BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
(Presented by Center City Print)
BRETT ANTOLICK, Hazleton Area senior pitcher/middle infielder
Time period: April 17-23
Game One: Antolick struck out 11 in a no-hitter April 18 when Hazleton Area edged visiting Wyoming Valley West, 1-0, in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 game. He also had a hit.
Game Two: Antolick was 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored during a 13-6 divisional victory at rival Crestwood Thursday.
Game Three: Hazleton Area solidified its WVC Division 1 lead by beating second-place Dallas, 3-1, Saturday with Antolick driving in one of the runs.
Season batting: Antolick leads the team in batting average (.455) and RBI (15).
Season pitching: After five more no-hit innings Monday (not included as part of the award week) in an impressive, 4-0, non-league win over Bethlehem Liberty, Antolick is 3-0 with an 0.72 ERA in four starts. He has thrown 19 1/3 innings, giving up just 4 hits, 3 runs (2 earned) and 7 walks while striking out 29.
About Brett: The Texas A&M commit tops 90 miles per hour with his fastball. His pitching starts draw Major League Baseball scouts and Antolick, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, is a prospect for this year’s MLB Draft.
About the Cougars: Hazleton Area has the best overall record in District 2 baseball at 10-1, is unbeaten within the district and leads WVC Division 1 by two games with an 8-0 record. … The Cougars are defending champions in both WVC Division 1 and the District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional. They went 22-2 and were the last team standing from District 2 last season, using two Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association shutouts to reach the state semifinals where they lost, 4-2, to Bethlehem Liberty, the team they beat in Monday’s rematch.
