Hujsak named state’s top player

By rbrown
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Updated: May 22, 2020

Goffstown High School’s Connor Hujsak has been selected as the 2019-20 Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Player of the Year.

Hujsak is the second Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from Goffstown High School, joining Tyler Barss (2013). 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 Hujsak as New Hampshire’s best high school
baseball player.

Now a finalist for the Gatorade National Baseball Baseball Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Hujsak joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo High School, Mich.), Jon Lester (2001-02, Bellarmine Preparatory School, Wash.), David Price (2003-04, Blackman High School, Tenn.), Clayton Kershaw (2005-06, Highland Park High School, Texas), Rick Porcello (2006-2007, Seaton Hall Preparatory School, N.J.) and Kris Bryant (2009-10, Bonanza High School, Nev.).

Hujsak, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior right-handed pitcher and shortstop, was a Rawlings-Perfect Game 2020 Preseason Honorable Mention All-Northeast Region selection and is ranked as New England’s No. 9 prospect in the Class of 2020 by Prep Baseball Report. Hujsak led the Grizzlies (11-9) to the Division 1 quarterfinals in 2019, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.07 ERA, surrendering 31 hits and 17 walks in 44 innings pitched. He struck out 67 batters. A three-time All-State selection, he also batted .400 with three home runs, 14 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

Hujsak has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports programs.

“We thought Connor might struggle as a freshman, but he excelled right away and has started every game at shortstop, unless he was pitching,” Goffstown coach Adam Lawrence said. “He’s a very coachable kid who has incredible baseball awareness. His work ethic has made him the player he is today.”

Hujsak has maintained a B average in the classroom and has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at Virginia Commonwealth University.

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 and field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. In all, 607 athletes are honored each year.

Hujsak joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Players of the Year Grant Lavigne (2017-18, Bedford High School), Brennen Oxford (2016-17, Oyster River High School), Lavigne (2015-16, Bedford High School), and Casey Aubin (2014-15, Oyster River High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.