Poly’s Gil Shuns White Sox, Signs Scholarship With USC

Senior infielder Danny Gil, the most valuable player of the East Valley League and a first-team Times All-Valley selection who led Poly High to the 4-A City Section final, has signed a national letter of intent to attend USC.

Gil, who batted .539 and had 40 runs batted in, hit a three-run home run in the team’s 5-4 loss to Canoga Park in the City final at Dodger Stadium and had a game-winning two-run home run in a 6-4 semifinal win over Chatsworth. Batting third in the Poly batting order most of the season, Gil struck out only three times in 76 at-bats.

Gil, a 5-11, 175-pound shortstop who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox, said the school offered him a four-year, full athletic scholarship.

“I was very impressed with the way they were interested in me as a player and a student,” Gil said. “I think if I can get out there and just be myself, I’ll have a good chance of getting playing time right away.”

A three-year starter at Poly, Gil played for the South team in last weekend’s three-game series in San Diego against a team of high school all-stars from Northern California. The South won two of three games and Gil was named to the 18-member state team that plays a three-game series against Oklahoma this weekend in Lodi.