With seven players signed to play college baseball on one team it can be hard to stand out, but that was the case at St James High School this season. One player who didn't begin the year as a headliner, ended it as the best in the state.
It's the pinnacle of any high school athlete's career, winning a state championship. Gunnar Kines was at the bottom of the dog pile after striking out the last batter to clinch the title.
"I still remember striking the kid out and running up to Troy, even though he tackled me pretty hard, but it was pretty good," said Kines.
Throughout the playoff run, Kines became a guy St. James head coach Robbie Centracchio knew he could turn to every time he took the mound.
"He was always that guy who came in after we lost a game, and just kind of set the tone early on and gave us a chance to win every time," said Centracchio.
But Gunnar's year was about much more than just the playoffs, he was named the High School Sports Report's 3A Player of the Year earlier this month.
"It means a lot knowing all of the hard work that I put in during the off season, and it meant that it all came together and it all worked out," said Kines.
Now that Kines' high school career is over the next step is college ball, where he will attend Florence-Darlington Tech on a baseball scholarship.
"I'm looking at a degree, that's the main thing, since you have to maintain academics to play athletics, but mostly to win the championship there for Region X," said Kines.
Like so many players on the St. James squad, even after winning the state title it appears the best is yet to come for Gunnar Kines.
"He's definitely still growing and he has the chance after Florence-Darlington Tech to play at the next level, more importantly to go up there and really help their program out," said Centracchio.
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