ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: TOMMY STIDHAM

Tommy Stidham

School: Chaffee

Sport: Baseball

Coach: Bruce Qualls

Week Report: Stidham, a junior pitcher/shortstop, went 9-for-19 (.474) with a double and two runs batted in from the leadoff position last week. He helped Chaffee to a first-place finish in the Red Devils' eight-team tournament by winning the semifinal game against Dexter and generally setting the table for the heart of the lineup.

Season Report: Stidham is 14-for-31 (.452) with four RBIs this season. More impressive is how the 3-year starter has braced the leadoff role. He has scored a team-high 17 runs this year and sports a whopping .600 on-base percentage. He has only struck out three times this season and has stolen 14 bases in 14 attempts. On the mound, Stidham is 4-0 with a save and a 3.65 earned run average. Chaffee is 9-2.

Coach's Comments: "He's our catalyst. He makes us go," Qualls said. "He's improved every year since starting as a freshman. He's not big in stature, but he's big in heart. He comes to win. If he wasn't on your team, you wouldn't like him. He's like a gnat on the bases."