Leading off today: Clemson-bound Cooperstown senior Philip Pohl has been named the Gatorade New York Baseball Player of the Year,
The Daily Star reported today.
"It's a great honor," Pohl told the paper. "To even be considered a top player in New York is a huge honor. It's a huge state. I'm speechless."
A 6-foot, 195-pound catcher, Pohl is hitting .446 with four home runs and 23 RBIs. He also has 29 stolen bases for a 16-4 ballclub. Pohl hit .473 with a school-record five home runs and stole 41 bases as a junior.
Pohl sounds like a worthy candidate, but does anyone else wonder about the timing of the announcement? Sectionals are just getting started in most areas of the state, meaning a lot of players still have as many as seven or eight games to play. In addition, the cutoff for nominations and selections in order to accommodate the announcement this week was probably some time in mid-May, meaning a decision was made approximately halfway through the season.
Speaking of awards: Teresa Noyola of Palo Alto (Calif.) High was named Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. The 5-foot-2 senior midfielder, a Mexican native, scored 18 goals and added seven assists in 16 games this spring.
She's the first player named Youth, Scholar-Athlete and High School Player of the Year in the same year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and the
