A spotlight on the Times’ players of the week.

MALE Hot Shot
Jamal Wilson, senior, Bloomingdale High
Sport: Baseball
Skinny: Wilson earned MVP of the Saladino Tournament after leading the Bulls to their first title since 1995. He went 12-for-19 with three RBIs and threw 4 1/3 innings — 108 pitches — in a start against Brandon in the quarterfinals. He saved his heroics for the championship game Friday against Jefferson by pitching a scoreless eighth and scoring the winning run in the bottom half of the inning. Wilson, whose right arm still felt a little weary from the win over Brandon, said he was grateful to get the chance at the win. “I told my coach that it was a big game and I wanted to be the one to win it and that my arm was fine,” he said. “But my arm probably wasn’t fine.”

Female Hot Shot
Nikki Misner,
senior, Plant High
Sport: Softball
Skinny: Misner enjoyed the most sparkling Saturday of her career on March 9, earning two victories in 15 innings inside the circle to help Plant clinch the Lady ’Canes tournament in Clearwater. A couple of hours after allowing seven hits in as many innings in a 3-2 win against host Palm Harbor University, Misner tossed an eight-inning four-hitter against River Ridge in the final, striking out 10 and walking one in a 1-0 triumph. “All of her pitches were working well for the first time this season and that allowed us to move the ball around and keep the hitters off-balance,” said Panthers coach Melissa Sigmon.