Here are the top performers from the Abilene high schools vying to be the Reporter-News Local Player of the Week for the week ending May 22.
We continue to give you a vote in the Player of the Week selection process. The poll opens every Monday at 2 p.m. and stays open through Wednesday at 2 p.m. The winner will be announced Wednesday night and in Thursday’s paper.
This year, the public vote will account for part of the selection process.
The six nominees for the Week of May 17-22 are:
Riley Hood, Wylie Baseball
Hood helped power the Bulldogs into the region semifinals. He went a combined 7 for 8 with a double, a triple and six RBIs — including a four-RBI effort in Game 1 — as Wylie swept Canyon Randall 9-1 and 17-7 in the Region I-5A quarterfinals.
Ruth Hill & Kaitlyn Strain, Abilene High Tennis
Hill and Strain picked up some state hardware in San Antonio on Thursday. They rallied from an early 2-1 deficit in their Class 6A quarterfinal match to win 6-2, 6-2. They weren’t able to solve Round Rock High’s Ramitha Irrinki and DeCora Antoine, falling 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the semifinal to earn bronze medals.
Brooks Gay, Wylie Baseball
Gay delivered a gem in Game 1 as the Bulldogs took control of the Region I-5A quarterfinal series against Canyon Randall. He pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts as Wylie won 9-1.
Aliyah Martinez, Cooper Softball
Martinez was a big part of the Lady Coogs’ Game 1 win against Aledo. She got on base and when she did, she came around to score. She was 2 for 3 with a walk and scored three runs. She hit a double and a triple and drove in a run in the 8-6 win.
Angelic Gonzalez, Cooper Softball
If runners were on base when Gonzalez came to the plate, they weren’t when she was done in Game 1 against Aledo. She went 2 for 2 with a walk and three RBIs. One of her hits went for a double in the Region I-5A semifinal opener.
J.T. Thompson, Wylie Baseball
Thompson was a force to be reckoned with in Game 2 against Canyon Randall. He went 3 for 4 with a double from the No. 2 spot in the lineup, drawing a walk and scoring a run. He finished with a game-high five RBIs as the Bulldogs won 17-7 in five innings.
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Jordan Hofeditz covers Abilene high schools and colleges, Big Country schools and other local sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jhofeditz. If you appreciate locally drive news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.
