Virgin Valley sweeps 3A baseball MVP, Coach of Year

Virgin Valley's baseball team has added more honors to its second straight Class 3A state title.

Bulldogs senior pitcher Travis Leavitt (7-2, 1.95 ERA) was named the state's Most Valuable Player and Virgin Valley's Boyd Wittwer took Coach of the Year honors in balloting by state coaches.

The Bulldogs also had senior third baseman Anthony Morris, senior outfielders Terran Leavitt and Jonathan Gleave and junior pitcher Zach Horlacher named to the first team.

First-team honors also went to Faith Lutheran junior first baseman Bobby Burns, senior second baseman Christian Lopez, senior utility player Alex Barnes and senior pitcher Terry Unruh.

Fernley took the top two 3A softball awards, with senior pitcher Jayme King taking MVP and Diane Chapin Coach of the Year.

Boulder City placed four players on the first team -- junior catcher Paxton Fleming, junior third baseman Melissa Stewart, junior outfielder Britty Patt and freshman pitcher Karlee Koopman.

Faith Lutheran junior outfielder Brittany Hampton and senior utility player Kaitlyn Patterson also were selected to the first team.

In 2A baseball, Needles (Calif.) sophomore shortstop Bobby Stahel was the MVP and Ken Parker Coach of the Year.

The Meadows freshman pitcher Garrett Gosse was chosen to the first team.

In 2A softball, Needles senior Lexi Baldwin and junior Alex Chandler shared MVP honors, and Lincoln County's Pat Kelley took Coach of the Year.

• GOLF -- Not surprisingly, Class 4A individual state golf champion Ray Gillip of Las Vegas High was named the Sunrise Region Player of the Year.

Gillip, a senior, carded a 36-hole total of 2-under-par 142, then beat Spanish Springs' Jordan Gilmore in a one-hole playoff to capture the state crown.

Palo Verde junior Kyle Melchiorre, who posted an 18-hole average of 73.6, took Sunset Player of the Year honors.

Gillip and Melchiorre were joined on the All-Southern Nevada team by Coronado senior Kevin Stratton, sophomore Tad Darland and freshman A.J. McInerney, Arbor View freshman Zane Thomas, Bonanza senior Yongsoo Shin and Green Valley junior Ryan Green.