BASEBALL: Alm snares MVP honors at Florida national tourney

Gunnar Alm’s performances on the travel team circuit this summer have caught the attention of many – and made a fan of his head coach.

The Polk County junior capped a standout summer on Thursday by earning MVP honors at the Perfect Game 16U BCS National Championship in Fort Myers, Fla. The tourney final was played in JetBlue Park at Fenway South, the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox.

Playing for the South Charlotte Panthers 2026 Marucci team, Alm had a pair of hits, including a double, in the team’s 6-4 win. He also had two hits in South Charlotte’s 5-4 semifinal win.

Alm belted a pair of homers and a handful of extra-base hits during the 10-game tourney, fully impressing head coach Scott Clemons, who is also the current head coach at North Stanly.

“Gunnar is one of the most well-rounded players I have come across in 24 years of coaching,” Clemons said. “At the plate, he is a high-level hitter that understands his swing and what he is trying to do at the plate with an advanced approach to hitting.

“Gunnar does not lack for anything defensively in the outfield, either. He is a plus runner with one of the most accurate arms I have ever seen.”

Earlier this month, Alm helped lead South Charlotte to a ninth-place showing at the 2024 World Wooden Bat Association 16U National Championship in Marietta, Ga. Alm homered three times in nine games, adding a triple and several doubles, while earning selection to the All-Tournament Hitters team. Almost 500 teams competed in the event.

South Charlotte posted a 34-6 record this summer.

“With all the tools Gunnar has, it is easy to see he is a great player with longevity in the game of baseball,” Clemons said. “But more impressive is he is a leader in the dugout for the Panthers.

“Gunnar makes everyone around him better and is an outstanding teammate on the field and young man off the field. I am proud to say Gunnar Alm wears our Panther jersey.”

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