Palm Beach 7A-5A baseball player of the year: Cody Wexler, Park Vista senior

Park Vista ace Cody Wexler took the mound for the Cobras’ district title game against Boca Raton.Earlier that week, he had been sitting in the hospital with a close friend, who was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. The day of the district title game, his friend died.

Wexler knew he was still going to pitch that night.“I told (Cobras coach Larry Greenstein), ‘Yes, I’m going,’” Wexler told the Sun Sentinel. “I don’t care how long I go.

I’m going to finish this game and everything. And leading up to the game, everyone was there for me. Everyone’s just helping me out.

And going through the game, just didn’t think much of anything other than, can I throw a strike, please?”The Park Vista ace pitched a shutout, keeping his emotions in check until the final out. It was his penultimate start of his stellar senior season.

Wexler is the Sun Sentinel’s Palm Beach County 7A-5A player of the year.Wexler completed his senior season with another shutout against Tohopekaliga in the regional playoffs, but the Cobras’ season came to an end in the regional finals.The Park Vista starter said he spent the offseason working on his pitch location.

He used a three-pitch arsenal (four-seam fastball, slider and changeup) to perfection throughout the season. The right-handed ace finished the season with a 6-0 record and three saves. He threw 59 innings and struck out 50 batters while walking only seven.

He allowed just three earned runs for a season ERA of 0.36.“Just trying to throw strikes, finding pitch locations …

and then having the pitches work,” Wexler said.Wexler is not committed to a college, but he is looking at Palm Beach State and other programs he could join.“I’m a good pitcher,” Wexler said.

“I don’t really worry about how fast I throw. I’m just worried about if I can throw strikes and knowing I have people behind me to help me out.”