Justin Olson. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
Pine Creek senior Justin Olson was named the state’s baseball player of the year on Tuesday.
Olson, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound left-handed pitcher and first baseman, helped Pine Creek go 20-4 and reach the Class 5A state tournament this season.
He batted .525 with 14 home runs and 34 RBI this season. On the mound, Olson was 3-1 with a 1.77 ERA, striking out 46 batters in 23 2/3 innings pitched.
“Justin’s a big, strong guy who you might expect would only hit for power, but he’s got good plate discipline, too,” said Fountain-Fort Carson coach Andrew Johnson. “Being in Colorado my whole life and coaching against some great players. Justin’s that type of player. Just a phenomenal player, and they relied on him a lot.”
A University of Kentucky recruit, Olson carried a 3.48 GPA.
Olson is the fifth athlete from Pine Creek to win the Gatorade award, and the most recent since JoJo Domann was named the football player of the year in 2015-16.