Auburn’s McGlothin all-county/all-city POY

Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com

Some familiar faces head up this year’s all-county/all-city baseball team of the year. Auburn won this year’s Class 1 state championship, and the team leads the list of honorees.

Zac McGlothlin is this year’s player of the year, and his coach Eric Altizer is the coach of the year.

Auburn senior first-baseman/pitcher McGlothlin is also the Class 1 Player of the Year, and Auburn head coach Altizer was the Class 1 Coach of the Year.

McGlothlin, a versatile 6-0, 180-pound first baseman and left-handed pitcher, posted impressive numbers this spring. As an offensive threat, McGlothlin batted .471 (40-85) with 40 RBI, three home runs, eight doubles, and one triple.

A big-game pitcher, he posted a 6-0 record with two saves, 1.70 ERA, 38K, and only 13BB. In Auburn’s run to the state title, McGlothlin went 4-0 in the postseason, earning wins in the Mountain Empire District championship game, the Region C title game and pitching the Eagles to victories in the state quarterfinals and semifinals.

A second-team all-state selection last year at first base, he remains uncommitted with plans to attend New River Community College in the fall.

For the fourth time in his 20 seasons, Auburn’s legendary coach, Eric Altizer, led the Eagles to a state championship with a convincing 10-0 win over Fort Chiswell in the Class 1 finals. His team ended the season on a 17-game winning streak and a 26-1 record.

Altizer has a career record of 303-123 during his two stints as Auburn’s head coach, from 1999 to 2008 and 2016 to the present. His teams won state titles in 2017, 2019, 2021, and this season. It’s Altizer’s third time receiving the state coach of the year award (2017, 2019, and 2025).

McGlothlin was honored as both first base and as a pitcher. He shared the first base spot with Blacksburg’s Brice Abbott.

Blacksburg’s Jack Mann was this year’s honoree at second-base. He was joined around the infield by Christiansburg shortstops Gavin Dow and teammate Sam Szefc. At third base was Marshall Tate of Eastern Montgomery.

The outfield had its share of firepower in Radford’s Hayden Joyce, Auburn’s Jared Lavergne, and Eastern Montgomery’s Caleb Jones and Colton Conner.

The pitching staff is loaded with McGlothlin leading the way along with Rocco Fizzano of Christiansburg, Szefc of Blacksburg, Josh Givens of Auburn and Colton Conner of Eastern Montgomery.

Behind the plate, Blacksburg’s Major Marshall and Auburn’s Matthew Altizer shared the spot.

The utility co-players of the year were Ethan Weyman of Christiansburg and Trevor Williams of Radford.

The designated hitter is Brody Hensel of Auburn.