SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Moeller High School’s Matt Ponatoski added yet another prestigious award Tuesday morning by winning the Gatorade Ohio Baseball Player of the Year.
It’s the second Gatorade state award for Ponatoski during the 2024-25 school year. The Moeller quarterback won the football award in December 2024.
Ponatoski, a 2027 shortstop and pitcher, was also Ohio’s Mr. Football recipient this past December.
Ponatoski joins a rare list of athletes who have won the Gatorade state awards for two team sports in the same school year. It’s more common for an individual to win cross country and track or a team sport and track.
That short list includes National Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer (Minnesota, baseball/football) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (West Virginia, football/basketball). Gatorade is in its 40th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes.
Ponatoski, recently named Ohio’s No. 1 high school baseball player in his class by Prep Baseball Ohio, was named the Greater Catholic League South division co-player of the year this spring.
“There are guys you enjoy watching but you don’t want to play against, and that’s how I would describe Ponatoski,” said Olentangy Orange coach Tom Marker said in the Gatorade news release. “He just impacts the game in so many ways.”
Moeller (24-3 as of early Tuesday afternoon) is playing Thomas Worthington in a Division I regional semifinal at Wright State University Tuesday afternoon.
Ponatoski, a four-star quarterback, has also received an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals. The prestigious event is scheduled for June 17-19 at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
