Vote now: Who should be SBLive’s Louisiana high school athlete of the week?
By Buck Ringgold
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Louisiana high school athlete of the week for April 24-30. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to nominate an athlete, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com or tag us on Twitter.
Addison Jackson, St. Amant softball
In her final game as a Lady Gator, Jackson - a Boston College signee - tossed a four-hit shutout in St. Amant's 4-0 win against Sam Houston for the Division I non-select title. She struck out three.
Jackson also hit a home run during the Lady Gators' semifinal win against West Monroe.
Laney Johnson, North DeSoto softball
Johnson went 2-for-3, including hitting a go-ahead two-out two-RBI home run in the bottom of the fifth, lifting the Lady Griffins to a 7-4 win against Albany for the Division II non-select championship.
Kennedy Marceaux, Kaplan softball
Marceaux, a junior and Alabama commit, hit a leadoff home run to help the Lady Pirates record an eventual 4-0 win against Sterlington for the Division III non-select title.
She ended the game 2-for-2, also hitting a double and drawing two intentional walks.
Malloy Miles, French Settlement softball
Miles, an eighth-grader, threw a four-hit complete game and struck out nine in French Settlement's 3-1 win against Montgomery for the Division IV non-select title. She didn't allow a hit between the second and sixth innings while also recording a hit at the plate.
Avery Prine, Converse softball
Prine hit a two-RBI walk-off homer to lift the Lady Wildcats to a 3-1 win against Choudrant in the Division V non-select semifinals. She was also the winning pitcher and went all nine innings in the championship game as Converse outlasted Quitman, 2-1, as Prine recorded 17 strikeouts.
Shyanne Irvin, St. Thomas More softball
Irvin, a sophomore, hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth and added a sixth-inning sacrifice fly in the Lady Cougars' 7-3 win against Tioga for the Division I select championship.
Olivia Henry, Buckeye softball
Henry threw a five-hit complete game and struck out five while being named the Most Outstanding Player in Buckeye's 4-1 win against Vandebilt Catholic for the Division II select title.
Danni Lynch, Calvary Baptist softball
Lynch went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and an RBI in the Lady Cavaliers' 13-3 win against D'Arbonne Woods in the Division III select title game. Three of her four hits went for doubles.
Amber Palermo, Riverside Academy softball
Palermo threw a three-hit shutout, allowing just one hit through six innings, in the Lady Rebels' 5-0 win against Catholic-Pointe Coupee for the Division IV select title. She had two strikeouts as well, and was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.
Anna Miller, Claiborne Christian softball
Miller was the winning pitcher, allowing three hits and striking out 11, to help lift Claiborne Christian past St. Joseph's-Plaucheville, 4-1, for the Division V select championship.
Giancarlo Arencibia, Rummel baseball
Arencibia, a Tulane commit, threw a five-inning perfect game in Rummel's 10-0 win against Captain Shreve, clinching the Division I select second-round series. Of the 15 batters he faced, nine resulted in strikeouts.
William Schmidt, Catholic-Baton Rouge baseball
Schmidt, a Mississippi State commit, threw six innings in the Bears' clinching second game against Lafayette in the Division I select second round. He allowed one earned run on four hits and struck out 11.
Hayden Federico, West Monroe baseball
Federico, an Ole Miss commit, batted .545 with six RBIs, five runs scored and two stolen bases in the Rebels' three-game playoff series win against Fontainebleau. In the deciding third game, Federico hit home runs from both sides of the plate.
Andrew Prejean, Menard baseball
Prejean allowed no earned runs on one hit in a seven-inning shutout during the Eagles' playoff series against Ascension Episcopal. He also struck out seven.
Jake Brown, Sulphur baseball
An LSU signee, Brown threw shutout ball over 6.2 innings on four hits and struck out 10 as the Tors took the first game of an eventual two-game sweep against Destrehan in the second round of the Division I non-select playoffs.
Josh Earnes, John Curtis baseball
Earnes went 4-for-7 with two home runs, seven RBIs and four runs scored in the Patriots' two-game sweep against St. Paul's in the second round of the Division I select playoffs.
J.C. Vanek, Barbe baseball
Vanek went 4-for-7 and hit two homers during the Buccaneers' two-game sweep against Thibodaux in the second round of the Division I non-select playoffs. He was also the winning pitcher in the second game, throwing six innings and allowing no earned runs on six hits while striking out six.
Reese Ashworth, DeQuincy baseball
Ashworth threw a five-inning no-hitter and struck out 12 in his team's 11-1 win against Vinton in the second round of the Division IV non-select playoffs. He also went 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and two RBIs.
Jace Duhon, South Beauregard baseball
Duhon pitched a four-hitter over seven complete innings and struck out 14 as South Beauregard swept Many in a two-game Division III non-select playoff series.
Michael Plummer, Neville baseball
Plummer threw a no-hitter in the Tigers' deciding Game 3 win against Haughton to advance to the Division I non-select quarterfinals. He struck out eight in the seven-inning no-hitter.
Reese Dean, Central Private baseball
Dean threw a seven-inning no-hitter as the Redhawks defeated St. Martin's, 6-0, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Division IV select playoffs. He struck out 15 batters in the win.
Steven Rice, Barbe boys tennis
Rice won the Division I state championship by rallying for a three-set win for the title (4-6, 7-6, 6-1).
Mason Landreth, St. Thomas More boys tennis
Landreth won the Division II state championship with a 6-0, 6-2 win for the title.
Carter Fayard, Newman boys tennis
Fayard was the Division III state champion, winning in three sets (7-5, 3-6, 6-0) for the title.
Patrick LaForge, St. Martin's Episcopal boys tennis
LaForge was the Division IV state champion with a three-set win (6-7, 7-6, 6-2).
Natalie Devraj, Mandeville girls tennis
Devraj was the Division I state champion with a two-set win (6-2, 6-0) for the title.
My-Anh Holmes, The Willow School girls tennis
Holmes was the Division II state champion by winning in straight sets (6-0, 6-1) in her title match.
Mary Longmire, University Lab girls tennis
Longmire was the Division III state champion as she won by identical scores of 6-4, 6-4 for her title.
Brooke Powers, Christ Episcopal School girls tennis
Powers was the Division IV individual champion after winning in straight sets (6-3, 6-0) for her title.