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Visitation’s Sydney Love-Baker Named DC Gatorade Softball Player Of The Year

By DCSAA, 06/08/16, 12:30PM EDT

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By Gabe Hiatt; WASHINGTON POST

In Washington, Georgetown Visitation junior Sydney Love-Baker was named Gatorade District of Columbia Softball Player of the Year.

“It’s actually an extreme honor,” Love-Baker said. “I put a lot of work in outside of practice, inside of practice. It’s an awesome thing to have.”

According to statistics reported to The Post, Love-Baker led the area in home runs (16) and RBI (57) while hitting .645 and scoring 37 runs for the Cubs.

“I have been coaching in the ISL for about 16 years and Sydney Love-Baker is by far the best pure hitter I have seen during that time,” Potomac School Coach Wayne Loving said in a Gatorade news release. “She hits for power and average. Sydney hit two home runs against us over the fence to the opposite field. In my 16 years at Potomac School, I don’t think I have seen five home runs hit over the fence, much less hit to the opposite field.”

After attending a softball camp in Cookeville, Tenn., earlier this year, Love-Baker drew a scholarship offer from Tennessee Tech on the spot. She orally committed in February.

With the Cubs losing 2014-15 Gatorade POY Alee Burke to graduation this season, Love-Baker said she knew hitting would be even more important.

“Hit for base hits,” she said she was thinking. “Don’t hit it over the fence.”

With her approach, softballs found their way out of the park anyway.

“I would say I have a simple approach in the box,” Love-Baker said. “Just go up there, look for my pitch, hit it hard, and if it goes out it goes out.”

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