Cooper Vais, a junior at Arvada West High School, has been selected as the 2025‑26 Gatorade Colorado Baseball Player of the Year, a distinction that highlights his extraordinary performance on the mound and at the plate.
A perfect record and elite numbers
Vais finished the season with a flawless 12‑0 record and a 0.57 earned‑run average, striking out 103 batters in just 61 innings. His dominance helped the team advance to the Class 5A state tournament losers’ bracket final, where his contributions kept the squad alive deep into the competition.
At the plate he batted .459, driving in 29 runs and launching seven home runs while scoring 34 times. Those numbers placed him among the nation’s top prospects, ranking No. 93 in his class according to Perfect Game.
More than stats: community and classroom
Beyond the diamond, Vais volunteers with the Arvada West Unified Physical Education class and the Special Olympics, embodying the Gatorade Player of the Year’s emphasis on service. He also maintains a 4.1 weighted GPA, underscoring his commitment to academic excellence.
The honor comes with a commitment to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Texas, where he will join a program known for developing elite talent. The Gatorade Player of the Year program, which spans 12 sports, not only celebrates athletic achievement but also provides grant money that winners can direct to social‑impact partners, having distributed over $6.4 million to more than 2,200 organizations nationwide.