With the 2026 Texas high school baseball and softball seasons ramping up statewide, the Big Country’s top high school athletes shined across the Lone Star State last week.
Several athletes had standout performances during last week’s action and have been nominated for this week’s edition of the Abilene Reporter-News’ City National Bank High School Athlete of the Week.
The Reporter-News is taking weekly nominations and will release a list of finalists for the City National Bank Athlete of the Week at the beginning of each week.
Please include statistics from the week’s games and any pertinent information or honors.
Students in all varsity sports are eligible and can only be named Athlete of the Week one time per season, per sport, and athletes from one school cannot win more than three consecutive weeks.
The poll will close at 5 p.m. Friday and the winner will be announced shortly afterward.
Nominations are due by 7 p.m. Saturday and can be submitted through email at sports@reporternews.com or Andrew.McCulloch@reporternews.com.
Take a look at this week’s candidates and cast your vote.
Candidates for the Abilene Reporter-News’ High School Athlete of the Week are listed in alphabetical order below.
Carra Arnold, Cisco softball
Arnold delivered a walkoff two-run double in the bottom of the 10th inning that helped the Lady Loboes win the first of two extra-inning bi-district round games against Hawley in the 2A DI playoffs. She finished the series with three RBIs and a double on 2-for-9 hitting.
McKinley Crouch, Merkel softball
Crouch pitched every frame of the Lady Badger’s 2-1 series win over Florence in the bi-district round of the 3A DII playoffs. She was electric inside the circle, earning a pair of wins after hurling 19 combined innings with 34 strikeouts, 14 hits, five walks and five earned runs allowed.
Xander Davis, Clyde baseball
Davis tossed a seven-inning no-hitter in the Bulldogs’ 10-0 win over San Angelo TLCA, tallying nine strikeouts, two hit-by-pitches and no hits allowed on the mound. He also went 4-for-6 at the plate last week with six RBIs, three runs scored, three doubles, a home run, two hit-by-pitches and a walk.
Kayme Ellrod, Anson softball
Ellrod lifted the Lady Tigers to back-to-back blowout wins over Ballinger in the bi-district round of the 2A DII playoffs, going 1-for-2 at the plate with three RBIs, three runs scored, four walks, a home run, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base. She also pitched 6⅔ innings and earned two victories in the circle after recording 15 strikeouts, five hits, one walk and one earned run allowed.
George Ferguson, Abilene High baseball
Ferguson tossed a seven-inning perfect game in the Eagles’ 5-0 over crosstown rival Abilene Cooper, registering 16 strikeouts with no wild pitches, hits or walks allowed on an efficient 82 pitches.
Miles Follis, Stamford baseball
Follis went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate and tallied three RBIs, two runs scored, a double and two stolen bases to lead the Bulldogs to a blowout 16-2 win over Haskell in their regular-season finale.
Sydnee Gomez, Snyder softball
Gomez pitched a pair of gyms to lead the Lady Tigers to back-to-back shutout wins against Glen Rose in the bi-district round of the 4A DII playoffs. She earned a pair of wins in the circle after hurling a combined 12 scoreless innings with 27 strikeouts, seven walks and two hits allowed.
Lane Goodson, May baseball
Goodson helped May close out the regular season with back-to-back victories over Cross Plains, racking up four RBIs, three runs scored, a double, two stolen bases and a sac fly on 5-for-6 hitting. He also earned a win on the mound for the Tigers after hurling four innings with 11 strikeouts, two hits, one walk and one earned run allowed.
Analia Hinojosa, Big Spring softball
Hinojosa racked up eight RBIs, six runs scored, two doubles, a home run, two walks and a stolen base on 6-for-7 hitting to lift Big Spring to back-to-back victories against Stephenville in the bi-district round of the 4A DI playoffs.
Brooklyn Homen, Merkel softball
Homen was dialed in at the plate during the Lady Badgers’ bi-district round series victory over Florence, tallying six runs scored, three RBIs, a double, a triple, a stolen base and a hit-by-pitch on 6-for-11 hitting.
Avery Ibarra, Snyder softball
Ibarra clobbered a home run and a double on 3-for-7 hitting and added four RBIs and a run scored in Snyder’s two-game sweep of Glen Rose in the bi-district round of the 4A DII playoffs.
Kenzie McLean, Cross Plains softball
McLean made a huge impact at the plate for the Lady Buffs in their two-game sweep of Jayton in the bi-district round of the 1A playoffs, tallying six RBIs, four runs scored, three walks, two doubles and three stolen bases on 4-for-5 hitting. She also picked up a win in the circle after pitching three scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, one hit and zero walks allowed.
Mikaelynn Miles, Hico softball
Miles had a huge series at the plate and also shined in the circle during the Lady Tigers’ bi-district round series sweep of Dawson, where she racked up eight RBIs, two runs scored, three doubles and a stolen base on 8-for-9 hitting. She also pitched 11 innings in the circle, tallying nine strikeouts, 17 hits, one walk and six earned runs allowed.
Bryanna Munoz, Colorado City softball
Munoz smoked two home runs and a double on 4-for-7 hitting with five runs scored, two RBIs, a walk and a stolen base to lead the Lady Wolves to back-to-back blowout wins against Ozona in the bi-district round of the 2A DII playoffs.
Avah Reyes, Abilene High softball
Reyes shined in the circle and at the plate to lead Abilene High to a two-game sweep of Amarillo High in the 5A DI playoffs. She pitched a combined 10 innings in the circle, earning one win after recording 15 strikeouts, six hits, two walks and one earned run allowed. She also posted a 4-for-6 mark at the plate with an RBI.
Blakely Rodgers, Coahoma softball
Rodgers caught fire at the plate during the Bulldogettes’ 17-0 rout of Anthony in the bi-district round of the 3A DII playoffs, recording three runs scored, two RBIs, a home run, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base on 2-for-2 hitting.
Brynlee Stocks, Haskell softball
Stocks helped the Maidens secure back-to-back wins over Coleman in the bi-district round of the 2A DII playoffs by going 5-for-6 at the plate and racking up four RBIs, four runs scored, three doubles, a triple and a sac fly. She also earned a win in the circle after firing five scoreless innings with two strikeouts compared to three hits and zero walks allowed.
Pyper Tilley, Tuscola Jim Ned softball
Tilley racked up five RBIs, three runs scored, three doubles, a triple, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base on 5-for-6 hitting to lead Jim Ned to back-to-back victories over Llano in the bi-district round of the 3A DI playoffs.
Hudson Tulley, Abilene Wylie baseball
Tulley tallied four RBIs, three runs scored, two triples, a double and a walk on 3-for-6 hitting to lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back wins against Wichita Falls Legacy in District 4-5A action last week.
Kinsley Turner, Abilene Wylie softball
Turner blasted three home runs to power the Lady Bulldogs to back-to-back wins over Lubbock High in the bi-district round of the 5A DII playoffs. She went 5-for-8 at the plate with six runs scored, five RBIs, two doubles and a walk in addition to her three homers.
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This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Vote for Big Country Athlete of the Week for April 20-26, presented by City National Bank
Reporting by Andrew McCulloch, Abilene Reporter-News / Abilene Reporter-News
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