Taylor Passard & Sela Rodriguez
Just a freshman, Taylor Passard is already a big deal for the Colony Knights. Volleyball, basketball, softball – it doesn’t matter, she’s her team’s best player. Her nickname should be La Franchise.
The 5-7 playmaker from Palmer is great at spiking the ball and even better at shooting it on the hardwood, but she shines brightest on the diamond as a right-handed power hitter.
Team USA doesn’t invite just anyone to try out, so that should tell you Passard is a special talent. And she’s been especially good for Colony in the month of April to open the high school softball season.
Passard is batting .657 in 12 games on 23-for-35 hitting with six home runs and 27 RBIs.
On Thursday, she went 3-for-7 with a home run, triple and double in a split doubleheader sweep of Houston and Homer by a combined score of 26-2.
She’s collected at least one hit and one RBI in each of her 12 games and has heated up of late with five home runs across her last seven games.
Last week, Passard had back-to-back games with five RBIs.
Her slugging percentage of 1.457 looks like something out of a video game and laps the team’s average of .692.
Three is the magic number for Passard.
On the volleyball court, she led the Knights to the Class 4A state title match for the first time since 2002 and was named the tournament’s most outstanding hitter.
On the basketball court, she averaged a team-best 17 points, led the Knights to a third-place finish and was named first team all-state.
On the softball field, she’s an extra-base hit waiting to happen and can play shortstop, third base, center field and catcher.
Watch out for this fabulous freshman as the spring season gets into full swing.
Rodriguez nears 30 HRs
Two-time Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year Sela Rodriguez of East has picked up where she left off last season when it comes to hitting the ball out of the park.
After belting a career-best 11 home runs as a junior, the senior standout went yard in each of her first two games as a senior in addition to recording seven RBIs and striking out 26 batters in 10 innings as a pitcher.
On Monday, she went 3-for-3 with a dinger, two doubles and three RBIs to go with 12 strikeouts in four innings in the circle before Dimond rallied in the fifth for a 10-6 win.
On Wednesday, she went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in addition to recording 14 strikeouts in six innings in a 6-0 win over Service.
Don’t let the smile fool you, Rodriguez will steal your dreams on the diamond. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Rodriguez’s next home run will be No. 30 for her career. She’s a .521 career hitter with 115 RBIs in 72 games.
At pitcher, she has posted a 32-5 record in 53 career appearances along with 444 strikeouts in 223 innings.
She also plays on the 18U AK Krush Fastpitch Softball team with Passard.
Rodriguez is aiming to become Alaska’s next three-time Gatorade winner, joining Chugiak’s Nicci Ward (2002-04), West’s Pauline Tufi (2011-13) and South’s Sabrina Jolin (2019-21). Ward went on to play at Villanova, Tufi at Louisiana Tech and Jolin and UNLV and then Lamar.
Rodriguez is headed to St. Bonaventure of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
