MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — A Morgantown High School (MHS) senior has joined a prestigious group of athletes as he was named Gatorade West Virginia Baseball Player of the Year, making him the first ever to be chosen from MHS.

Ryan Fluharty, a shortstop for MHS was chosen on Friday for his outstanding athletic excellence as well as his “high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field,” according to a release from Gatorade.

Fluharty, a 6-foot-1 senior, helped lead the Morgantown Mohigans to a 24-8 record in 2023, as well as an appearance in the regional finals. During the Mohigans 2023 campaign, Fluharty batted .442 with six home runs, 45 RBIs, 42 runs scored and 13 stolen bases.

Fluharty has volunteered in his community on behalf of Operation Christmas Child and local youth baseball programs. He also maintained a 3.77 GPA in the classroom and has signed a letter of intent to play baseball on scholarship at the University of South Carolina Upstate.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually awards one winner in every state and Washington, D.C. for several sports including:

  • High School Football
  • Girls Volleyball
  • Boys and Girls Cross Country
  • Boys and Girls Basketball
  • Boys and Girls Soccer
  • Baseball
  • Softball
  • Boys and Girls Track & Field

Fluharty now joins an elite roster of previous winners including the likes of Bobby Witt Jr (2018-19, Colleybille Heritage High School, TX), Clayton Kershaw (2005-06, Highland Park High School, TX) and Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo High School, MI).

As a part of the award, Fluharty now has an opportunity to give back through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative which provides winners with a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s chosen social impact partners. To date, Gatorade has donated more than $3.5 million to more than 1,300 organizations.

Fluharty is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year award which will be announced in June. To learn more about Gatorade’s Player of the Year program, click here.