Alabama Baseball Signee Luke Smyers Named Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year

Eric Hines wasn't the only Alabama baseball signee to receive 2024-25 Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year honors for his home state. Virginia's Luke Smyers, of Mills Godwin High School in Henrico County, Va., took home that state's recognition on Tuesday.

"Luke’s knowledge of the game goes far beyond his age. His ability to rise to the occasion with every pitch or at-bat supersedes anything that I’ve seen from a high school player," said Mills Godwin head coach Josh Gentry.

Smyers is a two-way talent who went 7-0 on the hill with a 0.41 ERA and 109 punchouts. On offense, he hit .323, accompanied by 21 RBIs and a 1.103 OPS. He also logged three home runs. He holds the Mills Godwin record for strikeouts in a career and held opponents to a .118 batting average this season. Smyers is also an outfielder.

"He took the ball for every big game we had on our schedule this year, striking out 10+ in all those games. He went 24 straight innings without giving up a run and took two no-hitters into the seventh [inning]," added Gentry.

Smyers originally committed to Alabama on September 28, 2022. The left-hander can continue to play both ways at the college level, if the Crimson Tide's coaching staff so allows. 2025 team captain Kade Snell, also a southpaw, did it in 2024 before switching to outfield full-time this past season.

"He has an uncanny knack for thriving under the big lights," said Gentry, "and it makes him such a special player.”