MARYSVILLE — It’s hard to pick a standout player on Marysville-Pilchuck’s baseball team. The senior-heavy team has a number of outstanding hitters and pitchers on its first place 15-5 Wesco 3A North team.

But senior captain and shortstop Tristan Southard shined in a recent game.

As result, Southard is the Marysville Globe-Arlington Times Athlete of the Week.

When he’s not catching touchdowns, he’s hitting home runs for M-P, and he contributed his second one of the season in M-P’s 5-4 rally against Stanwood May 2.

“Coach has been telling me to swing first pitch to get the fast-ball early,” Southard said. “I just see it and hit it I guess.”

The win clinched M-P’s spot in the 3A district tournament. The Tommies are seeded No. 2 and will host Shorewood Saturday, May 7, at 2 p.m in the first round.

It was an important win, but Southard doesn’t want to take all the credit for it.

“We won a couple like this,” Southard said. “It’s all obviously a team effort — putting hits together and making plays in the field, everyone doing their jobs, and we got a couple of guys on the mound doing really well ,too.”

A solid .395 hitter and shortstop, who “makes the routine plays,” Southard is also a “quiet leader.”

“It’s just his nature,” coach Kurt Koshelnik said. “But it doesn’t make him any less of a leader.”

Since the start of the season, Southard has been improving his mechanics at bats, such as depth perception and precision.

“I’ve been waiting to let the ball travel more, and seeing it more and hitting the ball in different ways,” he said.

Koshelnik said Southard needs to keep working on patience before swinging at the ball. “He’s anxious,” Koshelnik said.

Southard also played wide receiver for M-P’s football team. He loves football, but wants to continue baseball after high school.

“Baseball is something I think I am a little better at. It’s something I want to play as long as I can,” he said.

He plans to play at Everett Community College.

“They have a really good program, and I know the coach there,” Southard said. “A lot of guys that go there seem to go on and play at a higher level after, so it seems like a good fit.”

Southard hasn’t been to state yet playing at M-P, but he hopes he can help his team to qualify after districts.

“It’s been good,” Southard said. “Hopefully we can do something good and make it to state.”