Gatorade tabs Gabriel as Ohio’s best player

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

poland

After hearing his standout sophomore pitcher, Erin Gabriel, was named Gatorade’s Ohio player of the year, Poland High softball coach Reid Lamport called it a great honor, a reward and a blessing.

He didn’t call it a surprise.

“I wasn’t surprised at all, but I was certainly excited,” he said. “Just knowing her level of play and the recognition she’s received nationally, I think it’s more of a reward than anything else.

“It’s something that took a lot of work, dedication and preparation.”

Gabriel went 21-1 with a 0.24 ERA this spring, leading the Bulldogs to a 30-2 record and a berth in the Division II state final. She struck out 318 in 142 innings with just 18 walks. She also batted .562 with three homers and 28 RBIs. She is also ranked first in her class with a 4.0 grade point average.

“Everything she does is at a top level,” said Lamport. “The one thing that stands out is the amount of humility she possesses for the amount of attention and success she’s had at a young age. That’s a credit to her mom [Lori] and dad [George], who instilled that attitude in her.

“She is truly a very humble young lady. Anytime somebody possesses that much talent and has that much humility to go with that talent, she’s pretty easy to root for.”

The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. Gatorade recognizes winners nationwide in 12 sports.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Gabriel said of the award. “It’s such a big privilege and honor. I’m just lucky to have the opportunity.”

Gabriel credited her catcher, senior Megan Hirschbeck, for helping her succeed this season and said she considered the award a team honor.

“We had a 25-game winning streak and we only lost two games,” she said. “Unfortunately we came up one run short [in the 1-0 state final loss] but you can’t put the whole season on one game.”

Although these types of awards are generally given to upperclassmen, Lamport said Gabriel’s talent and accomplishments were too good to ignore. “When you watch her play, you’re not watching a sophomore by any stretch of the imagination,” he said. “She’s taken her game to a level much higher than that of what you expect from a sophomore.

“I’m sure the people voting and evaluating lean toward upperclassman because it’s a nice reward at the end of a career. But when you look at her performance and her statistics, I think they made the best choice possible.”

The award went to Elyria’s Tess Sito the past two seasons and North Canton Hoover’s Jessica Simpson in 2007.

and past winners include Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez