Abington Heights junior pitcher Nick Bradley has been named Gatorade Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year, according to a June 3 morning press release.
Gatorade is in its 40th year of honoring the nation’s elite high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
The award recognizes Bradley as the state’s top high school baseball player and adds him to a list of distinguished Gatorade Players of the Year, which includes Gary Sheffield in Florida in 1986 and Clayton Kershaw in Texas in 2006.
Bradley went 9-1 with the only loss coming against unbeaten Pittston Area in the District 2 Class 5A championship game. In 12 games, he struck out 92 batters while walking just 11 and allowing only 24 hits in 59 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .118 against Bradley.
The nation’s No. 156 prospect in his class, according to Baseball America, Bradley also batted .465, with an on-base percentage of .500, a slugging percentage of .718 and a team-leading 30 RBI in 22 games.
Bradley has volunteered locally by cleaning a local cemetery and repairing grave sites. He also has donated time as a youth baseball instructor. He carries a 94.4 weighted average at Abington Heights.
PSBCA All-Star Game
Thomas LaCoe from Abington Heights had a two-run single in the third inning while helping the East defeat the West 9-2 June 22 in the inaugural Pennsylvania State Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game at Penn State.
LaCoe was one of four players from District 2, who joined recent graduates from Districts 1, 3, 11 and 12 against the West team that had players from Districts 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
All-state
The PSBCA also named its all-state team, which included 17 players from the Lackawanna League, eight of which made the first team in their classifications.
The Lackawanna League Division 1 co-champions combined for four first-team spots in Class 5A with Bradley and LaCoe joining North Pocono pitcher Cael Hafner and infielder Jake Reese.
LaCoe was selected as an outfielder. He batted .468 for the Comets with eight doubles, two triples, a home run and 29 RBI.
Bradley made the team as a pitcher.
Scranton Prep senior outfielder Paul Rusincovitch was a second-team choice in Class 4A.
Rusincovitch led the Cavaliers in batting average (.460), on-base percentage (.603) and earned run average (1.79). He was 4-3 on the mound.
