In its 33rd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, today
announced Luke Mann of St. John Vianney High School as its 2017-18 Gatorade Missouri Baseball Player of the Year. Mann is the
second Gatorade Missouri Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from St. John Vianney High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and
exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Mann as Missouri’s best high school baseball player. Now a
finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year, Mann joins an elite alumni association of past state awardwinners
in 12 sports, including Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo High School, Mich.), Jon Lester (2001-02, Bellarmine Preparatory
School, Wash.), David Price (2003-04, Blackman High School, Tenn.), Clayton Kershaw (2005-06, Highland Park High School,
Texas), Rick Porcello (2006-2007, Seaton Hall Preparatory School, N.J.) and Kris Bryant (2009-10, Bonanza High School, Nev.).

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior right-handed pitcher and third baseman had led the Golden Griffins (33-2) to the Class 5 state
tournament at the time of his selection. Mann posted an 8-0 record with a 0.72 ERA, striking out 88 batters and allowing just 33 hits
and 14 walks in 58.3 innings pitched. He also fired four complete games that included a no-hitter. He also batted .490 (51-for-104)
with 10 home runs, 52 RBI, 26 runs scored, a .589 on-base percentage and a .942 slugging percentage through 35 games. A four-time
First-First-Team Metro Catholic Conference selection, Mann is ranked as the state’s No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2018 by Prep
Baseball Report.

A National Honor Society member, Mann has volunteered locally with the Sandwiches for the Poor program and the Homers for
Health program to benefit the patients and families at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. He has also donated his time
as a Special Olympics volunteer and earned the Marianist Award, presented to seniors who truly exemplify the traditions of a Marianist
education.

“Luke is just phenomenal—the stats probably speak for themselves, but he is all that, without a doubt,” said Eric Gough, head coach at
Fort Zumwalt West High. “I don’t think you’ll find a better kid in this state who is a better individual and has that talent.”
Mann has maintained a 3.71 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball on scholarship at the
University of Missouri this fall.