HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners recognized three outstanding student-athletes with the 17th annual Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award and two Honorable Mentions during today’s meeting.
The Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award honors a high school baseball player or team in Hillsborough County who displays outstanding athletic, scholastic, and community achievements.
The 2023 Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award winner is Arjun Nimmala of Strawberry Crest High School. A highly skilled shortstop who is expected to be a first-round Major League Baseball draft pick, Nimmala was dominant in all phases this past season.
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He hit an astounding .479, with 6 home runs, 3 triples, 7 doubles, and 29 RBIs, and had a .904 slugging percentage and 9 stolen bases. Defensively, he recorded a fielding percentage of .958 with just 3 errors all season. Nimmala is a two-time, first-team All-Western Conference selection, and the 2023 Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s District 15 Most Valuable Player.
In addition, Nimmala is community-oriented, adopting a local family every year during the holidays and spreading cheer with gifts. Nimmala recently graduated from Strawberry Crest with a cumulative GPA of 6.9 in the academically rigorous International Baccalaureate Program. He plans to attend Florida State University to continue his education and play baseball.
This year’s award program also features a first: repeat honorees. Sickles High’s Caden McDonald, the 2022 Boggs’ winner, was selected as an Honorable Mention this year, and Wes Mendes of Jesuit High was named Honorable Mention for the second year in a row.
McDonald, a two-time Gryphons captain, led his team to the state championship in Class 6A and an overall record of a remarkable 30-2. McDonald slammed 12 home runs and drove in 33 despite missing two weeks due to injury. In addition, he was the team’s ace on the mound, with 7 wins, 1 loss, 97 strikeouts in 72 innings, and an earned run average of 0.87. He graduated with a cumulative GPA of 6.5 and will attend the University of Florida to continue his education and play baseball.
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Mendes, who helped lead the Tigers to the state title in 2022, remained a force in 2023, hitting .388 with 5 home runs, 8 doubles, 36 runs batted in, and 14 stolen bases. He also went 4-0 on the mound, with a 2.07 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Mendes was a big reason the Tigers returned to the state championship game this year. Mendes, who logged over 175 community service hours, will attend Ole Miss in the fall to continue his education and play baseball.
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