After the dismissal bell rings at 2:06 p.m., most Pali students head to Starbucks, Garden or wherever they might hang out. For those with a seventh period class, 3:08 marks the culmination of their day, and those with sports practice, club meetings or other activities may not leave campus until 4:30. Yet, for William Coquillard, his day at school sometimes doesn’t end until 6:30, when he leaves baseball practice.

Coquillard, a Georgia Tech commit, is a 6-foot-8 pitcher and first baseman for Pali’s varsity baseball team. With a low-effort delivery, Coquillard pitches with speeds up to 86 mph. As a result of these mechanics and his general dedication to baseball, Coquillard, along with Ohio State commit Wyatt Loncar, have established themselves as top pitchers for Pali, which is the only team in the City Section with two D1-bound pitchers.

Coquillard has dealt with several injuries — many of which are a result of his height. Due to growth plate injuries in his arm and elbow, Coquillard had to sit out of baseball for over a year during middle school, a crucial time for development. “Not playing was rough because many of my teammates were improving, but I had to sit on the sidelines and watch,” Coquillard said. “Luckily, it was pretty early in my baseball career, and I feel like I was able to rebound.” Injuries still bother Coquillard, though. Last year, he had to miss the City Section playoffs due to a hip injury, but he was able to recover quickly enough to play again this year.

As a freshman, Coquillard began playing for Pali on the JV baseball team. After the first half of his sophomore year, he was promoted to varsity to fill his brother, Henry’s, spot at first base after he sustained an injury. Playing first baseman until his brother recovered, Coquillard secured a permanent position on the varsity team.

Coquillard said he had never considered Georgia Tech until the coach contacted him and sent him an offer. Prior to being recruited by Georgia Tech, Coquillard was communicating with coaches from other schools, including Pepperdine University and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. Once he began comparing those schools to Georgia Tech, he said  his decision was almost obvious. “As soon as Georgia Tech gave me an offer, I did some research and knew that’s where I wanted to go,” Coquillard explained. He places a large emphasis on both athletics and academics, and he felt as though Georgia Tech provided the best balance of the two.

While some collegiate athletes pursue a sport only for scholarship opportunities, Coquillard explained that he’s looking to play baseball in college because he loves the sport. It’s this passion that serves as his motivation to work hard and be a supportive teammate to younger players, who he hopes will emulate his work ethic.

Though Coquillard is looking forward to his next four years at Georgia Tech, he is currently trying to focus on what he can do for Pali. “I really want to win the City title,” he explained. “Out of all of the years I’ve been here, this is probably the only year I see the team winning CIF finals.” Coquillard said he is hopeful that, after he leaves, his teammates at Pali will remain confident and continue to push forward in order to win the CIF finals.