Female Athlete of the Week
Bishop Verot softball coach Rick Hendrix declined to set any expectations for his team at the start of the season. The Vikings went 9-16 last year and returned one senior.
Hendrix, in his first year guiding the Vikings, said the development of his strong group of sophomores would determine a lot.
“We’re still young and we still make young mistakes,” he said, “but we’re starting to produce. The girls are growing up fast.”
The results have swung in the Vikings’ favor this season, thanks to the emergence of several players. Sophomore Allie Mitchell has been one of the main catalysts, both on the mound and at the plate for the Vikings (13-7, 4-0 in District 3A-12).
The Daily Breeze Female Athlete of the Week is 8-4 on the mound this season with 83 strikeouts and a 2.02 ERA. She leads the team with a .433 batting average.
She went 3-for-3 with a triple and four RBI in a win over Dunbar last Tuesday and followed that with a complete-game pitching effort in a win over Cape Coral Thursday.
“Allie is one of the most competitive athletes I’ve ever coached. She doesn’t ever want to come off the mound,” Hendrix said. “It’s definitely been a group effort, but she tends to lead the group.”
Mitchell came up big for the Vikings in two key district games against Sarasota Cardinal Mooney. Last season, Mooney swept the Vikings and won the district title.
The Vikings won each of the two games this season with Mitchell picking up wins in both. In the first meeting at Cardinal Mooney, Mitchell allowed one hit, struck out 10 and hit a home run.
Mitchell said the Vikings are on the right track, but need to continue to grow.
“We’ve definitely made a huge improvement from last year,” she said, “and we’re very young so it’s exciting going forward.”
Honorable mentions:
Samantha Greenwell, Mariner softball: Greenwell, a freshman, went 2-for-4 in a 10-3 win over Charlotte and belted a two-run home run in a win over Estero in the Tarpon Classic.
Sierra Novo, Ida Baker softball: Novo, a freshman, filled in on the mound due to injuries and pitched six strong innings, leading Baker to an 8-3 win over Charlotte in the Tarpon Classic.