Sun Athletes of the Week: Grant Stanley and Rachel Hirsch

Thursday, April 27, 2000 | 9:33 a.m.

Male Athlete of the Week - GRANT STANLEY

School: Foothill

Class: Junior

Sport: Baseball

Family: Father Rick; mother Jan; sister Kerry.

Last week: Stanley helped the first-year Falcons to the title in the inaugural Foothill Invitational, picking up a win and a save on the mound and going 6-for-13 with 11 RBIs at the plate. After striking out two of the three batters he faced in a victory over Las Vegas High's split squad in his relief appearance on Tuesday, Stanley fanned 15 more in a complete-game, five-hitter against Clark on Wednesday. "Clark was trying to catch up to the fastball, and that got them out in front of his curveball and changeup," Foothill coach Tom Crine said. "Each outing, he's gotten a little more giddy-up on the fastball."

This season: Stanley, a shortstop on Green Valley's junior varsity squad last year, has been the Falcons' most productive hitter and pitcher thus far, as well as a key leader for the inexperienced club. "We've just tried to earn a little bit of respect this first year," said Stanley, who's also the football team's starting quarterback. "A lot of these guys haven't seen the competition before, so I wanted to be a leader over here." For the season, Stanley is batting .569 with 34 RBIs and four homers -- all team highs. He has a 2-4 pitching record with one save and a 4.39 ERA, with 42 strikeouts in 36.2 innings pitched.

Female Athlete of the Week - RACHEL HIRSCH

School: Las Vegas

Class: Senior

Sport: Softball

Family: Father Roger; mother Jody; sisters Sarah, Lauren.

Last week: Hirsch, the Wildcats' top pitcher, went 3-1 in Clark's Fred Davison Memorial Tournament, tossing three complete games and picking up another win in relief. In her four appearances, she allowed just two earned runs, striking out 24 and scattering 15 hits in 22 innings of work. In Hirsch's only loss -- a 1-0 defeat against division rival Eldorado, she did not give up an earned run and struck out five batters. She also went 7-for-14 at the plate with two triples, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored in the three-day event. "I just had a good tournament," Hirsch said. "I was really on."

This season: Hirsch has provided the Wildcats with a consistent ace this year, going 9-8 with a 1.34 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 104.1 innings pitched. "I've coached her for four years on J.V. and varsity and she's really pitching well right now," Las Vegas coach Kevin Jones said. "Against Eldorado, she was throwing the hardest I've seen. She seems to be gaining more confidence, and she's looked more assertive." Hirsch's Wildcats are closing in on the Northeast Division's No. 2 seed and preparing for a run in the upcoming Sunrise Region Tournament. "The tournament helped us out to know we're capable of beating anybody," Hirsch said. "We know we can go far."