KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Dylan Loy of Pigeon Forge High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year, the company announced Friday.
Loy also won the award last year and is the second Gatorade Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from Pigeon Forge High School. The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.
The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior left-handed pitcher and first baseman compiled an 11-1 record with a 0.10 earned run average on the mound this past season, leading the Tigers (25-9) to the Class 2A sectional series. Loy struck out 169 batters in 71.1 innings pitched, allowing just 23 hits and 11 walks. At the plate, the Class 2A Mr. Baseball winner posted a .549 batting average with 13 doubles, 35 runs scored, 35 RBI and a .879 slugging percentage.
Loy has donated his time preparing and delivering meals to disadvantaged families during the holidays. He has also volunteered by assisting the elderly with yard work and clean-up activities in addition to serving as a youth baseball coach.
“Dylan has been awesome, both at the plate and on the mound,” Coach of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School Brett Gaff, said. “When he is on the mound, he changes the game. He has the confidence that he is going to dominate. He’s the reason for their success.”
Loy has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Tennessee this fall.
