LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  Stella Bale (Lakeland High School / Shrub Oak, N.Y.), Brynn Polega (Unionville-Sebewaing (Mich.) High School), Madison Pleasants (Cambridge (Md.)- South Dorchester High School), Trinity Bridges (Lafayette High School / Lexington, Ky.) and Sydney Lessentine (Alamogordo (N.M.) High School) were named MaxPreps / NFCA National High School Player of the Week for their respective regions. These student-athletes garnered recognition for contests played June 7-13.

East Region

Bale posted a 3-0 mark with a 0.27 ERA and 52 strikeouts to just one walk over 26 innings of work. She twirled a no-hitter and scattered seven hits. Bale no-hit Rye in a 1-0 win, striking out 15, walking none, and facing just one batter over the minimum. The junior hurler tossed a 12-inning shutout in a 1-0 victory over Yorktown in which Bale fanned 20, walked one and allowed three hits. She also struck out 17 and did not walk a batter in a complete-game four-hitter versus Eastchester. 

North Region

Polega was 3-0 with a 0.37 ERA and 47 strikeouts. She also went 7-for-12 at the plate with two doubles, a home run and six RBI. Polega twirled a two-hit shutout with 15 punchouts and a walk, while homering and driving in three runs versus Beaverton. Polega registered a one hit five-inning shutout against Kingston in which she fanned 11 and issued a free pass. In a 9-1 victory versus Harbor Beach, the senior righty recorded all 21 outs via strikeouts.

South Region

Pleasants finished the week 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and 47 strikeouts. She struck out 14 of 15 batters in a five-inning perfect game versus Pocomoke. Pleasants fanned 16, walked two, and allowed an unearned run against St. Michaels in her second consecutive no-hitter of the week. The senior hurler recorded 17 more strikeouts in a two-hit complete-game effort versus North Dorchester.

South Central Region

Bridges tossed back-to-back two-hit shutouts against Scott County and Lexington Catholic. The junior opened the week with a career-high 15 strikeouts and three walks in a 5-0 victory. Bridges came back the next day and fanned 14 and issued three walks in a 2-0 triumph.

West Region

Lessentine registered three shutouts and twirled a pair of no-hitters last week. The freshman hurler, struck out 33 and walked just one batter over 16 innings of work. Lessentine no-hit Gadsen in consecutive starts. She opened with a 16-strikeout, one-walk performance in a 4-0 victory. In the nightcap, Lessentine punched out 10 in a four-inning win. She added seven more strikeouts in a one-hit shutout over Las Cruces. In game two against the Panthers, Lessentine doubled twice and drove in five runs.

MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. To nominate a player for the award, the coach must enter his or her athlete's game stats into MaxPreps.com by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week’s award.

The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Players of the Week are announced on NFCA.org every Monday during the spring campaign with a player from each of the five separate high school regions being selected. In the fall season, one representative is chosen from the participating regions.

MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team’s stats on MaxPreps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country.

To obtain a coach’s login, please contact: coachsupport@maxpreps.com or call (800) 329-7324 x1. To enter a team’s stats on the MaxPreps website, please click here.