Pope's Josh Lowe named baseball player of the year

Josh Lowe of Cobb County's Pope High School has been named the 2015-16 Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year.

Lowe joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including former Brave Chipper Jones (1989-90, Bolles School, Fla.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Roy Halladay (1994-95, Arvada West HS, Colo.), David Price (2003-04, Blackman HS, Tenn.), Derek Lee (1992-93, El Camino HS, Calif.) and John Lester (2001-02, Bellarmine Prep, Wash.). Lowe is now a finalist for the national baseball player of the year award.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior third baseman and right-handed pitcher batted .391 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs, leading the Greyhounds (27-7) to the Class AAAAAA state final this season. He registered six saves while striking out 33 batters in 22 innings.

“Josh Lowe is a dynamic player,” said Jason McDaniel, head coach at Cherokee High, said in a press release. “He is an outstanding hitter who plays a flawless third base and will take the mound and shut down his opponents. Over the past two years, he has been one of the most exceptional players in our region, which is arguably one of the toughest regions in the state of Georgia, as well as the nation.”

Lowe is the first Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from Pope High School. He intends to play baseball at Florida State in the fall. He is projected as an early round selection in June’s Major League Baseball amateur draft.