DLN ALL-AREA: Downingtown East’s Albert Choi does it all in farewell season with Cougars
The truly special baseball players can help their team in various ways.
They hit for average, hit with power, field flawlessly and run like the wind.
This season, Downingtown East center fielder Albert Choi did all those things, and more, in leading the Cougars to a Ches-Mont League National Division title and all the way to the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals.
Choi hit an incredible .537 with 30 hits, four home runs, an on-base percentage of .606, and 23 runs scored. Oh, and he was easily the best fielding outfielder in the Ches-Mont League.
It is for this fantastic season that Albert Choi is The Daily Local News 2019 All-Area Baseball Player of the Year.
“I have had the privilege of coaching Albert for the last four years,” Downingtown East coach Pete Susi said. “He is one of the best outfielders I have ever been around. His tremendous speed and his ability to get jumps on the ball allows him to cover a huge part of the outfield.
“In the last two years Albert has also developed into one of the best hitters in the league. Hitting is something he really has worked on and his success this year is a result of all that hard work. Albert is not only a great baseball player but he is a tremendous leader. He is not only a vocal leader on our team but he leads by example. Next year we will miss Albert. I wish we could have him four more years.”
Besides being one of the best baseball players in District 1, Choi played on the Downingtown East football team and said his football preparation helped him on the baseball diamond.
“We have a great weight program at Downingtown East and that really helped my strength and conditioning,” Choi said. “And I joined Marino’s in Downingtown this year and worked with Paul Kenney and that has really improved things for me with strength and speed.
Choi made an impact on the football program as well, and Downingtown East football coach Mike Matta talked about Choi’s contribution.
“Albert is a very passionate, hard working young man,” Matta said. “He has exceptional speed and a competitive drive. He is also very strong for a thin kid. Albert uses his explosiveness and desire to succeed to become an outstanding two-sport athlete at a big school. Albert, more importantly is a very strong student who is a great teammate.”
Next fall, Choi will attend The New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he will study engineering and play Division I baseball. The Cougars’ leader said it was a nice fit for him in a lot of ways.
“It really was a perfect fit because I plan to major in engineering and the baseball facilities are top notch,” Choi said. “They have a strong baseball program and it is a great school academically, so I am really excited about going there.”
While the Downingtown East baseball program will miss Choi’s marvelous exploits on the field and on the bench, he will forever be remembered as someone who cared passionately and played at a premium level for the Cougar program.
