Service’s Coen Niclai named Alaska’s Gatorade Player of the Year for baseball for second year in a rowService catcher Coen Niclai prepares to bat as snow and rain fell during the Cougars' 1-0 shutout victory over the Dimond Lynx at Mulcahy Stadium on Wednesday evening, May 8, 2024.
“There are a lot of guys on this team that deserve that award,” he said Saturday. “You could never ask me to choose one, because I think they’re all very deserving. We’re excited for one of them to hopefully get that.” “Winning is just a byproduct of the hard work that my team and I have put in,” Niclai said in a statement. “I am fortunate to have an amazing trainer named Johnny Meszaros that pushes me to be great. Our team has worked hard all year in being the team that we strive to be and this year we accomplished that. Our hard work and dedication through the season has paid off.”
“Coen dominates behind the plate and commands the defense,” West Anchorage High School head coach Chad Stolp said in a statement. “He’s also a force at the plate.”