HomeTeam Hot Shots
A spotlight on the Tampa BayTimes’ bay area players of the week.
Female Hot Shot: Rachel Taylor, Palm Harbor University
Sport: Softball
Skinny: The senior resumed her role as the Hurricanes’ ace this season and started 5-0, including a two-hit shutout over Pinellas Park last week. But her performance at the plate has opened some eyes. Last week, Taylor was hitting a county-best .750, an impressive average considering she missed time conditioning and in the preseason while starting at goalkeeper for the soccer team that made the state semifinals. “We knew Rachel would be counted on a lot for us as a pitcher,” coach Kerry Katchuk said. “She’s always been a good hitter, too. What’s been unexpected is how good she’s been hitting so early in the year.”
Male Hot Shot: Tyler Short, Largo
Sport: Baseball
Skinny: The junior came up big last week for the Packers. Mired in a mini-slump, Short hit a three-run home run Thursday at East Lake in the top of the seventh inning to give Largo a 6-3 lead. The Packers held on in the bottom of the inning and won their first, and so far only, game of the season. It was Short’s first home run of the season. He hit four as a sophomore. “It was obviously a big hit for us,” first-year Largo coach Shawn Brown said. “And for it to come against a team like East Lake was special.”