That talent was rewarded as four Bellefonte standouts garnered all-state honors this year with the Pennsylvania Baseball Coaches Association All-State team which was released.

The area’s only first-team all-state selection was talented pitcher Zach Lehman of Bellefonte in Class AAAA. Bellefonte’s Oliver Thornburg was named second-team catcher in Class AAAA, Bellefonte’s Evan Mattern was named second-team infielder and Braeden Fortney was named second-team outfielder.

Lehman, who will go to Binghamton, became the fourth Bellefonte pitcher to surpass 100 strikeouts in program history, the first Red Raider to do so since Eric Milton in 1992. Lehman had 15 mound appearances and surpassed seven strikeouts in 12 of those games, reaching double figures in strikeouts against Huntingdon, Bellwood-Antis and Elizabeth Forward. Lehman also never gave up more than three earned runs in a game and blanked six opponents.

Mattern was among the Express area’s top hitters as he had 34 hits, 29 RBIs and scored 25 runs. He also led Bellefonte with a .430 batting average. He had a team-high 10 doubles, a triple and home run and surpassed his previous slugging percentage ot of the water with a .620 as well as having an OPS of 1.115.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Evan Mattern was one of four Bellefonte players to be named all-state in baseball.

Thornburg played in 19 games with a .407 batting average, collecting 24 hits, 27 RBIs and seven doubles.

Fortney was one of four starters to bat above .400 as he had a .403, finished third on the team with 27 hits and was second with 22 runs scored. He had a hit in all but four appearances and had multi-hit games eight times and scored in 15. He also had a .522 slugging percentage and .488 on-base percentage.