Two of this week’s picks are Matt McGarry of Menlo-Atherton and Marisa Given of Salinas Notre Dame. Photos: John Murphy/Prep2Prep.com & Gary Dangerfield Photography.
Just like we did during the football and basketball seasons, we are going to do our best to spread around these honors as much as possible with one boy and one girl chosen from each region in baseball and softball. This week’s best are from Atherton, Los Angeles, Salinas and Carson.
To nominate a player for next week, email markjtennis@gmail.com by Monday at 12 noon and be sure to include a photo that we can use (which means it’s not from the local newspaper or from another web site). Please feel free to call at 209-463-9050 as well both for nominations or to see if your business or small company would like to become a sponsor for this weekly content.
Note: For purposes of this feature, we are considering the CIF Central Section to be in the north.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Baseball Player of the Week
Matthew McGarry (Menlo-Atherton, Atherton) Sr.
It has been a tough season for the Bears but they started last week with a win when he hit a double, two home runs and drove in four runs during a 12-6 win over Los Altos. The Bears then followed that with a 2-1 win in extra innings over Terra Nova of Pacifica for their first three game winning streak this season.
It was McGarry’s first multi-homer game of the season, but it did increase his season total to seven.
Also a standout on the mound, he spent a busy summer before his senior season playing travel baseball and he has verbally committed to pitch at Vanderbilt.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Baseball Player of the Week
Alexander Madueke (Dorsey, Los Angeles) Sr.
During a 21-11 win over King/Drew of Los Angeles, Madueke finished a single shy of hitting for the cycle as he doubled, tripled and hit a grand slam home run. He also had eight RBI.
Earlier this season. Alexander had a game that saw him go a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate and on the season he is hitting .639 with 16 runs batted in and three home runs. He also has hit eight doubles and three triples while scoring 25 runs. In addition, showing off his speed, he is a perfect 23 for 23 on stolen base attempts this season.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Softball Player of the Week
Marisa Given (Notre Dame, Salinas) Sr.
Coming just off a banner season in basketball in which she was one of the top players in the Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division, Given is now shining for the Spirits in her top sport of softball.
In a 3-0 week for Notre Dame, Marisa began by going 2-for-2 with two RBIs (one walk, sac fly) in a 5-0 win against San Benito of Hollister (the team that had won eight straight CCS D1 titles until last season). She was 3-for-4 with one RBI in a 12-2 victory vs. Salinas and than went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as Notre Dame blasted Seaside 12-2.
For the week, Given ended 7-or-10 with five RBI and a .909 on-base percentage. She signed a letter of intent in November to play softball at the University of Oregon.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Softball Player of the Week
Aniesa Maulupe (Carson) Jr.
For the second time this season, this junior slugger ripped two home runs during a win for the Colts as she went a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with the two home runs and two doubles while driving in six runs during a 13-2 win over Narbonne of Harbor City.
Earlier this season, Maulupe hit two home runs and drove in seven runs during a 23-0 win over Gardena and last season she hit two home runs to help the Colts defeat Chatsworth in the L.A. City Section Division I championship game.
On the year. the Colts’ captain, who is committed to Long Beach State, is hitting .587 with 38 runs batted in, 10 doubles, one triple and seven home runs and so far in her high school career she has 27 home runs and 117 runs batted in. Maulupe has had to step up due to the absence of UCLA-bound teammate Brianna Tautalafua, who is rehabbing a knee injury and not playing this spring.
Paul Muyskens is the Stockton office assistant editor for CalHiSports.com. Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
