Tampa, Fla. -- UMBC Baseball alum Zach Clark ('06) was honored by the Tampa Bay Rays with its Paul Kirsch Amateur Scout of the Year Award. 

Clark joined the Rays in 2017 as a scout in New England, and he immediately solidified himself as an impactful part of the Rays culture and scouting process. He has exemplified every quality that made PK a great scout, teammate, friend, and husband

Paul Kirsch, known to his friends and teammates as "PK", was one of the "original Rays" hired in 1995 shortly after the franchise was approved. PK scouted the northwest region and brought many valuable players into the Rays organization over the years, including Blake Snell & Drew Rasmussen. PK endured a long battle with ALS that sadly ended in 2021. Through it all, Paul never lost his sense of humor and the passion that endeared him to everyone who crossed his path in baseball. PK's legacy lives on through the Paul Kirsch Scout of the Year award which recognizes the scout who best exemplifies the traits for which PK is best remembered, including his selflessness, charisma, creativity. and most of all, his resilience.