A star on the diamond and in the community: Chilton County Tiger a difference-maker
CLANTON, Ala. (BVM) — William Kohn is his birth name, but everybody knows him by his nickname. When his parents were trying to teach him his name as a toddler, he insisted that his name wasn’t William, but rather Pico. It stuck, and that’s how his story began.
But now people know him for a different reason. The once-confused youngster is now a 6-foot-5 Division I pitching recruit who was recognized as the Gatorade Alabama Baseball Player of the Year.
The southpaw attends Chilton County High School where he has been asserting his dominance on the hill for years. As a sophomore, Kohn was a perfect 10-0 on the season, boasting a .09 ERA and striking out 125 batters in 79 innings of work. His junior year was shaping up to be another work of art, with his COVID-19 shortened season finishing at a 4-1 record with 59 punchouts in 31 innings.
While his stuff may be virtually unhittable at the high school level, Kohn doesn’t like to think that way. The Mississippi State University commit stays humble to remain successful.
“I might have an off day, or a team might find something in my delivery, you never know what’s gonna happen…you just have to go pitch-by-pitch,” Kohn said. “When you start thinking you’re going to shove it down people’s throats, that’s when they start hitting you.”
The big lefty has an assortment of effective pitches in his arsenal, using a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. His fastball tops out around 90 mph and his offspeed keeps hitters off-balance, slowing down to the low 70s on his big sweeping curveball. But he knows that there is still room to improve.
“I want to further develop in the mind game of baseball,” Kohn said. “Keeping my mind strong and staying positive.”
And while his current skills allow him the opportunity of being drafted by an MLB team prior to going to Starkville, Miss., Kohn is focused on college. After attending a Mississippi State football game, he knew it was the place for him to be. Between the tailgating atmosphere and the parts of the university that he saw, being a Bulldog became his priority.
“I just play baseball. I’m not focused on making money or getting drafted,” Kohn said. “Anywhere I can play is where I want to go and right now I love and respect Mississippi State and that’s why I want to go represent them.”
These self-effacing viewpoints held by Kohn have also helped him excel in other parts of life. In order to win Gatorade State Player of the Year, an athlete must make a contribution to their community outside of the playing field. Kohn has done this in numerous ways, and even extended this effort outside of Alabama.
As a member of his local church, Kohn traveled to New Orleans for a mission trip. They noticed the amount of homeless people wandering the streets and wanted to make a difference. As a result, they gathered toiletries like deodorant and toothpaste, along with snacks and put together gift bags. Kohn and his church delivered these to people on the streets, hoping it would make somebody’s life just a little better.
“Talking to these people and getting to know them is the greatest feeling ever,” Kohn said. “It makes you appreciate the little things because they are so appreciative of all of those little things. It really makes you feel blessed.”
And at home, in Alabama, Kohn has spent a lot of his free time as a youth baseball coach and mentor. He says that these kids have become his friends and he just wants to make a difference for them. He’ll take them out to eat, bring them drinks, play basketball with them; all things they appreciate outside of the game of baseball.
“I remember when I was little, the high school guys were like major leaguers,” Kohn said. “So I just like to spend time with them as a friend.”
So while Kohn is thrilled about the Gatorade State Player of the Year honor, he remains unpretentious. He says that when he was younger, if anyone told him this would one day be his reality, he wouldn’t believe them. He never saw this as a possibility. And while he garners attention and success through the game he loves, he still views it as an outlet to be something bigger than himself.
“I always wanted to try to do something to help my family out,” Kohn said. “If I do have the chance to make money from it someday, I will help my family out tremendously.”
