National Player of the Week: 2/26 to 3/3

March 6, 2024
By Andy Sroka
Managing Editor, Scouting

Today, we’re announcing our first National Player of the Week of the 2024 campaign, now that a larger portion of the country is playing high school baseball – and with each passing week, the number of states playing grows. With the powerhouse, warm-weather states in action, there’s been some huge performances from across the country this spring.

The following players were submitted by their coaches to their states through an official ‘Player of the Week’ form. If you’re a coach interested in submitting a nomination this season but have not yet received that form so far this spring, visit our staff directory to find the contact information for the state director overseeing your state’s season coverage.

Our staff took player stat lines from the week of Feb. 26 through March 3 into account when determining these awards.

NATIONAL POTW

Gio Rojas LHP / 1B / Stoneman Douglas, FL / 2026

“Rojas, a Miami commit, was brilliant against Taravella in Week Two. He threw a complete-game shutout in which he allowed just one hit against 18 strikeouts. His perfect game was broken up with two outs in the seventh inning too, and on that same one hit he allowed. He kept national No. 2 Stoneman's huge win streak intact with the win.”

– Rocco Iervasi Jr., Florida Managing Director

(vs. Taravella; 2/28/24)

STATE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Alabama

+ Brock Whitt, 1B (Edgewood Academy HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“The physical sophomore continues to play a large role for the Wildcats, hitting in the heart of the order, and he put up some impressive numbers in Week Two of the season to earn Alabama's latest Mizuno Player of the Week award. The right-hander was an extra-base hit machine and he drove in plenty of runs, posting a .529 batting average (9-for-17), to go along with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 12 RBIs for the week. Listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, and holding it down at first base for the Wildcats, Whitt should continue to be a primary run-producer for them this spring.”

+ Brady Richardson, RHP/INF (Enterprise HS, 2025) | Troy commit:
“Richardson has gotten off to an incredible start to begin his junior campaign both at the plate and on the mound. A Troy recruit, Richardson is equally as talented on both sides of the ball, but his performance on the mound against a top-10 ranked team in Class 6A set him apart this week. He went the distance in a tightly contested game against a lineup with a few next-level prospects; Richardson finished with a final line of: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 15 K. This was a dominant showing from the right-hander. In addition to the gem, he also provided some offense to help out his cause, as he blasted a no-doubter to left field.”

(2/29/24)

– Austin Sharp, Alabama Scouting Director

Arizona

+ Shane Miller, INF (Higley HS, 2024) | New Mexico commit:
“The former Future Gamer was on a tear at the dish this past week as he was seeing the ball incredibly well, not only putting it in play, but also showing the ability to drive the ball for extra bases. Despite coming up with an injury to end the week, the New Mexico commit will be a catalyst to the Higley offense and leadership as they navigate through their 2024 campaign. He finished last week with 12 hits, including four that went for extra bases (three of which were triples), producing 11 RBIs along the way.”

– Shea Sbranti, Arizona State Director

California

+ Ismael Quintero, LHP (Quartz Hill HS, 2024) | Cal State LA commit:
“The senior left-hander Quintero was recently named the SoCal Pitcher of the Week. The southpaw threw 6.1 innings of no-hit ball, missing the complete game no-hitter for pitch count limits only. His outing included 14 strikeouts, and that ranks in the top-10 on the school's all-time list. For the season, Quintero has pitched 16 innings allowing just five hits, and two runs, while striking out 26 batters en route to a 3-0 start.”

+ Lucas Raya, OF (El Dorado HS, 2024) | Uncommitted:
“The senior out of El Dorado was the SoCal Player of the Week. Raya had the game-winning RBI in a non-league game against Brea to cap off a very strong week that saw him go 4-for-7 with a double and three RBIs. The uncommitted senior is off to a scorching start for the Golden Hawks hitting .455 with 5 RBIs, two doubles, and five stolen bases while playing stellar defense in the field.”

+ Josh Rodriguez, RHP (Livermore HS, 2024) | Uncommitted:
“In two appearances last week that included one start and relief appearance, Rodriguez was dominant against Irvington and Mission. Over seven total innings Rodriguez struck out 16 batters against only two hits while allowing only one run. For the season, Rodrguez is 2-0 with one save. He has struck out 19 batters allowing only four hits in 9.2 innings on the season.”

+ Everet Johnson, 3B (Justin-Siena HS, 2024) | UC Davis commit:
“Johnson, a UC Davis commit, hit career home runs Nos. 7 and 8 in an impressive win over longtime small school power Redwood Christian. One of the home runs was a scoreboard-clearing grand slam. Johnson collected five RBIs on the day with his two blasts. Johnson, who was a standout at the NorCal Preseason All-State, has clearly carried over that momentum into the early going of his senior high school season.”

– Les Lukach, California State Director

Florida

+ Aiden Arnett, OF (Trinity Christian (JAX) HS, 2025) | Florida commit:
“Arnett swung the bat very well in Week Two, collecting 10 total hits. Those ten hits included two home runs that generated seven RBIs. In all, the Florida recruit was 10-for-14 with a double, two homers, six runs, in addition to those seven runs he drove in for the No. 3-ranked program in the state, No. 13 nationally.”

+ Jadyn Nunez, OF (Doral Academy HS, 2025) | North Carolina commit:
“Doral's once again one of Florida's top programs, and Nunez has helped the Firebirds win their first eight games of the spring, and there were some lopsided wins last week that he featured in too. In total, he went 5-for-9 with three homers, nine RBIs, and he stole four bags and scored five times.”

+ Lorenzo Rodriguez, 3B (Palmer Trinity HS, 2025) | Uncommitted:
“Palmer Trinity split their four games last week, though Rodriguez was excellent at the plate along the way. He was 5-for-10 and he slugged three homers, drove in 10 runs, and he touched home six times.”

+ Andrew Tess, C (Calvary Christian HS, 2024) | Pitt commit:
“Clearwater's Calvary Christian is following up a very successful 2023 season with a strong start to 2024, now 5-0 in the early going and their senior backstop is a big reason why. Tess, a Pitt recruit, was 4-for-6 in the team's two games last week, with two homers, and a triple that helped produce six RBIs and two runs scored. ”

– Rocco Iervasi Jr., Florida Managing Director

Georgia

+ Bailey Thorne, SS/RHP (Calvary Christian HS, 2024) | Uncommitted:
“Thorne had a huge week for Georgia’s Calvary Christian, and on both sides of the ball. He was 8-for-15 with four homers, two doubles, and he drove in nine runs. Meanwhile, from the rubber, the uncommitted senior punched out eight batters in a five-inning outing in which he reached a 95 mph high with the fastball.”

+ Will Allen, RHP/1B (Houston County HS, 2025) | Uncommitted:
“Allen was a big riser in the state’s recent Class of 2025 rankings update, and he’s really figured things out on the mound this spring. Last week, he K’d 12 in a seven-inning outing and he was up to 92 mph, making him a big-time follow this summer as one of the top uncommitted arms in Georiga.”

– Hudson Graham, Georgia State Director

Louisiana

+ Stan Wiltz, MIF (Brother Martin HS, 2025) | Uncommitted:
“Brother Martin traveled to Sulphur for a tournament last week where they went a perfect 4-0 on the weekend, improving their season record to 8-1, and Wiltz was a big part of their success. The uncommitted junior middle-infielder went 3-for-3 with a run and 2 RBIs last Thursday against Acadiana and then went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs, plus another RBI, against Zachary in their first game on Friday. Wiltz then went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and an RBI in the night game against St. Thomas Aquinas, before finishing his weekend off on Saturday against St. Louis Catholic with a modest 1-for-3 performance, compared to the rest of his weekend. For the week, he went 9-for-12 (.750) with two doubles, five RBIs, and eight runs scored, all while finding himself in the leadoff spot for the Crusaders by weekend's end.”

+ Easton Sanders, RHP/1B (Glenbrook HS, 2025) | Louisiana Tech commit:
“Glenbrook didn't have the start that they wanted to have this season, as they lost their first four games, but that all changed last Tuesday against Many, as the Apaches notched their first win by a score of 11-1. Sanders was a big reason for that win, as he tossed a complete game (6 IP) and he gave up only four hits and one earned run with just two walks and 12 Ks. The Louisiana Tech recruit then turned around on Saturday and delivered another impressive performance on the mound against Catholic Pointe-Coupee. The Apaches ended up with a 7-1 win, thanks to another complete (7 IP) from Sanders, in which he gave up just four hits and one run on four hits, one walks, and he K'd another nine batters. For the week, Sanders went 2-0 and tossed 13 innings, giving up just two earned on eight hits, three walks, and he K'd 21 total. He also swung the bat really well, as he was 6-for-9 (.667) at the plate with two doubles, a triple, and he earned four walks.”

– Alex Armand, Louisiana Scouting Director

Mississippi

+ Drew Davis, RHP/INF (Sumrall HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Davis, who's just a freshman, helped lead Sumrall to a 4-0 record last week by going 7-for-9 with a double, a triple, and a home run, and he stole three stolen bases, added five walks, and he drove in nine runs. He's one of the top-ranked freshmen in the state, as well as the nation, and he's started his prep career off strong. Meanwhile, the Bobcats are now 9-0 on the season and preparing for district play in a competitive 4A class.”

(1/23/24)

– Matt Miller, Mississippi State Director

North Carolina

+ Sawyer Black, OF (Wesleyan Christian Academy HS, 2024) | Liberty commit:
“The No. 1 team on Prep Baseball North Carolina's Power 25, Wesleyan Christian Academy, opened their season playing on the road in Alabama. As the schedule fell, they faced off with four clubs from Alabama, including a couple of teams ranked on their state's own Power 25. The leading hitter for WCA in Alabama was Black and Black takes home the state's Player of the Week honors for his work. Black, a Liberty commit, hit .545 and reached base at a .706 clip over those four games. He went 6-for-11 with two doubles, a triple, and a homer, scoring six runs and driving in three more. One of the top hitters in the state, Black is off to a hot start for a Wesleyan Christian club that has a ton of talent in their lineup and on the bump."

(2/11/24)

+ Walker McDuffie, RHP (Lee County HS, 2024) | North Carolina commit:
“Our pitcher of the week is a familiar name to those that have followed Prep Baseball North Carolina for the past couple of years. He was a member of Team Carolina at the 2022 Prep Baseball Future Games, prior to committing to the University of North Carolina thereafter. His 2023 season earned him Prep Baseball NC All-State honors from our scouts as well. In his first outing of 2024, McDuffie fired a gem as Lee County upset No. 4 Corinth Holders. McDuffie was matched pitch for pitch through the first three innings by Corinth’s Jett Music (2024; Campbell commit). In the win, McDuffie fired a complete game, giving up just two hits and a walk, while striking out 13. He threw 96 pitches, 65 of which were strikes (68%).”

– Brandon Hall, Mid-Atlantic Scouting Director

Texas

+ Adrian Rodriguez, 1B/3B (Flower Mound HS, 2024) | Texas A&M commit:
“Rodriguez was on fire this past weekend at the Prep Baseball Texas Invitational. The switch-hitting corner infielder had nine hits in 18 at-bats and he drove in 13 for the No. 1-ranked Flower Mound Jaguars. He hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and he should continue to be a key piece in the heart of that lineup and looks to continue on its big season.”

(3/2/24)

+ AJ Ripley, LHP (Richardson Pearce HS, 2024) | McLennan JC commit:
“The McLennan recruit was nothing short of dominant last Friday night at the Prep Baseball Texas Invitational. He had 13 Ks in seven innings against a good lineup. And he also pitched out of a few jams that were caused by errors. He has a bulldog mentality on the bump and it is fun to watch. The fastball was 89-91 mph (T92) and it got a lot of swing and miss in the zone. The curve was sharp, 73-75 mph, with good shape – and he didn’t use the change much but it was around 80 with some fade. He does a good job keeping his arm speed up on both secondaries. Ripley's one of the top left-handers in North Texas.”

(3/1/24)

– Ben Green, Texas Ops. Director