First Coast Varsity Weekly: Bucs slugger Hunter Carns challenges nation's home run kings

From First Coast to first in the nation? It's a possibility.

Junior catcher Hunter Carns, near the midway point of his third season starting behind the plate for First Coast baseball on the Northside, is slugging his way into elite company — both in the Sunshine State and beyond.

Through 10 games, Carns is tied for second in the MaxPreps baseball list with six home runs. The only player in the United States to clear the fences more often this year is Louisiana Tech-committed Brodey Walker of Yazoo City (Miss.) Manchester Academy, with eight.

But power is only one part of the game for Carns, committed to Florida State. He entered the week with a .556 batting average, a pair of triples, nine stolen bases and a staggering 2.006 OPS. His slugging percentage of 1.370 ranks fifth in the country.

Carns still has work to do to threaten Jacksonville's single-season long-ball mark. Arlington Country Day's Javier Baez, now with the Detroit Tigers, bashed 22 home runs in 2011, while Providence's Walker Lockett holds the city record for a school affiliated with the Florida High School Athletic Association after slugging 18 in the same season.

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Byrd flies high for Baldwin

Baldwin softball means big-time bats. Everyone expected that, with a returning roster that includes multi-year starters Cali Hartung, Jazmine Ramos-Merced, Chloe Gotto and more stars from the 2022 Region 1-3A champions.

But the pitching from junior Shaylen Byrd has added one more weapon to a championship contender.

Byrd continued an overpowering start to the season at the Oakleaf Tournament of Champions, striking out 16 in a 3-2 win over reigning Class 5A champion Middleburg and hurling a one-hit shutout in an 11-0 win against Bartram Trail.

A final-four squad last year, Baldwin has begun with nine consecutive wins, with Byrd wielding a 1.32 ERA. She showed significant promise last year, recording an 0.79 ERA in part-time duty, and hasn't missed a beat in the new season.

That pitching is more than good enough for the batting order, where Hartung, Ramos-Merced and Chloe Stepherson have combined for nine home runs.

Weather washed out the planned final of the eight-team tournament, which would have pitted Baldwin against a Providence team with an elite battery in pitcher Joey Trawick and catcher Zoe Yaeger. The Stallions had advanced to the final by defeating Fort White 11-3 and Oakleaf 4-3.

Bolles lacrosse dominates Louisiana series

Eleven games. Eleven wins.

Just in time for Jacksonville's lacrosse showcase, Bolles is rocketing to the top of the Sunshine State.

The Bulldogs, 11-0 entering Tuesday night's game against Dublin (Ohio) Jerome, rank second in the MaxPreps formula for boys lacrosse statewide after three more wins on the road.

Last week, Bolles steamrolled past South Walton 21-5, then continued on for a pair of wins against Louisiana opposition, 18-3 over St. Thomas More and 15-4 over Baton Rouge Catholic.

So far, the Bulldogs have shown excellent all-around scoring depth. Top finishers in attack include Gavin Boree (37 goals, 21 assists), Caleb Coleman (32 goals, 6 assists), Daylin John-Hill (43 goals, 31 assists), Parker Kane (33 goals, 4 assists) and Spencer Surface (22 goals, 12 assists). Freshman Greer Boree is winning 67 percent of faceoffs, and senior Garrett Jobe has a 5.3 goals-against average.

Bolles' Skinner-Barco Stadium will be the venue for the Rivalry on the River tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Bulldogs meet another out-of-state power, Mount Pleasant (S.C.) Lucy Beckham.

McMahon wins two NCAA titles

Kensey McMahon capped her college swimming career with gold.

In her final meet representing the University of Alabama, the former Mandarin swimmer won two distance events at the NCAA swimming championships from Wednesday through Saturday at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

She swam 4:36.62 for first place in the 500-yard freestyle, and two days later, raced to the top spot in the 1,650 free in 15:43.84. An All-American in all five years at Alabama, she's the first in Crimson Tide women's swimming history to win multiple NCAA championships.

The college titles continue an excellent recent run for McMahon. In December, she won the bronze medal representing the United States in the women's 1,500-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Short Course Championships in Australia, the first-ever world championship medal for a swimmer from a Jacksonville public school.

Clay graduate Sara Stotler also helped Tennessee to fifth place in the women's 800 free relay and 400 medley relay.

North on top in FACA Classic

In their final appearance on a high school basketball court, three Northeast Florida players came home from the state all-star event with victory.

Ponte Vedra's Nathan Bunkosky, Providence's Mason Lee and St. Joseph's Mason Sword helped the North team to a 111-103 victory in Saturday's Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Classic in Lakeland.

Sword finished with 11 points, while Lee tallied six and point guard Bunkosky did not score.

Most valuable player honors went to Alabama-signed senior Sam Walters of The Villages Charter, who led the North with 39 points.

Around the area

Fleming Island's Graham Myers set a school record of 4:18.57 in the boys 1,600 at the Bob Hayes Invitational, and teammate Gideon Gillaspy cleared 12 feet, 11 1/2 inches for a school record in the boys pole vault. … Ponte Vedra's Nathan Lebowitz won the boys discus at the IMG Spring Break Invitational in Bradenton with a season-best throw of 169 feet, 10 1/4 inches. ... Former Episcopal attacker Sofia Chepenik won ACC player of the week honors for Clemson in women's lacrosse. … Former Bolles midfielder Ariana Munoz was called up to Peru's national women's soccer team for games on April 4 and 10 against Uruguay in Montevideo. … Registration is open for the sixth annual Patrick's 3v3 Basketball and 4v4 Volleyball Tournament, scheduled for May 20 at Sports Edge Athletics.

Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: First Coast Varsity Weekly: Hunter Carns among home run leaders