Jake Brown of Sulphur named Gatorade Louisiana Baseball Player of the Year

CHICAGO (June 2, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Jake Brown of Sulphur High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Louisiana Baseball Player of the Year. Brown is the second Gatorade Louisiana Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from Sulphur 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 Brown as Louisiana’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, Brown 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, 185-pound senior left-handed pitcher and outfielder led the Golden Tors to a 34-5 record and the Division 1 Non-Select semifinals this past season. Brown posted a 10-2 record on the mound with a 1.71 ERA, surrendering just 39 hits in 73.2 innings pitched while striking out 118 batters. He also batted .336 with seven home runs, 26 RBI and 20 stolen bases. A Rawlings/Perfect Game Preseason Third Team All-American, Brown was a First Team All-State honoree and the two-time District MVP. He was also a member of the USA Baseball 18U National Team that won a gold medal at the WBSC Baseball World Cup last summer.

Brown has volunteered locally on behalf of hurricane relief efforts, breast cancer awareness fundraisers and sports programs for children with disabilities. “Jake Brown is the best two-way player in Louisiana and the two-time MVP in the toughest district in the state,” said Andre Boudreau, head coach at Southside High School. “He has the ability to affect the game in multiple ways.”

Brown has maintained a 3.96 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at Louisiana State University this fall.

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.

Brown joins recent Gatorade Louisiana Baseball Players of the Year Gavin Guidry (2021-22, Barbe High School), Jack Walker (2020-21, Barbe High School), Brody Drost (2019-20, Barbe High School), and Cade Doughty (2018-19, Denham Springs 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