Each week, our HomeTeam staffers nominate Hot Shot athletes from each of the counties we cover (only males this week; all female sports are done for the school year). Then we turn the voting over to readers. These nominations span Saturday, May 10 through Friday, May 16. The winners get a T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on all of our nominees, then vote until noon Monday.
Male nominees
David Castillo, Sunlake baseball: In the Class 5A region final against Citra North Marion, the senior scored the tying run to send the game to extra innings. He also was strong on the mound, striking out nine in eight innings as the Seahawks won 6-3 to advance to their first state final four.
Steven Plaskett, East Lake baseball: The junior came on in relief in Friday’s marathon Class 7A state semifinal against Kissimmee Osceola, pitching 4.2 innings. He struck out seven, including the side in the final inning, to preserve the Eagles’ 1-0 victory.
Michael Sandborn, Jesuit baseball: The sophomore left-hander led Jesuit to its fifth straight state final four, giving up just two hits in seven innings pitched in a 1-0 win against Cape Coral. Sandborn, one of six JV players called up to play varsity in March, also earned the win in Jesuit’s district final victory against Robinson.
Conrado Skepple, Bloomingdale baseball: The junior rightfielder hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Bloomingdale to a 1-0 win against Park Vista in Friday’s Class 8A state semifinal. Skepple, who owns a team-leading .381 batting average, also scored the tying run in the Bulls’ 5-3 region semifinal win against Plant — a team they had lost to three times before this season — in extra innings.