by Trevor Pyle
Burlington-Edison’s Dylan Boe was a strong performer for the Tigers in his first season starting at catcher for the team.
BURLINGTON — In Dylan Boe’s first year as the starting catcher for the Burlington-Edison baseball team, he showed off a hot bat, a strong arm and a flair for the dramatic.
Boe started off the Tigers’ first district playoff game with a solo home run against one of the top prep pitchers in the state. He pulled off the same feat — an early home run — in their first-round game at the Class 2A state tournament.
“He has a knack for rising to the occasion,” Burlington-Edison coach John Thurmond said.
Boe’s combination of consistent offense, stifling defense and big moments led to his selection as the Skagit Valley Herald Baseball Player of the Year.
Boe was a Northwest Conference first-team selection. He hit .403 for the Tigers this year, drove in 21 runs and hit four home runs. He drew 13 walks — second-best on the team — and led the team in slugging (.662) and had its highest on-base plus slugging rate (1.168).
Behind the plate, he threw out 12 of the 21 baserunners who tried to steal against him, a success rate of .571.
“Defense is the most important thing,” said Boe, who was quick to praise the defensive performances of his teammates more than his own. “It’s not just the catcher — the whole team’s defense helped us win.”
The Tigers won the Northwest Conference championship this season, then rolled through much of the playoffs. Boe helped fuel the run. In the Tigers’ first district playoff game, he faced Cedarcrest’s Travis Cook. Off the Washington State University commitment, who throws in the 90s, he hit a home run. The Tigers evenutally won 4-3. In the Tigers’ first game at state, Boe again hit a leadoff home run — this time off the first pitch of the game — as Burlington-Edison won 7-2.
Boe grew up playing catcher, both in Little League and Babe Ruth. He said the position appealed to him early.
“It’s the most active (position). I like being active behind the plate. I like having something to do all the time,” said Boe, who also had a good season at quarterback for the Tiger football team.
Boe started the season as the team’s No. 3 batter, then moved to the leadoff spot to take advantage of his ability to get on base.
While Boe had a successful season, he’s looking forward to building on it: he listed several traits he’d like to improve on, including using his peripheral vision and taking advantage of batters’ weaknesses.
He’ll have plenty of opportunities to work on those skills. He’s already playing for the Burlington Sox American Legion team.
• Trevor Pyle can be reached at 360-416-2156 or by e-mail at .
