LOUISVILLE, Ky. – South Windsor’s (Conn.) Maria Hanchuk, Eastwood’s (Pemberville, Ohio) Ashley Hitchcock, Eleanor Roosevelt’s (Greenbelt, Md.) Lauryn Brooks, Southeast’s (Wichita, Kan.) Emily Fox and Silver’s (Silver City, N.M.) Ajia Richard were selected MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Players of the Week for games played the week of April 16-22.
East Region
Hanchuck was 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 42 strikeouts. She recorded a pair of shutouts, including a perfect game with 16 strikeouts in a 1-0 win over Tolland. Hanchuck also twirled a five-hit shutout with eight punchouts and a walk in a 1-0 triumph over Ellington. In her final start of the week, the junior hurlers fanned 18, walked one and allowed a run on one hit in a victory against RHAM. Additionally, she chipped in with a home run and two RBI the final game of the week.
North Region
Hitchcock used her arm and her bat to help Eastwood to four victories last week. The junior hurler tossed a perfect game in which she recorded all but one out, fanning 20 batters in a 8-0 win over Woodridge. She also twirled three one-hit shutouts against Rossford (12 K, 0 BB), Buckeye (15 K, 1 BB) and Perry (19 K, 0 BB), the latter a 1-0 victory. For the week, Hitchcock surrendered just three hits, fanned 66 batters, walked just one and held her opposition to a 0.40 batting average. She hit .545 with a double, home run, seven RBI and three runs scored.
South Region
Brooks, a senior captain, was 8-for-9 (.889) with three home runs, 15 RBI and eight runs scored. She slugged 1.888, recorded a .917 on-base percentage and was a perfect 8-for-8 in steals, helping the Raiders to three wins last week. Brooks had a monster outing in game one of a doubleheader sweep of DuVal. She clubbed two long balls, drove in nine and scored three times in a 14-1 victory. Brooks followed that performance by going 2-for-3 with three more RBI and runs scored in the nightcap. In the first game of the week, she was 3-for-3 with a home run three RBI and two runs scored against Northwestern. The catcher was flawless in the field, making zero miscues in 27 attempts.
South Central Region
Fox had a steady week at the plate for the Golden Buffalo, recording six multi-hit games and driving in two or more runs five times. For the week, she was 18-for-21 (.857) with three doubles, three triples, four home runs, 17 RBI and 17 runs scored. In a doubleheader sweep of South, Fox was 7-for-8 with a double, triple, two long balls, seven RBI and five runs. In the opener, she was a single shy of the cycle with four RBI. She homered and drove in four in game two against Liberal. Fox also left the yard and registered three RBI versus East.
West Region
Richard had a big week at the plate for the Fighting Colts, hitting .929 (13-for-14) with two doubles, five triples, two home runs, 17 RBI and 12 runs scored (three in each game). She slugged 2.214 and recorded a .933 on-base percentage. The freshman tripled four times and drove in six runs in game two versus Hatch Valley. She doubled and homered with four RBI in game one. Richard continued her torrid week with a triple, long ball and five RBI versus Socorro in game one, followed by a 4-for-4 outing with a double and two RBI in the nightcap.
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 a player from each of five separate high school regions is selected. During the fall campaign, one representative is chosen from the participating regions.
Please note, in order for a school to have multiple player(s) recognized during the course of a season, a coach from that institution must be an NFCA member. To become an NFCA member, please click HERE or call 502-409-4600.
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.
2017-18 Max Preps/NFCA Players of the Week (Spring)
April 18
East- Shannon Becker | Mahopac (N.Y.) HS
North – Mackenzie McCarty | Alexandria (Ind.)-Monroe
South – Jada Santiago | North Johnston HS (Kenly, N.C.)
South Central – Morgan Fern | Fleming County HS (Flemingsburg, Ky.)
West – Tatum Spangler | Coronado HS (Henderson, Nev.)
April 9
East – Jessica Stettinger | East Haven (Conn.) HS
North – Gabby O’Riley | Mooresville (Ind.) HS
South – Maci Birdyshaw | Lawrence County HS (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.)
South Central – Montana Fouts | East Carter HS (Grayson, Ky.)
West – Kalea Smith | Payson (Ariz.) HS
April 2
East – Tayler Vitola | Appoquinimink HS (West Middletown, Del.)
North – Abbie May | St. Bede (Peru, Ill.)
South – Caitlin Griffin | North Buncombe HS (Westerville, N.C.)
South Central – Chevelle Sartin | Arkansas City (Kan.) HS
West – Raegan Breedlove \ Central Valley HS (Shasta Lake, Calif.)
March 26
East – Yanique Spencer | Baldwin (N.Y.) HS
North – Lexi Wagner | Seton LaSalle (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
South – Alexis Kilfoyl | Academy at the Lakes (Land O’ Lakes, Fla.)
South Central – Kendall Fritz | Wakeland HS (Frisco, Texas)
West – Madie Augusto | St. Ignatius HS (San Francisco, Calif.)
March 19
East – Janiece Robles | Cardinal Spellman (Bronx, N.Y.)
North – Maddie Peace | Regina Dominican (Wilmette, Ill.)
South – Karly Heath | North Augusta (S.C.) HS
South Central – Hallie Wacaser | Bentonville West (Centerton, Ark.)
West – Drea Schwaier | Yelm (Wash.) HS
March 13
South – Madyson Lamp | Hernando High School (Brooksville, Fla.)
South Central – Nadia Valverde | Hanks High School (El Paso, Texas)
West – Jordyn Hutchins | Woodland (Calif.) Christian
March 6
South – Anna Hood | Locust Fork (Ala.) HS
South Central – Kathryn Marshall | Brenham (Texas) High School
West – Mya Villareal | North valley Military Institute (Granada Hills, Calif.)
Feb. 28
South – Aspen Wesley | Neshoba Central HS (Philadelphia, Miss.)
South Central – Biveana Figueroa | Natlia (Texas) HS
West – Izabel Enriquez | Buena High School (Sierra Vista, Ariz.)
2017-18 Max Preps/NFCA Players of the Week (Fall)
10/23/17 – Caroline Newton | Worth County HS (Sylvester, Ga.)
10/16/17 – Madeline Vejvoda | Papillion (Neb.) La-Vista HS
10/9/17 – Alexandria Kilponen | Valor Christian HS (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
10/2/17 – Tracy Mosley | Mundy’s Mill High School (Jonesboro, Ga.)
9/25/17 – Sevi Harden | Thomas Jefferson High School (Denver, Colo.)
9/18/17 – Brooke Huitt | Lathrop (Mo.) High School
9/11/17 – Tori Kniesche | Wayne (Neb.) High School
9/5/17 – Addison Purvis | Sullivan (Mo.) High School
8/28/17 – Adrienne Visintine | Chaparral High School (Parker, Colo.)
8/21/17 – Katherine Snavely | Brookstone School (Columbus, Ga.)
8/14/17 – Kelley Lynch | East Coweta High School (Sharpsburg, Ga.)