Being a slam-dunk winner for the state’s top baseball award felt particularly apropos for Rilen Niclai given he’s a former all-conference basketball player.

The Service slugger and pitching ace on Monday was named Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year for the second straight season, joining big brother Coen and former South star Jonny Homza as the state’s only two-time winners since the prestigious high school award started in The Last Frontier in 1999.

Niclai was a man among boys this season, breaking Cook Inlet Conference records for home runs (7) in a season and strikeouts (17) in a game in the pitch count era, while leading the Cougars to an 18-2 record and berth to the upcoming ASAA Division I state tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

“The obvious choice is Rilen, in my opinion,” Chugiak head coach John Sims told the Gatorade selection committee. “Not only is he dominant on the mound, he’s also the one hitter in the league you have to pitch around.”

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound right-handed hitter and pitcher dominated on both sides of the plate and will take a .571 batting average and 1.33 ERA into the state playoffs.

His seven home runs have nearly lapped the previous CIC record of four that has stood for a quarter-century. Most of his long balls have been no-doubt dingers, including a shot to center field against the Palmer Moose at Mulcahy that traveled more than 400 feet.

At the dish, Niclai has reached base at a .696 clip, while having not struck out in 69 plate appearances across 18 games.

On the bump, the fireballer has posted a 4-0 record in five appearances with a sparkling 47-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21 innings.

Niclai, who reclassified to join the Class of 2027, will play his last games in Alaska at the state tournament, starting Thursday.

Next season, he plans to play for the Langley Blaze in Canada and is scheduled to join Arizona State in the fall of 2027.

He could get drafted, too.