It’s time to vote for Athlete of the Week as inch closer to the postseason for the spring season.
In fact in some sports, I’m looking at you beach volleyball, the playoffs have already started.
As always, the weekly winner is up to you. Simply read about the exploits of this week’s candidates and vote for your favorite in the poll at the bottom of this article at desertsun.com. Whoever has the most votes at noon on Saturday will be the weekly winner.
But before we look at this week’s honorees, let’s see who you voted for last week. The Desert Sun Athlete of the Week last week is Palm Desert baseball player Nicholas Chavez. Chavez was instrumental in the Aztecs’ signature win over La Quinta.
Let’s keep the nominations coming. We love to get Athlete of the Week candidate submissions. If you know of an athlete excelling in any spring sport, send us the details to sports@desertsun.com.
Now it’s time to vote. Her are this week’s candidates, listed in alphabetical order. Happy voting!
Taylor Geller, Palm Desert beach volleyball
What she did: Geller has been a consistent force for the Aztecs all year long, and after helping her team make the CIF-SS playoffs, she helped boost them to an opening-round 4-1 win Tuesday over St. Bonaventure. Geller and her teammate Sophie Tran won their match 21-12, 21-18.
Jose Rodriguez, La Quinta baseball
What he did: Rodriguez pitched a gem in a 4-3 win over Rancho Mirage last week, yielding just five hits and one earned run while striking out 11 and walking just one. He followed that up with a 2-for-4 night including a run scored in a 3-1 win over Rancho Mirage. Then in a rout of Xavier on Tuesday, he was 2 for 2 with a double and three runs scored and pitched four innings striking out nine.
Lauriana Romo, Cathedral City softball
What she did: The freshman pitcher has been vital in keeping the Lions on a roll as she has stepped in to pitch with ace Sayuri Toledo injured and on the mend. In a recent win over Desert Hot Springs, she earned the win on the mound with 10 strikeouts and had a monster day at the plate going 4 for 4 with two doubles and a home, four runs scored and three RBIs.
Kaila Wilson, Indio softball
What she did: Wilson, a sophomore hurler for the Rajahs, she pitched two gems last week including a no-hitter in a pair of wins over Yucca Valley. In her first game she pitched a five-inning one-hitter and in the second game she pitched a five-inning no-hitter. That’s 10 innings of one-hit softball. She also went 5 for 6 at the plate with four RBIs over the two games.
Luciano Zaragoza, Indio baseball
What he did: Zaragoza helped the Rajas in a pair of wins over Yucca Valley. In game one, he went 1-for-2, drew two hit-by-pitches, and added two steals. In game two, the senior pitched and allowed just two runs while recording three strikeouts and issuing three walks. At the plate, he was 2-for-4 with a stolen base, helping the Rajahs close out a 7–4 win.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: It’s time to vote for The Desert Sun Athlete of the Week
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
