LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Akron's Lauren Burke, Coleman's Cassidy Tucker, North Duplin's Rylee Pate, Chase County's Bailee Swift and Marist's Lauren Burke have been named MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Players of the Week for contests played May 9-15.
East Region – Abby Stone (Akron (N.Y.) HS)Stone had a game and a week to remember at the plate for the Tigers. The sophomore captain hit .750 (12-for-16) with four doubles, two triples, three home runs and 20 RBI, including 11 in her first game of the week. Stone collected 12 hits, scored 11 times and her nine extra-base hits attributed to her 1.812 slugging percentage. Her monstrous week started with a bang as Stone erupted against Wilson for the the tune of five hits, 11 RBI, a double, two triples, a pair of long balls and five runs scored. Not to overshadow the rest of the week, she recorded a four-hit game against Albion, registered two doubles and three RBI versus Greene and generated a double, home run and four RBI in a 5-0 triumph over Athens.
North Region – Cassidy Tucker (Coleman (Mich.) HS)In four games for the Comets, Tucker put up an .824 batting average with a double, two triples, three home runs, 15 RBI, 11 runs and a 1.733 slugging percentage. In game two of a doubleheader sweep of Montabella, Tucker clubbed two home runs and knocked in seven during a 20-1 victory. In the opener, she finished 4-for-4 with a double and four runs scored. The senior second baseman/outfielder continued her hot bat into game one against Ashley in which she went 3-for-3 with a triple, long ball and five RBI.
South Region – Rylee Pate (North Duplin HS – Calypso, N.C.) Pate's dominance in the circle last week was highlighted by a perfect game against Gates County. The junior allowed just one hit, recorded two shutouts, struck out 30 and did not walk a batter in 12 innings. Against Gates County, she retired all 21 batters she faced, sending 16 back to the dugout via a strikeout in a 3-0 victory. Earlier in the week, she tossed a one-hit complete-game shutout versus KIPP Pride. Pate fanned 14 over five innings and also helped herself out at the plate with a double and four RBI.
South Central Region – Bailey Swift (Chase County HS – Cottonwood Falls, Kan.)Swift was crucial in doubleheader sweep of Moundridge last week. She went 6-for-7 (.857) with two doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, a 2.000 slugging percentage and .875 on-base percentage. In game one, the junior infielder was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Swift closed out the sweep with two dingers, a double, five RBI and two runs scored in a 6-2 triumph. In addition, she was flawless in the field, recording 10 putouts and four assists without committing an error.
West Region – Lauren Burke (Marist HS – Eugene, Ore.) Picking up the first award out of Oregon this year, Burke was nearly perfect at the plate with a .900 batting average (9-for-10), a double, triple, three homers, 10 RBI and a whopping 2.100 slugging percentage. The junior shortstop started the week with back-to-back 3-for-3 outings against Crater and Ashland. Burke homered twice in the first contest with three RBI and three runs scored. Three days later in game one against Ashland, she doubled, left the yard, knocked in four runs and scored three times. In game two of the twinbill, she was 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI.
MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. To nominate a player for the award, the coach must enter his or her athlete's game stats into MaxPreps.com by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week's award.
The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Players of the Week are announced on NFCA.org every Monday during the spring season, with one representative chosen from each of five separate high school regions. During the fall campaign, just a single player will be selected representing all participating regions.
MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team's stats on Max Preps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team's information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country.
To obtain a coach's login, please contact: coachsupport@maxpreps.com or call (800) 329-7324 x1. To enter a team's stats on the MaxPreps website, please click
here.
