CHICAGO – Ryan Flaherty of Deering High School in Portland was named the Gatorade 2005 Maine Boys Baseball Player of the Year.

At the time of his selection, Flaherty, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior shortstop, was batting .415 with an on-base percentage of .561 and 15 RBIs. He was rated the top baseball prospect in the state by Baseball America.

The Gatorade High School Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in football and baseball (boys), volleyball and softball (girls), as well as soccer and track and field. Each state winner is selected by a panel of sport-specific experts in conjunction with a national media advisory board.