Park gets rewarded for work by CIF

Expected to be a staple in the top half of the lineup, things couldn’t have gone better for Royce Park of Flintridge Prep.

The junior baseball player proved to be reliable at the plate, helping his team finish second in league.

Backed by his solid offensive work, Park were named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division VI first team.

Park, a third baseman/pitcher, enjoyed another solid campaign for the Rebels en route to being named to the All-CIF team for the second season in a row.

At the plate, Park batted .427 (32 for 75) with 25 RBI, seven doubles and 30 runs scored. He finished with a .547 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage.

On the bump, Park went 5-3 with two saves and a 2.24 ERA in 12 appearances. The right-hander struck out 62 and walked 16 in 56 1/3 innings.

“Getting All-CIF is one of the highest honors,” Park said. “It’s about the team first and there are so many great players in the division.

“Getting All-CIF wasn’t a goal of mine throughout the season. We had a younger team, so I wanted to come into the season showing up as a leader.”

Flintridge Prep Coach Buzz Cook said Park handled himself well in all situations.

“He had a fantastic year and I thought he deserved the award,” Cook said. “He was consistent throughout the year and he hit the ball hard and far.

“On the mound, we had a young team playing behind him. Unfortunately, our defense wasn’t that stellar, but he had a low ERA.”