(PRN) Clayton Kershaw Named Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year

Texan is Among Top Available Prospects in 2006 MLB First Year Player Draft

DALLAS, June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Entering its third decade of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, Gatorade(R) Thirst Quencher, in partnership with Scholastic's Coach & Athletic Director Magazine, today announced Clayton Kershaw of Highland Park High School in Dallas as its 2005- 06 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year.

The award, which recognizes athletic achievement as well as the academic performance and overall character of its recipient, distinguishes Kershaw as the nation's best high school baseball player. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country selected Kershaw from the more than 459,000 baseball players nationwide. Kershaw is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at an awards ceremony the afternoon prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

Kershaw, a 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound senior left-handed pitcher, finished the season 13-0 with a 0.77 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 64 innings. He led Highland Park to a 31-7 overall record and into the Texas Class 4A Region II finals. Highland Park's playoff run was highlighted by a regional quarterfinal win over Justin Northwest on May 19 in which Kershaw pitched a perfect game, striking out each of the 15 hitters he faced. Kershaw caps his high school career with a school record 38 wins and as a three-time All-District performer, two-time District MVP, and a Texas High School All-Star team selection.

A standout in the classroom as well with a 3.7 GPA, Kershaw is signed with Texas A&M but is expected to be a high first round draft pick in Tuesday's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Within its current list of the best available draft prospects, Baseball America ranks Kershaw as the top high school player on the board and No. 6 overall.

"Clayton has electric stuff on the mound," says Highland Park head coach Lew Kennedy. "He competes well and has a knack for getting strikeouts in tough situations. He is a humble young man who is a great role model for our team and community."

"Without question, Clayton is deserving of recognition as the nation's best high school baseball player based on his performance and the tremendous ability he's demonstrated," said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Tom Fox. "But he is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young players of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. He represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient."

The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and awards one National Player of the Year in five boys sports (football, soccer, basketball, baseball, track & field) and five girls sports (volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, track & field). In addition to athletic performance, award criteria include the achievement in the classroom and overall character. Previous Gatorade National Player of the Year award winners include: