Baseball: Trumble named region player of year

Blaze Trumble, a sophomore at Boulder City High School, was named the 3A Southern Region player of the year after turning into a key offensive threat for the baseball program this season.

“I’m very honored to win player of the year because there were so many other amazing players and I’m only a sophomore,” Trumble said. “This year at the plate I was super motivated by the fact that I was out almost all last year with a fractured hip and couldn’t play the game I love. Now, I’m motivated to push myself and do better than I did this year.”

“I thought it was a very well-deserved honor,” head coach Ed McCann said. “He has an amazing season for us offensively. He was a double machine and was a tough out against any pitcher. His game really improved this season and he was a nice surprise. I’m very happy for him.”

Part of a stacked sophomore lineup that help the Eagles (27-10) reach the 3A state tournament for the fifth consecutive season, Trumble batted .429 this season, leading the team in runs batted in (46), doubles (17) and home runs (7). Trumble also compiled a 2-1 record on the mound while making 16 appearances.

For his efforts, Trumble was a first-team 3A all-state selection, along with senior Jimmy Dunagan (.341 batting average, 27 RBIs, eight doubles) and sophomore Troy Connell (.364 batting average, 29 RBIs, six doubles).

Sophomore Joey Giunta made the second team all-state as a key two-way contributor, batting .337 with 39 RBIs, five doubles and three triples while compiling a 6-2 record on the mound.

A two-way star as well, Connell posted a perfect 8-0 record on the mound.

All four players were first-team Southern Region selections.

Making second team all-region was senior Brendan Thorpe, who batted .346 with 35 runs batted in and 15 doubles, while compiling a 3-2 record on the mound.

“The thing I love about this team is we have guys that can play multiple roles,” McCann said. “We have a lot of guys who can both hit and pitch extremely well and that makes us dangerous.”

Junior Clark Newby (.364 batting average, 14 RBIs and six doubles) and sophomores Scott Bahde (.346 batting average, 19 RBIs and seven doubles) and Deavin Lopez (.429 batting average, 14 RBIs and six doubles) rounded out the Eagles’ core with second-team All-Sunrise League selections.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.