Cahalan, Quick take home prestigious awards
Kenleigh Cahalan and Riley Quick were each honored as the top players in the state in their respective sports for their standout 2022 seasons.
Cahalan was named Miss Softball and Quick was named Mr. Baseball by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Both players were honored at the ASWA banquet in Birmingham in June.
Cahalan and Quick are the first winners of the award from Hewitt-Trussville High School. It is the first time in state history that student-athletes from the same school won the awards in the same year.
Both players helped lead the Huskies to Class 7A runner-up finishes in the spring. Cahalan helped steer the Hewitt softball team to the 7A title game, as the Huskies posted a 45-8-1 record on the year.
“I’m extremely proud of them,” Hewitt-Trussville head coach Taylor Burt said following the state final. “A lot of people didn’t expect us to be there, so I’m really, really proud of them.”
Cahalan was named 7A Player of the Year by the ASWA after hitting for a .549 average with 13 home runs and 66 runs batted in. She also scored 71 runs and notched 22 doubles, 5 triples and 52 walks. She posted an eye-popping .678 on-base percentage as well.
Quick played the role of dominant ace for the Hewitt-Trussville baseball squad, leading the Huskies to a 31-6-1 campaign and an appearance in the 7A championship series. He won game one of the series with a complete game shutout, striking out five batters in a 6-0 win.
“Riley Quick is the best pitcher in the state,” Hewitt-Trussville baseball coach Jeff Mauldin said, when discussing the game one win. “We feel really good with him on the mound. You feel like you’re going to win the game.”
Quick finished the year with a 13-1 record and an earned run average of 0.92. He hurled nine complete games and six shutouts, while opponents hit for a measly .142 average against him. He compiled 130 strikeouts and allowed just 11 earned runs all year. He was also named the 7A Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year by the ASWA.
– Hewitt-Trussville Athletics contributed to this report.