Europe Athletes of the Week: April 26, 2012
Alex Weaver
Heidelberg baseball
Last week - Weaver, an All-Europe senior pitcher who spends his off-mound time at shortstop, celebrated his visit to Hohenfels by two-hitting the Tigers in a four-inning, 21-1 run-rule victory Saturday. In addition to striking out 10 Tigers in his route-going stint, he tripled in a three-for-three game at the plate and drove in three runs. He added a second triple in his only at-bat in the nightcap, which Heidelberg won 14-2.
According to Heidelberg coach Justin Bates, Weaver, who struck out 37 batters in 28 innings-pitched en route to a 0.43 ERA last season, is on similar pace this time around. In 13 innings of work in 2012, Weaver has struck out 24 batters and has thrown 149 of his 220 pitches for strikes.
Weaver’s three-baggers came as no surprise, either. Bates emailed that Weaver, who’s batting .500 after six games this season, boasts a slugging percentage of .875.
“As a hitter, Alex has all the tools of a savvy lead-off hitter,” Bates wrote. “He has the patience to see a lot of pitches and still get on base. On the base paths, he has the ability to read pitchers and get our team an early look at their pick-off moves as well as the opposing catcher’s throwing capabilities.”
Kayley Harless
AFNORTH soccer
Last week - Harless, a two-time All-Europe senior who scored 18 goals and assisted on nine others in 2011, shrugged off what her coach, Christopher Booth, called “typical Bitburg weather – blustery, with rain and hail to taste” – to score two goals and assists on two others Saturday. The outburst sparked the unbeaten Lady Lions to their third straight victory, a 7-0 non-regional triumph over Bitburg.
Harless “played an intelligent game, ranging through the midfield and offensive zone to support her teammates both offensively and defensively,” Booth wrote in a Monday email. “Kaley is a formidable competitor with a well-honed, intuitive sense of the game. She brings out the best in her teammates, leading by word and deed...”
Saturday’s output gave Harless, a product of local club soccer and the Olympic Development Program, six total goals going into AFNORTH’s last four regular-season games. Among them are tests against fellow European Division II contenders SHAPE and International School of Brussels.
