Baseball player of the week (5/1): Mansfield RHP Xavier Hirsch

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Mansfield RHP Xavier Hirsch

What he did: Hirsch was a critical part of Mansfield going 3-0 last week, which put the Tigers into the playoffs. On Tuesday he pitched a complete game with no earned runs and seven strikeouts while going 2 for 3 at the plate with a RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in a 2-1 win over Cedar Hill.

Hirsch hit two home runs and drove in five runs in a 16-3 win over Cedar Hill on Friday, a win that clinched a postseason berth for Mansfield. On Saturday he went 4 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and a stolen base in a 6-5 win over Waxahachie in a District 11-6A third-place tiebreaker game. He batted .818 for the week.

Who he is: A 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher and left fielder. He has lived in Mansfield since he was two years old. He started playing baseball when he was four years old, encouraged by his father Jeff. He said he started feeling especially good about his game when he was nine years old when he wondered why it was hard for other players his age to throw strikes.

The stats: On the mound, Hirsch is 5-4 with a 0.94 ERA. In 59 2/3 innings pitched he has 65 strikeouts with a 0.65 WHIP. He has thrown seven complete games and no-hitter while his opponents have batted .154 against him. All four losses were by one run.

At the plate, Hirsch has a .386 batting average with five doubles, one triple and two home runs. He has 12 RBIs and has scored 19 runs. Hirsch helped Mansfield compile a 14-12-1 record. Mansfield will face Belton (16-8-1) in the bi-district round of the Class 6A playoffs.

He said it: “My favorite part of this week was definitely the first home run on Friday. That was my first homer since I was 12. I pitch every week. I don’t get to hit home runs every week. … This past year I have worked on improving my slider the most. I’ve thrown it for three or four years. This year I worked on improving my release point. It’s my number-two pitch now.”

Coach said it: “This week, what I was most impressed with his two home runs on Friday because they were both opposite-field shots. It came from baseball savvy and working on his hitting in the off-season. … What I like best about Xavier is his leadership and consistency. The whole team has confidence in him.” – Mansfield coach Randy Davis.

Did you know? Hirsch will attend the University of Notre Dame this fall (after receiving his acceptance e-mail on St. Patrick’s Day). He will attempt to walk on the Notre Dame baseball team, after receiving interest from Dallas Baptist, Wichita State, Siena and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Hirsch said he chose Notre Dame for academic opportunities, especially in math. … His favorite courses in school are math, especially calculus, and Spanish. … His favorite meal is chicken tenders with fries and lemonade. … His favorite athlete is Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, which he cheered for because his father is a fan of the New York Yankees. Hirsch said he liked Jeter’s ability to be a spray hitter.

Honorable mention

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