July 28, 2012
HARWICH, Mass. – Rising Georgia Tech junior Daniel Palka was named the West Division MVP of the 2012 Cape Cod League All-Star Game Saturday night at Whitehouse Field in Harwich, Mass. Playing first base for Wareham, Palka finished the game 3-for-4.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie, with East MVP, Stanford’s Alex Blandino, scoring the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. There were no extra innings.
Palka becomes the third straight Gatemen to earn West MVP honors, and is the third Yellow Jacket all-time to garner All-Star Game MVP accolades in the Cape Cod League, joining Matt Murton (2001, Wareham) and Mark Teixeira (1999, Orleans). Murton now plays professionally in Japan, and Teixiera is a New York Yankee.
Palka finished the game 3-for-4, with a double and a stolen base. He earned the start at first base, alongside fellow Gatemen and Yellow Jacket rising junior Mott Hyde at second base. Hyde was 0-for-2, but reached twice via a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Palka and Hyde combined for a 5-4-3 double play that ended the second inning.
At the all-star break, Palka is hitting .285, is tied for the league lead with 10 home runs and is fourth in the league with 30 RBI. Hyde is a red-hot .301 at the break, with seven doubles, four homers and 19 RBI.
Wareham is 15-19 overall, and with 10 games remaining in the regular season, trails West leading Cotuit by seven games.
