Five 2015 All-Region 4A South selections for baseball stemmed from Nansemond River High School’s team, including three on the first team.

Like with the All-Ironclad Conference accolades earlier this year, Warriors senior Robert Fitzwater made the first team as both a pitcher and a utility player, and senior Kieton Rivers made the first team at shortstop.

Though Nansemond River did not make it as far into the regional tournament as it did last year, Fitzwater’s 2015 season was so strong that he went from first-team pitcher and second-team catcher regional selections last year to his current twin first-team regional honors.

“I felt he was deserving of both,” Warriors coach Mark Stuffel said of the 2015 selections. “He was really good all year on the mound, and he had the best offensive year of anybody on the team. His offensive stats were crazy.”

Fitzwater, who gives praise to Stuffel for helping develop his talent, had a .531 batting average this season along with a .953 slugging percentage and a .610 on-base percentage.

In 64 at-bats across 23 games, he had 34 hits, including 17 singles, 12 doubles and five home runs, 28 runs batted in, 19 runs scored and only three strikeouts.

In 47 innings pitched, he went 7-2 with a 1.49 earned run average, and he threw 66 strikeouts.

Playing at first, second and third base when he was not pitching, he had a .978 fielding percentage with only a single error all season.

Bolstering Fitzwater’s credentials among the coaches voting for regional honors was the fact that he was also named Ironclad Conference baseball Player of the Year.

Kieton Rivers received the conference POTY honor last year and performed well again this season, repeating as an all-region first team honoree.

Clear on why Rivers was chosen again, Stuffel said, “He’s a very, very good shortstop, and he’s a very advanced hitter,” showing a prowess with the bat that is beyond what one tends to see in high school.

This season, Rivers had a .471 batting average with a .912 slugging percentage and a .513 on-base percentage.

In 68 at-bats across 21 games, he had 32 hits, including 12 singles, 12 doubles, three triples and four home runs, 31 runs scored and 16 RBIs.

Playing extensively at shortstop, he had an .896 fielding percentage.

Making the all-region second team for the Warriors was junior outfielder Dion Jordan and senior catcher Greg Parker.

Jordan’s selection is a sign of good things to come for Nansemond River.

“He’s a kid that we’re expecting to be one of our leaders next year on the team,” Stuffel said.

The coach also praised Parker, noting he is a very good catcher. “He’s going to (Virginia) Wesleyan (College), he’s going to do a good job there,” Stuffel said.