Eric Colaco Named Prospect League's Mike Schmidt Player of the Year

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - Chillicothe's Eric Colaco (Denison University) has been named the 2024 Prospect League Mike Schmidt Player of the Year by a league-wide vote of the circuit's 18 field managers. This is in addition to be named the league's Roland Hemond Pro Prospect of the Year and a Eastern Conference All-Star

The reigning NCAA Division III Player of the Year was a consistent league-leader throughout the summer, leading the league with 23 extra-base hits and ranking second in batting average (.396), total bases (103) and sacrifice flies (6), third in slugging (.628) and runs scored (53), fourth in home runs (7) and RBIs (46), fifth in hits (65), doubles (15) and stolen bases (38) and seventh in on base percentage (.462). Colaco also recorded a 1.090 OPS and collected 25 multi-hit games.

Colaco recorded a season-high 14-game hit streak between June 18 and  July 8, hitting .482 with 27 hits, six doubles, four home runs, 22 RBIs, 24 runs scored. He slugged .814 during that stretch, had an on-base percentage of .515 and went 12-12 in stolen bases. 

This is the second-consecutive season that a Paints player has earned the league's top individual award, after Tim Orr took home the honor last season. Chillicothe's Ronnie Dawson was named Player of the Year in 2014 and Jeff Holm eanred the award in 2010.