Senior Chris Rabasco threw half as many innings last Thursday night in the East Penn Conference final as he has all season. But his two innings, including striking out three Stroudsburg batters in the bottom of the seventh inning, and getting out of a bases-loaded jam, clinched a 4-2 league championship for the Trojans.

"This means a lot as a senior," noted Rabasco. "This is the year you want to go out with a bang."

On the year, Rabasco had thrown just 2 and 2/3 innings before that game. He finished with 4 and 2/3, including a save, eight strikeouts and no earned runs.

Before finishing off the Mounties, Rabasco received EPC MVP honors, an honor due in part to his play in the batters box.

He is 36 for 59 for a .522 average, 20 runs scored, 24 RBI, 11 doubles, a triple, a home run and 13 walks.

"I feel pretty lucky to get this award," said Rabasco. "I've always had the support of my teammates and they helped me get to where I am. I've been playing [varsity] four years and have been through some ups and downs. It's been nice to cap off my high school career with this and a lot of wins for my team."

Rabasco started at shortstop as a freshman, playing in the middle infield with his brother Nick, the second baseman.

But he said the one award he recently won that he is more proud of is the scholar-athlete of the year.

Rabasco will be attending the University of Penn in the Ivy League to play baseball. Penn doesn't give athletic scholarships, and most of the schools that he looked into were academics-focused.

"I looked hard at William and Mary, Virginia, Notre Dame, and Pitt," Rabasco added. "It came down to Penn and Columbia. I really liked both, but when it came down to it there was more about Penn that brought me there."

Rabasco began playing baseball at the age of four and grew up in the South Parkland organization up until the midget level, around age 11 or 12. Then he started playing on travel teams and competed up and down the east coast in prominent tournaments.

He mainly focused on baseball as his sole sport and wanted to use that to help out his academics to attend a prestigious university. He succeeded in getting accepted to Penn.

It's not over yet for the Parkland standout. The Trojans began their quest for a third straight district title this week. They hope to finish it off on Tuesday night at Coca Cola Park.