CHICAGO (June 2, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Colin Houck of Parkview High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year. Houck is the third Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from Parkview High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Houck as Georgia’s best high school baseball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Houck joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Jackson Holliday (2021-22, Stillwater High School, Okla.), Bobby Witt Jr. (2018-19, Colleybille Heritage High School, Texas), Clayton Kershaw (2005-06, Highland Park High School, Texas) and Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo High School, Mich.).
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior shortstop led the Panthers to a 32-8 record and the Class 7A state finals this past season. Houck batted .487 with eight home runs, 50 RBI, 56 runs scored, 16 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .589. A Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason First Team All-American and the Gwinnett Dugout Club Player of the Year, Houck is a three-time First Team All-State honoree. He’s ranked as the nation’s No. 13 prospect in the Class of 2023 by Perfect Game USA.
Also a football standout, Houck has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics and youth sports camps. “Houck was a machine,” said Eric Love, head coach at Archer High School. “He hit the ball on the nose in every at bat and made every play look routine at shortstop. I cannot imagine there are many high school players who are as skilled and talented as he is.”
Houck has maintained a 4.05 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at Mississippi State University this fall, but is projected as an early-round selection in July’s Major League Baseball draft.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Houck joins recent Gatorade Georgia Baseball Players of the Year Druw Jones (2021-22, Wesleyan School), Dylan Lesko (2020-21, Buford High School), Jordan Walker (2019-20, Decatur High School), and C.J. Abrams (2018-19, Blessed Trinity High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
