Former Sahuarita standout Ian Mejia was named Pitcher of the Week for the Mississippi Braves. Mejia earned his first Double-A win in Mississippi’s April 17 win over the Barons at Regions Field. Over 6 innings, Mejia gave up one run on two hits with three walks and set a new career-high with nine strikeouts. Over Mejia’s last two starts, he’s held the opposition to one run on five hits, four walks, and 13 strikeouts. Mejia is 1-0 overall with a 3.29 ERA (5 ER/13.2 IP), six walks, and 16 strikeouts. He ranks among the Southern League leaders in opponent’s batting average (6th, .188) and strikeouts (10th, 16). Mejia was selected by the Braves in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out of New Mexico State.
Former Sabino standout Cassie Castaneda had a great weekend at the plate against North Dakota State – hitting 5-7 (.714) over the weekend, reaching base in seven of ten plate appearances (.700) and slugging .714. In game one she went 3-4 from the plate and scored two runs. She hit the game winning single in game two, which brought in the lone run of the game in a 2-3 performance. A sac fly got the first run on the board in game three, and she drew two walks. Additionally, she went 1-2 with a run scored and a walk against Minot State in the midweek game.
Former Walden Grove golfer Gabriel Escalera was named Mid-America Men’s Golfer of the Week for Hastings. Escalera won the Verhille Invitational by four strokes as he shot a 143 (-1) for the tournament. This is his fourth win of the year which is a school record for tournaments won in a season.
Former Walden Grove standout James Velasquez (Hastings) earned the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports pitcher-of-the-week. Velasquez tossed a complete-game shutout against Dordt going 7.0 innings giving up just four hits while striking out a career-high 10 in the win over the Defenders. He is now 6-2 on the season with a team leading 60 strikeouts on the year. Velasquez is also ranked No. 2 nationally with an astounding 1.37 ERA.
Former Canyon del Oro pitcher Julia Holt was named Most Improved Player at Howard University.
Former Sahuarita standout Diego Alvarez (Pima) was named ACCAC Pitcher of the Week.
This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to win either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but collegiate and professional recognitions. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know. amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
Portions from news release.
46 athletes have been recognized for 2024 – we had 307 athletes recognized in 2023.
James Velasquez/Baseball
Walden Grove/Hastings
Mid-America Pitcher of the Week (4/23)
Gabriel Escalera/Golf
Walden Grove/Hastings
Mid-America Men’s Golfer of the Week (4/24)
Sam Beskind/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Colorado School of Mines
RMAC Player of the Week (1/15)
RMAC First Team (3/6)
RMAC Academic First Team (3/13)
RMAC Academic Player of the Year (3/13)
Academic All-District (4/18)
Ian Mejia/Baseball
Sahuarita/Mississippi Braves
Pitcher of the Week (4/23)
Cassie Castaneda/Softball
Sabino/North Dakota
Summit League Peak Performer of the Week (4/22)
Julia Holt/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Howard
Most Improved (4/23)
Diego Alvarez/Baseball
Sahuarita/Pima
ACCAC Pitcher of the Week (4/18)
Jazmyne Waddell/Softball
San Manuel/Pima
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (2/28)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (3/21)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (4/10)
ACCAC D-I Pitcher of the Week (4/17)
Talia Martin/Softball
Mountain View/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (4/17)
Dillan Baker/Basketball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/2)
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/9)
All-ACCAC DII First Team (3/6)
All-Region DII First Team (3/6)
NJCAA 3rd Team All-American (4/10)
AZ JUCO All-Star (4/13)
Majok Deng/Basketball
Salpointe/Colorado School of Mines
RMAC Player of the Week (1/29)
RMAC Player of the Week (2/26)
RMAC First Team (3/6)
RMAC All-Tournament Team (3/9)
D2CCA South Central 2nd Team (3/21)
NABC South Central 2nd Team (3/25)
Johnnie Blockburger/Track
Tucson/USC
Pac-12 Track Athletes of the Week (4/8)
Trayvion White-Austin/Track
Tucson/Arizona
Pac-12 Track Athletes of the Week (3/26)
Carlie Scupin/Softball
Tucson/Arizona
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-37 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Top Cat of the Week (4/8)
Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee (4/8)
Andrew Cook/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Colorado State Pueblo
NFF Hampshire Honor Society (4/10)
Gianna Pancost/Softball
Sabino/Colorado-Colorado Springs
RMAC Player of the Week (4/9)
Hailie Mann/Softball
Mountain View/Ft. Lewis
RMAC Pitcher of the Week (4/9)
Levi Padilla/Baseball
Salpointe/Regis
RMAC Player of the Week Nominee (4/9)
Mariah Lopez/Softball
Cienega/Utah
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-23 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Nominee (4/8)
Ainsley Malis/Volleyball
Tanque Verde/West Texas A&M
NCAA Graduate Scholarship (4/8)
Neysia Howard/Track
Tucson/GCU
WAC High Point Award (2/20)
WAC Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year (3/5)
GCU Thunder Award (4/1)
Cole Altherr/Baseball
Catalina Foothills/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week nominee (4/1)
Abril Nerey/Softball
Rio Rico/Park-Gilbert
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week nominee (3/18)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (3/25)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (4/1)
Alec Larson/Baseball
Catalina Foothills/Benedictine Mesa
Cal Pac Player of the Week nominee (3/4)
Cal Pac Player of the Week nominee (4/1)
Vanessa Brink/Softball
Empire/Embry-Riddle
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (3/11)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week (3/18)
Cal PAC Pitcher of the Week Nominee (3/18)
Leah Salas/Softball
Sahuarita/Embry-Riddle
Cal PAC Player of the Week nominee (3/18)
NAIA Player of the Week (3/26)
Emma Almodoba/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Embry-Riddle
Cal Pac Player of the Week (3/4)
Isaiah Roebuck/Baseball
Marana/Jamestown
Iron Jimmie of the Month (3/29)
Abraham Valenzuela/Track and Field
Palo Verde/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (3/29)
Nathaniel Curtiss/Track and Field
Rincon/UHS/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (3/29)
Alyssa Brown/Basketball
Sahuaro/UNLV
Mountain West Player of the Week (1/8)
Mountain West Tourney MVP (3/13)
Outstanding Rebel of the Week (3/22)
Camilla Zepeda/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/21)
Emily Darwin/Softball
Benson/Grand Canyon
WAC Pitcher of the Week (3/11)
Sydney Gray/Softball
Sabino/Nebraska
Big Ten Player of the Week (2/19)
Big Ten Player of the Week (2/21)
Big Ten Player of the Week (3/11)
Lual Lual/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Mesa
All-ACCAC DII Second Team (3/6)
All-Region DII Second Team (3/6)
Gabriella Lopez/Basketball
Bisbee/Pima
DII Defensive Player of the Year (3/6)
All-ACCAC DII Second Team (3/6)
All-Region DII Second Team (3/6)
Dominique Acosta/Basketball
Nogales/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/2)
All-ACCAC DII First Team (3/6)
All-Region DII Second Team (3/6)
Mason White/Baseball
Salpointe/Arizona
Bobby Bragan Award Watch List (2/16)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/8)
Frisco Classic All-Tournament Team (3/6)
Bria Medina/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox
Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year (2/27)
Midwest Conference First Team (2/27)
Kylee Callahan/Basketball
Salpointe/Knox
Midwest Player of the Week (1/3)
Midwest Conference First Team (2/27)
Aaliyah Ortiz/Basketball
Palo Verde/Culver-Stockton
All-Heart of America Team (3/1)
Dylan Dreis/Football
Salpointe/Arizona
Arizona Bow Intern of the Year (2/29)
Isaiah Miller/Wrestling
Sahuarita/Jamestown
GPAC Freshman of the Year
GPAC First Team (2/21)
Rumur Rouille/Volleyball
Ironwood Ridge/Long Island
NEC Scholar Athlete (2/7)
NEC Academic Honor Roll (2/7)
Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Perth
NBL Most Valuable Player (2/19)
Spencer Packard/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Arkansas Travelers
MLB Prospect (2/7)
Devyn Netz/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-94 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Allie Skaggs/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
D-I Softball Preseason Top 100-18 (1/19)
Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Aquarina Thomas/Volleyball
Tucson/Des Moines Area CC
Fall Academic All-Region (1/16)
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