Anthony Lariz
Senior, Key West
Baseball
“Anthony was a warrior last night, throwing a complete game. A super performance, the kind that wins championships for ball clubs.” – Ralph Henriquez, Conchs head coach
High school baseball players can be under enormous pressure even in regular circumstances. Add to that the high-stakes reality of every game for a perennial contender like Key West, and it can become next-level pressure.
When senior Anthony Lariz was handed the ball last Saturday night to pitch against Spanish River, a team the Conchs had lost to one night prior on March 1, the young man became a superhero. After the tragic loss of Conch baseball legend Dexter Butler earlier that morning, Key West made the difficult decision to play the game, knowing that it was what Dexter would have not just wanted, but expected. The big righty held the collective weight of the entire island’s hopes to win it for Dexter in his hands.
And win, he did. Lariz threw a complete game, striking out 10 batters for the Conchs. He was perfect at the plate, walking twice and driving one of Key West’s 5 hits. He was perfect in the field, delivering an error-free performance on an extraordinarily difficult night. Under unimaginable pressure, Lariz did not fold; he and his team somehow managed to deliver the impossible to the grief-stricken community and won it for one of their own. For his composure at the plate and on the mound, Anthony Lariz is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
