Around the Horn: Senior baseball award winners announced.

Chatham Miramichi Honda Ironmen import pitcher Dylan Lester was named this year’s league MVP, pitcher of the year, and top batter. Matthew Donnison of the Moncton Dixie Lee Mets earned Rookie of the Year honours, while teammate Justin Cormier was chosen as the top defensive player. Adam Estey of the Fredericton St. Louis Bar and Grill Royals won the Sportsman and Ability Award and led the league in stolen bases.

Moncton skip Darrell Christie was awarded Coach of the Year, while Brody McDonald of the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders had the best earned-run average this season. Mark Phillips of the Saint John AJ’s Alpines was the RBI champion, Royals import Nathan Van Putten was the strikeout leader, and Estey was the 2024 home-run champ.

Lester, a righty from Texas, won his second consecutive hitting title after recording a .409 batting average, with 17 hits in 38 at-bats. He registered 32 singles, four doubles, and two home runs while driving in 15 runs and stealing five bases.

On the mound, Lester also led the league in wins with seven. He posted a 7-3 win-loss mark with a 1.31 earned-run average while scattering 29 runs on 62 hits, fanning 52 and walking 24 in 65-plus innings over a 12-game span.

Donnison hit at a .500 pace in eight games, with a hit in two at-bats. He also went 1-0 on the bump, giving up two hits while fanning 26 and issuing six free passes in 13 innings of work over five games.

Cormier, meanwhile, notched a .323 batting average in 28 games, with 31 hits in 96 at-bats. He cashed in seven runs and stole six bases. He also pitched 60 innings in 11 games, conceding 39 runs on 70 hits while punching out 51 opposing hitters and walking 28.

In addition to his 58 strikeouts and 37 walks, Van Putten’s line for the season included 40 runs on 55 hits and a 3-4 record in 56 and one-third innings over 12 games. He was also strong at the plate with a .306 average (22 hits on 72 at-bats), two homers, and eight RBIs in 26 games.

McDonald’s league-best ERA was 2.00. His pitching line also consisted of a 5-1 record, 18 runs, 45 hits, 14 walks, and 32 strikeouts.

Phillips drove in 26 runs for the Alpines this year. He registered 30 hits on 90 at bats, good for a .333 average, and went deep five times.

Christie’s Mets went 15-13 this year, posting the same record as the Ironmen but winning the tiebreaker and earning second place in the five-team league based on the season series between the two clubs. Moncton scored 144 runs while allowing 111, for a differential of +33.

The Mets finished two games behind the Islanders, who will take on the winner of the best-of-three miniseries between the Royals and Alpines that will determine fourth place for the semifinals. Moncton and Chatham will meet in the other best-of-seven semifinal.

The winners of the semis will face off in the best-of-seven league final for a shot at a championship and a chance to represent New Brunswick at next year’s nationals in Regina, Sask.