Prep Athletes of the week

Thursday, March 30, 2000 | 8:21 a.m.

Male Athletes of the week

ADAM MORRIS and BRICE SELLS

School: Green Valley

Class: Junior (Morris) Senior (Sells)

Sports: Baseball

Family (Morris): Father Greg; mother Julie; brothers Taylor, Zach, Jacob; sister Jessica.

Family (Sells): Father Mark; mother Deanna; brother Josh.

Last week: Morris and Sells, a pair of right-handed pitchers, tossed consecutive perfect games in a four-day period for the Gators. Morris turned the trick on Saturday, March 18, shutting out La Pine (Ore.) 11-0. "I was aware it was going on, but I didn't want to think about it," Morris said. The following Tuesday, Sells followed suit in a 10-0 shutout of Rancho. "I was just trying to keep my composure, throw strikes, keep the ball low," Sells said. Offered awed Green Valley coach Nick Garritano: "I've never actually seen a perfect game in real life before, and to go back-to-back is unreal."

This season: Although he has made several starts thus far, Sells (2-0, 1 save) will likely be the Gators primary closer when conference play begins Friday. "He has three or four offspeed pitches, and when they're all working he's pretty good," Garritano said. Morris (1-0) wasn't expecting to see much time at the varsity level this season, but his perfect game may have opened some eyes. "He threw strikes, he got ahead in the count and he had his offspeed stuff working," Garritano said.

TARAH SOCKERSON

School: Western

Class: Sophomore

Sport: Softball

Family: Father Brian; mother Julie; brother Brian; grandmother Judy.

Last week: Sockerson helped the Warriors to their first win in three years in Monday, tossing a complete-game one-hitter in a 7-3 victory over Corbett (Ore.). "It was huge," Western coach Scott Leonard said. "Five girls had played the last two years on varsity without a win. There were some tears shed." On Thursday, Sockerson threw a four-hitter to lead the Warriors to another win, this time a 10-1 triumph over Mojave. "It felt great to come out and help my team win those games," she said. "After the first win, we all had different attitudes. We know we're a competitive team."

This season: Sockerson, a transfer who played junior varsity softball at California's Lakewood High School last year, has meant the world to a Western team in dire need of pitching help. "We were struggling to find a pitcher," Leonard said. "She throws gas, she's got a changeup and she moves the ball pretty well."