Cooperstown’s junior catcher Pohl earned Class C State Player of the Year honors and teammate Frank Petroskey also made the state’s first team, it was announced Friday afternoon.

On Monday, Pohl was on a bus to Marietta, Ga. to take part in a Perfect Game Baseball Showcase baseball tournament with his traveling team from Central New York, the Sportszone SkyChiefs. Later this summer, he was invited to attend an East Coast Pro Showcase run by both the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels, where he will be coached, and scouted, by professional coaches within those two major league organizations.

Pohl, a junior, batted .473 and finished with an on-base percentage of .628 this past season to help the Redskins (19-4) earn their first Section Three Class C championship since 1999. The Center State Conference Most Valuable Player last year, Pohl set single-season school records this season for home runs (5), RBIs (39) and stolen bases (41) in 2007.

``It was an incredible honor to be picked Class C player of the year,’’ Pohl said Monday while on a bus to Georgia. ``Frank and I were both on the second team last year and I never dreamt I’d be player of the year. I was surprised and honored.’’

In an error-free season behind the plate, Pohl picked off five base runners and threw out six of the eight who tried to steal on him.

He also emerged as one of Cooperstown’s best pitchers, going 4-1 with a 1.20 ERA, 55 strikeouts and six walks in 35 innings.

Senior shortstop Petroskey, who will play baseball for Division I University of Vermont next season, led the Redskins in hits (38), batting average (.550), on-base percentage (.675) and doubles (13) this past spring. He also broke the school’s record for career hits, accumulating 113 during his four-year career. The old record was 93.

While Petroskey’s baseball future will be with Vermont, Pohl has just begun the collegiate recruiting process. The first day schools could officially begin recruiting him and making offers was Sunday, and he said he received calls from several schools both in and out of New York state.

``I expect to make a decision by the end of July or beginning of August,’’ Pohl said. ``I’m not planning on waiting a long time to decide.’’

No matter what college he eventually chooses, Pohl, whom Cooperstown head coach Frank Miosek called his best player ever, said his ultimate goal is to some day play major league baseball.

``Right now, I’m enjoying every minute of the process,’’ Pohl said. ``My plan is to play four years of college and hopefully get drafted and make it all the way.’’

Cooperstown’s season ended in the Class C state quarterfinals in early June, a gut-wrenching 4-3 loss to Oxford. The Redskins rallied for two runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning for a 3-2 lead, only to watch Oxford scored two runs in the bottom of the inning. Pohl homered in that game.

Cherry Valley-Springfield’s Steve Herringshaw made the state’s second team in Class D. Herringshaw one-hit Edmeston in the Tri-Valley Championship Game to lead the Patriots to their second straight title, and was 5-2 on the mound for CV-S. Also a third baseman, Herringshaw hit .354 at the plate this season, with five doubles, three triples and a home run.

But it was on the mound where he accumulated his most eye-opening statistics. He allowed just five hits in 34 innings pitched, and struck out 80 batters. He didn’t allow an earned run until yielding three in a sectional loss to Edmeston.

``He’s averaged over two strikeouts an inning for the past two seasons,’’ said CV-S head coach Ed Dubben. ``He deserves all the accolades he gets because he works very hard at it.’’

Herringshaw will be headed to Futlon-Montgomery Community College in the fall, where he will play on the men’s baseball team.

``He’s hoping after two years to move to a four-year school and continue pitching,’’ Dubben said.

Edmeston sophomores Jordan Williams (Third Team infielder/ pitcher) and Alex Stevens (Third Team catcher) were also honored.