Kozak Receives Rawlings Gold Glove Award

CONTACT: Justin Hoyt, (518) 629-7898, j.hoyt@hvcc.edu
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013

On Tuesday afternoon, Andrew Kozak (Sidney/Sidney) of the Hudson Valley Community College baseball team was awarded his Rawlings Gold Glove award from the 2012 season. The Rawlings Gold Glove has been the standard for outstanding defensive play in the Major Leagues for over half a century. In honor of the award's 50th Anniversary in 2007, the award expanded to the collegiate and high school levels.

Kozak was one of three players that earned the honor from the Mountain Valley Collegiate Conference. He finished the regular season with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage accumulating 68 putouts, seven assists and no errors. Kozak will play a big role for the Vikings this upcoming season as one of the top returning players in the region.

"Defense is the cornerstone of the Rawlings brand and we're excited that it's being recognized and rewarded at all levels of play," said Rawlings President and General Manager Robert Parish. "The 2012 Rawlings Collegiate and High School Gold Glove Award recipients are incredibly talented and are well on their way to earning a place amongst the most famous defensive greats in the game."

The collegiate and high schools Rawlings Gold Glove Awards are awarded to nine players at each of the following levels: NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, Pacific Association, NAIA, NJCAA Divisions I, II, III, and high school. The Rawlings Gold Glove has been the standard for outstanding defensive play in the Major Leagues for over half a century. In honor of the award's 50th Anniversary in 2007, the award expanded to the collegiate and high school levels.