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Vote now for the 2026 Week 3 Longplex Athlete of the Week in Baseball
TL;DR
Vote for the 2026 Week 3 Longplex Athlete of the Week in Baseball. La Salle leads Division I, while East Greenwich and Woonsocket are also performing well in their divisions.
Key points
- La Salle leads Division I baseball.
- East Greenwich is at the top of Division II.
- Woonsocket and Scituate are tied in Division III.
- Polls for Athlete of the Week are posted every Monday.
- Voting is done online through a ballot link.
La Salle stands alone atop Division I, East Greenwich has climbed to the Division II lead and Woonsocket continues to set the pace alongside Scituate in Division III.
Thatâs how the stateâs baseball races look entering this upcoming April vacation week. The warmer weather coincided with some noteworthy competition on the field, and there were some results last week that raised eyebrows.
The Rams are the only perfect team remaining at the top level while the Avengers have just a tie against Toll Gate as a blemish. The Villa Novans looked determined to defend their title and have only the Spartans for unbeaten company in their division.
Those playoff contenders are led by top performers, and some of them will be highlighted here. Itâs time for the next set of nominees in the Longplex Baseball Player of the Week chase.
Polls will be posted every Monday morning with the previous weekâs nominees and run through Friday. Thereâs only one way to vote â click the link on the story, find the ballot included within and pick your player. Phone calls, emails and stating your preference in person wonât qualify.
Winners will be announced in the following Player of the Week poll. The prize is pretty simple â nothing tangible. Bragging rights, a bit of extra exposure on social media, the right to belong to an exclusive club by the start of June â that's about it.
We canât do this alone. We need your help â engagement, reporting scores, spreading the word about the poll. Thatâs all up to you. We can facilitate in a few different ways, but this weekly competition will be what you make of it â we appreciate you for it.
Coaches and athletic administrators from either team in a given game are asked to contact us through the Game Changer app, by phone at (401) 277-7340 or via email at pjsports@providencejournal.com. Weâll accept phone and email submissions Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and weâll also check email over the course of the weekend. Getting in touch as early as possible will always be preferable.
Most importantly â we hope everyone stays healthy and has a great season. It will be fun to follow along over the next two months on the journey to Rhode Island College. Thanks to all for taking part and keeping us in mind.
Who was last week's Longplex Athlete of the Week?
East Providence's Ben Hallene topped the poll with more than 10,000 votes, taking 50% of the nearly 21,000 votes cast.
Hallene fired a no-hitter to give the Townies a 3-0 win over Smithfield. He struck out seven while completing the gem, a first for the left-hander after recovering from an elbow injury he suffered last season. Hallene needed 94 pitches and walked just two while East Providence extended what is now a 4-1 start.
Congratulations to Hallene and the Townie faithful!
What does the Athlete of the Week receive?
The prize for Longplex Baseball Player of the Week is simple â internet clout.
The award is designed to be an interactive way for the stateâs most passionate baseball communities to show support for their local stars. We want schools, teams and players to create social media campaigns to drive interest and show how much their community cares about the sport and its players.
When a player wins, the community does as well â and that shows us which parts of the state are truly passionate about high school baseball.
Longplex Athlete of the Week logo.
How does a player get nominated for Longplex Athlete of the Week?
The first step is easy â shine on the field and do everything possible to help your team win. Itâs not about just one big game during the week either, itâs about consistent performances in every game you play.
The second step is having coaches report results to the Providence Journal. Reporting scores is easy, especially with the majority of the state using the GameChanger app. We need the coach of the home team to forward the GameChanger report â box score and recap â to the Journal at PJSports@ProvidenceJournal.com by 8 p.m. on the day of games.
If a program does not have GameChanger, we will need the home team coach to email the following information â final score and score by innings; three star hitters from the winning team and one or two star players from the losing team; pitching stats, if someone throws a good game; and any pertinent information we can use to write a recap.
All this information will be used in our daily High School Scoreboard story, posted to providencejournal.com, where we write about all the games played that day.
Thatâs enough of a preamble. Itâs time for the nominees (in alphabetical order).
Nominees for the Longplex Athlete of the Week in Baseball
Will Haggerty, Moses Brown
Haggerty was typically dominant on the mound and helped himself at the plate in a 1-0 shutout of Smithfield. He allowed just two hits and fanned nine over six innings to pick up the victory, one he secured himself with a solo homer in the top of the first.
Jairo Martinez, La Salle. LSA vs. North Kingstown baseball, March 31, 2026
Jairo Martinez, La Salle
Martinez has been superb on the mound to start his senior season, and his last outing against South Kingstown was no different. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out 12 in a 4-0 victory over fellow Division I contender South Kingstown.
Dylan Nickerson, North Smithfield
Nickerson was outstanding against a Division III finalist from last season, pitching and hitting the Northmen to a 2-0 win over Pawtucket Co-op. He tossed six no-hit innings while striking out 10 on the mound and provided all the offense his team needed with a two-run double in the bottom of the first.
Eli Ozbek, Classical
Ozbek starred in a pair of wins over Providence rivals. Pitching came first, as he tossed a no-hitter over six innings and struck out 13 while the Purple took care of Mount Pleasant, 10-0. Offense followed against Juanita Sanchez, as Ozbek chipped in a hit and scored two runs in a 9-5 triumph.
JJ Renaud, East Providence
Renaud tossed a three-hit shutout and fanned seven in a 3-0 victory over Bishop Hendricken, a win against his former school that knocked the Hawks from the stateâs unbeaten ranks. The Townies remain among a group with one loss contending at the top of Division I.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Vote for the 2026 Week 3 Providence Journal Baseball Player of the Week
Q&A
How can I vote for the Longplex Athlete of the Week in Baseball?
You can vote by clicking the link in the story and selecting your player from the ballot provided.
Who are the current leaders in the baseball divisions?
La Salle is leading Division I, East Greenwich is at the top of Division II, and Woonsocket is tied with Scituate in Division III.
When are the polls for the Longplex Athlete of the Week posted?
Polls are posted every Monday morning and run through Friday.
What are the eligibility criteria for voting in the Longplex Athlete of the Week?
Voting is only allowed through the online ballot; phone calls, emails, or in-person preferences do not qualify.
