The American Baseball Coaches Association has recognized some of Aurora’s top performers on the field and in the dugout for the 2016 baseball season.
On Friday, the nationwide list of 2016 ABCA/Diamond National Coaches of the Year was released and Allan Dyer — who guided Cherokee Trail to the Class 5A state championship — was included.
Dyer received the High School Division I Region 7 Coach of the Year honors after he led the Cougars to a 22-5 season that culminated with a 9-4 win over Rocky Mountain in the 5A state title game at All-City Field.
Cherokee Trail has now won two baseball championship under Dyer, one of a small number of original coaches for the school that opened in 2004. The Cougars also won a 4A state crown in 2007.
On June 23, the list of ABCA/Rawlings high school All-Americans and Gold Glove recipients and Regis Jesuit senior outfielder Quin Cotton received All-America Third Team honors as one of only two Colorado players on a list of fewer than 50 from across the country.
Cotton — the co-Continental League Player of the Year along with Raiders teammate Travis Marr — hit .514 with 28 RBI. He was drafted by the hometown Colorado Rockies in the 38th round of the Major League Baseball Draft, but plans to attend and play at Grand Canyon University. Cotton is spending the summer with the Oneonta Outlaws in New York with other college-bound players.
Additionally, the pitcher Dyer had on the mound for the 5A state championship game — senior left-hander Jerome Bohannon — received ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 7 honors as well as a utility player.
Besides a 7-0 record with a 1.96 ERA, Bohannon — a Metro State signee — hit .377 with half of his 20 hits going for extra bases (4 doubles, 2 triple, 4 home runs).
According a press release, the ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 8,200 members represent all 50 states and 23 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, the association’s annual awards program has grown to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA Division I, II, III, Pacific Association Division and High School.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel