For the first time in school history, the Virginia Tech baseball team had a student-athlete earn a major award from the Virginia Sports Information Directors as Ian Seymour and Carson Taylor took home the organization’s 2020 Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year honors, respectively.
The duo previously made history just two weeks ago during the 2020 MLB first-year player draft when Seymour was chosen in the second round and Taylor was a fourth-round selection. It marked the first time in school history that two Hokies were taken in the top four rounds of the same draft. They were also the only two players drafted from the state of Virginia this year, and previously became Tech’s first teammates to earn All-America status in the same season since 2003.
Since the inception of the state’s VaSID postseason honors, no Hokie had ever earned either of those awards before. Former Tech coaches Chuck Hartman and Pete Hughes were named the Coach of the Year a combined four times, and Mark Zagunis took home the Rookie of the Year honor in 2012.
Seymour, as a starting pitcher, and Taylor, at catcher, each also earned a spot on the state’s first team, marking the first time since 2013 the Hokies had two players make the first team. Starting pitcher Chris Gerard and second baseman Nick Biddison were voted to the second team, which gives the Hokies their most honorees on the state squad since 2013 as well, when six Hokies, the school record, made the team.
Radford University had two players named to the all-state first team: shortstop Colby Higgerson and designated hitter J.D. Munday. Highlander pitcher Austin Gerber was named to the second team.
