Gatorade® National Softball Player of the Year: Taylor Dockins

"Taylor really deserves to be this year's Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year because she embodies everything the award stands for," said Finch. "Not only has Taylor excelled on the field, but she's also a stellar student and is a positive influence in the community. She's persevered through a lot already in her career, and I'm excited to see what she'll accomplish in the future."

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 Dockins as the nation's best high school softball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Dockins from nearly 360,000 high school softball players nationwide. Dockins is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

The 5-foot-5 senior right-handed pitcher led the Cougars to a 33-1 record and the Southern Section Division I title game this past season. The pitcher of record in every game for Norco, Dockins struck out 183 batters in 203 innings, posting a 1.00 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP. At the plate, Dockins compiled a .454 batting average with seven doubles, 30 runs scored, 27 RBI and a .649 slugging percentage. A two-time Big VIII All-League MVP, she broke the Southern California record for career wins and concluded her prep career with 108 victories. Her 33 wins in 2017 also set a Southern Section record for consecutive wins and tied the record for wins in a season.

"Taylor has all the talent she needs to be successful at the next level, but what really separates her from the rest of the pack is her toughness and competitive nature, said Derek Allister, vice president of OnDeck Softball, a national scouting and recruiting service. "Breaking [the SoCal record for career wins] set by former Gatorade National Player of the Year Taylor McQuillan record is an amazing accomplishment, which puts her in the upper echelon of pitchers nationwide. If you¹re going to bet on success at the next level, toughness trumps talent every time. And Taylor Dockins has toughness in spades."

Taylor has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in softball on scholarship at Cal State University, Fullerton this fall.

"Taylor is an excellent student-athlete who has earned recognition as the nation's best high school softball player while also excelling in the classroom and making a difference in her community," said Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O'Brien. "Taylor's statistics on the field speak for themselves, but even more impressive is the example she sets for younger student-athletes and impact she has had on her teammates. Taylor represents everything we look to celebrate in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient."

As a part of Gatorade's cause marketing platform "Play it Forward," Dockins also has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of her choosing. She is also eligible to win one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants for her organization of choice, which will be announced throughout the year. 

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 high school sports leadership team in partnership with the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:

• Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning
• 2015 NBA first overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns
• Three-time WNBA champion Maya Moore
• Six-time track & field gold medalist Allyson Felix
• Three-time beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh
• Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of former winners, and future announcement dates, visit the Gatorade Player of the Year Web site at http://www.gatorade.com/poy, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.

SOURCE The Gatorade Company

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