Six months after the most recent BC Premier Baseball League season ended, White Rock Tritons’ slugger Quin Hall has an award to add to his resumé.
The White Rock outfielder – a Nelson resident before moving to the Semiahmoo Peninsula to play for the Tritons – was named the BCPBL’s rookie of the year late last month, when the junior circuit handed out its awards and all-star picks for the 2016 season, which ended in July.
Hall, 17, in his first season with the Tritons, hit .336 in 122 at-bats, and he led the team with three home runs and 34 runs-batted-in. His home-run total put him tied for second in the entire PBL, and he also placed second in the league in RBIs.
He also had 10 stolen bases on the year – which tied him for the Tritons’ team lead.
Since focusing seriously on the sport, Hall has been something of a baseball nomad, playing in Nelson, Trail and with a Spokane, Wash.-based tournament squad prior to moving to South Surrey with his dad in order to suit up in the PBL.
Hall’s power at the plate was one of the highlights of the Tritons’ season – highlighted by a two-home-run performance in Nanaimo against the Pirates.
The two home runs “were crushed… not even close,” then-coach Russ Smithson told Peace Arch News at the time.
Last May, Hall – who played hockey and basketball growing up, before focusing on baseball – told PAN he’s worked hard to improve his swing in recent years.
“You’ve got to work on it. It’s not just raw power or anything. You have to work, and I’ve trained pretty hard most of my life,” he said.
“My power has always been there, I think, but I’ve also worked on my swing a lot, too.
“I work on my timing most of all. I swing fast all the time, so when you do that, you’ve got to have your timing down, or you aren’t going to hit anything.”
Other PBL award winners announced last month included Whalley Chiefs’ Stephen Horner, who also took home a rookie-of-the-year award alongside Hall.
First-team all-star nods went to Hall and Cole Evans (North Delta Blue Jays), while second-team honours went to Horner, Nolan Wegner (Whalley Chiefs), Mackenzie Marquis and Tyler Hoefer (both from North Delta).