By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Recent Brandywine graduate and varsity baseball standout Kory Bridges was selected as a 2005 first team Division 3 All-State player.
Bridges will be attending Kalamazoo Valley Community College this fall where he will continue his baseball career with the Cougars.
Bridges is currently playing in the Sports Fest tournament for the Michigan All-Stars team being held at Bethel College in Mishawaka this week.
Bridges has earned numerous honors this season, some of which include All-Conference and All-Region. Bridges had 188 strike outs this season, which broke his own school record set in 2004 and is the all-time area record. It's also the ninth highest total in a single season in state history. He was 12-4 on the season, which also established a new school record.
Bridges was joined by two Watervliet players on the All-State team, first baseman Phil Halamka and infielder Eric Odom.
Division 3 First Team
All-State
Pitchers
Kory Bridges, Brandywine
Dan Holcombe, Homer
Andrew Este, Blissfield
Dusty Compton, Homer
Darrin Smith, Pine River
Catchers
Eric Helton, Gobles
Dale Cornstubble, Homer
William Faulkner, Blissfield
First base
Phil Halamka, Watervliet
Mike Smith, Durand
Infield
Dan Salvati , Morley Stanwood
Eric Odom, Watervliet
David Withers, Vassar
Ben Gulick, Durand
C.J. Finch, Homer
Ryan Thurston, Homer
Outfield
Nate Tewsley, McBain
Matt Seyoc, Lansing C.C.
Chris Hess, Vassar
Justin Wilson, Blissfield
Ricky Whitfield, Albion
Utility
Drew Thompson, Morley Stanwood
Coach of the Year
Scott Salow, Homer