Board of County Commissioners

Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award

Hillsborough County Commissioners established the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award in 2005 to recognize outstanding athletic, academic, and community service achievements of a high school baseball player or team.

The award is named in honor of Baseball Hall of Fame member and 12-time All-Star, Wade Boggs, who has been a resident of the Tampa Bay area since he was a boy. He played for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees before finishing his career back at home with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is a Plant High School graduate, a Wharton High School coach, and a resident of Hillsborough County.

Boggs accumulated an astounding 3,010 hits during his 18-year career in Major League Baseball. He reached base safely in 80 percent of his 2,432 career games. Boggs' additional MLB career statistics include:

  • 1,513 runs
  • 578 doubles
  • 61 triples
  • 118 home runs
  • 1,014 runs batted in (RBI)
  • .328 batting average 

Nomination and selection

Nominations are accepted each spring from Hillsborough County's high school baseball coaches. Each year, a Wade Boggs Athletic Award Committee appointed by the Board of County Commissioners reviews nominations and selects a recipient based upon outstanding athletic skills, exceptional academic achievement, good sportsmanship, and exemplary conduct. The committee may also name honorable mention recipients. The County Commission presents the award near the end of each high school baseball season.

Award recipients

View the Wade Boggs Athletic Award Video

  • 2018 - Parker Messick, Franco Aleman (Hon. Mention), Evan Watts (Hon. Mention)
  • 2017 - Drew Ehrhard, Robby Martin (Hon. Mention), Jonah Scolaro (Hon. Mention)
  • 2016 - Peyton Woble, Matthew Steckle (Hon. Mention), Mason Strickland (Hon. Mention)
  • 2015 - Nelson Maldonado, Peyton Woble (Hon. Mention), Mark Moclair (Hon. Mention)
  • 2014 - Donald "Bubby" Terp, Stephen Chamblee (Hon. Mention), Matthew Collado (Hon. Mention)
  • 2013 - Pete Alonso, Oscar Mercado (Hon. Mention), Brett Morales (Hon. Mention)
  • 2012 - Hayden Michael Kelley, Christian Diaz (Hon. Mention)
  • 2011 - Brandon Sinjin Sato, Tanner Anderson (Hon. Mention), Emilio Ogando (Hono. Mention)
  • 2010 - Peter Miller, John Taylor Freeman (Hon. Mention), Daniel Gibson (Hon. Mention)
  • 2009 - Jay Laurienzo, Robert Benincasa (Hon. Mention), Mychal Givens (Hon. Mention)
  • 2008 - Alex Panteliodis, Taed Moses (Hon. Mention), Preston Tucker (Hon. Mention)
  • 2007 - Tommy Toledo, Garrett Cox (Hon. Mention), Jonathan Koscso (Hon. Mention)
  • 2006 - Ryan McCurdy, Mathew Kipp (Hon. Mention ), Caleb Payne (Hon. Mention)