Gatorade 2023 - 2024: Player of the Year

Softball - West Virginia

athletes playing Softball
The POY Logo
SOFTBALL

Josie Bird

Catcher
LINCOLN COUNTY HS
HAMLIN, WEST VIRGINIA
SENIOR
Height: 5-FOOT-11
Press Release

Peak Performance

.563

Batting Average

38

RBI

11

Home Runs
“Josie is a great player—at the plate, she brings a very powerful bat, and she can hit for average or hit bombs. On defense, Josie works hard for her pitchers by framing the pitch locations, and she has a cannon for an arm.”
Brad Huss
Head Coach - head coach for Team North Carolina Huss
excellence star

Athletic Excellence

The state’s 2021-22 Gatorade Player of the Year, the 5-foot-11 senior catcher led the Panthers (23-6) to the AAA sectional finals this past season. Bird batted .563 with 38 RBI and 11 home runs while drawing 38 walks. She finished her career as Lincoln County’s career leader in home runs (50), RBI (173), hits (160) and walks (104). 

a graduation cap

Academic Achievement

Bird has maintained a 4.04 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball on scholarship at Indiana University this fall.

first place ribbon

Exemplary Character

Bird has volunteered locally as a peer buddy for Special Olympics Spring Games and she’s served as a mentor for younger athletes at Lincoln County High through the softball team’s Big Sis/Little Sis program. She has also donated her time by walking dogs at a local animal shelter and sending care packages to members of the military deployed overseas during the holidays.