lot of baseball left to play in his high school career and hopefully many games still left this season, he already has long-term goals of playing collegiately. Ultimately, he would like to play professionally. Past his playing days, he would like to be a pitching coach to help other young arms develop.

Beyond baseball, Gonzalez’s #1 passion is music. Among his favorites are Tyler, the Creator, but he enjoys listening to and learning about many artists. In fact, he is a big fan of Lil Skies and claims he will “always defend” the Pennsylvania native. Maybe someday, Gonzalez will have the opportunity to pick his entrance track as he enters the game to the roar of thousands of fans. We will be taking note as to what songs he chooses when that happens.

One thing that you might not know about Gonzalez is that his cousin is Andrew Via, a sophomore who serves as the leadoff hitter for the Vikings. The two grew up playing together, as they are just days apart in age, and have encouraged each other throughout the journey. Gonzalez has high praise for Via, who is batting a lofty .500 with a .582 OBP. Having Via in that leadoff spot has helped Gonzalez, along with his teammates, to play their game successfully.

We wish Gonzalez, Via, and the rest of the Vikings all of the best as they look to push Northern Lebanon Baseball into new frontiers this season.

Photos provided by Northern Lebanon Baseball & Natalie Gonzalez

Colten Shaffer

On April 29th, Annville-Cleona Baseball trailed Columbia by a score of 3-0. After tying it up, it was Colten Shaffer’s three-run home run that allowed the Dutchmen to walk off with the 6-3 victory. Just two days later, the junior was on the mound against Pequea Valley and took a tough loss despite giving up just one unearned run and striking out eight in 4.2 innings. It was these performances that led the LebCoSports.com voting base to choose Shaffer as a LebCo Male Athlete of the Week. 

Shaffer came out the next week and was given the start against a tough team from Northern Lebanon. In that contest, he pitched six innings in a 4-2 loss and was tagged with four runs, none of which were earned. In the game, Shaffer struck out nine Vikings, a number that put him at the one-hundred strikeout milestone for his high school career.

For the season, Shaffer is 6-3 with a 1.03 ERA. He has whiffed 63 batters in 40.2 innings. At the plate, he leads Annville with a .415 batting average and a .522 OBP. He has 23 hits, which have included four doubles, three triples, and three home runs. Shaffer’s hot bat has resulted in 27 RBI.

Annville-Cleona finished the regular season with a 13-7 record. They are currently awaiting the District 3 Playoffs. They are currently sitting at the #5 seed in 3A. 

Shaffer is in only his second year of playing at the varsity level for Annville. He competes for the Dutchmen under the co-op with New Covenant Christian, where he is a student. During the fall, Shaffer plays soccer for the Flames.

We wish Shaffer and all of his fellow Dutchmen all the best in playing deep into the postseason.

Photos provided by Mary Getty

Click to read about the LebCo Female Athlete of the Week: Chloe Shirk

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: April 29 – May 5

Previous Winners

Ethan Spang (Weeks of March 11th, 18th)

Paxton Thomas (Weeks of March 11th, 18th)

Sam Kolacek (Week of March 25th)

Tyler Burgess (Week of April 1st)

Andrew Via (Week of April 1st)

Zac Frentz (Week of April 8th)

Gavin Bicher (Week of April 15th)

Chad Keller (Week of April 22nd)

Tyler Shunk (Week of April 22nd)