Who is this week's Providence Journal Baseball Player of the Week? Vote here, now

The final week of the baseball regular season is upon us.

Bishop Hendricken and West Warwick can both finish undefeated against league opponents. The Hawks have two dates with Central and one with Portsmouth remaining. The Wizards host a Tuesday evening matchup with Providence Country Day. Those four contests with determine whether or not their respective playoff drives begin with the chase for in-state perfection still on.

Westerly will top Division II ahead of Barrington and Westerly. The Bulldogs walked off on the Townies and played them to a 4-4 tie last week. The Eagles have won six straight to jump into second place, including just five runs allowed in two-game sweeps of Prout and Narragansett.

Balance has defined the title races thus far – five teams with double-digit wins in Division I, four in Division II and six in Division III. That suggests we could be in for some surprises as the calendar turns to June. Several players mentioned here will play central roles in helping their teams attempt to advance.

Cranston East has gone back-to-back in the Player of the Week race, with right-handed pitcher John Devine following right-handed slugger Jayden Tolentino in topping the voting. They’re on a list with East Providence two-way contributor Tyler DiCecco and Crusaders pitcher Ryan Barrett. Our latest list of nominees follows below.

A few reminders if you’ll allow us — voting in the online poll ends Thursday night/Friday morning at midnight. Phone calls and emails won’t be considered. Logging into this story and participating through the link at the bottom is your only option.

These players were selected in games featured online or in print by The Journal. Our staff either covered these personally or compiled information from submissions by coaches and school administrators. We can’t consider anything from outside sources – family members and travel team coaches can’t make a case here.

You can reach us via phone Monday through Friday from 6-10 p.m. at (401) 277-7340 or via email at pjsports@providencejournal.com Thanks in advance to everyone who’s submitted game reports throughout the season. Only a couple more weeks to go – it should be fun.

And now, with all that said, let’s get to last week’s stars.

Kayden Artruc, North Smithfield

Artruc tossed a two-hit shutout and fanned nine in a 2-0 win over Classical. The right-hander helped give the Northmen a boost into the upcoming postseason against another team in the middle of the Division III pack.

Braeden Campbell, Bishop Hendricken

Campbell swung a hot bat as the Hawks slugged their way to a 12-8 victory over Cumberland. The catcher went 3-for-5 and drove in five runs against the Clippers, securing a victory in a rematch of last year’s Division I semifinals.

Logan Downey, Coventry

Downey fired a three-hit shutout and struck out 12 in a 3-0 blanking of Lincoln. He added an RBI double against the Lions and chipped in two more hits in a weekend defeat against Cumberland.

Adonis Medina, Central

Medina played a key role in a pair of wins for the Knights last week. He cracked a walkoff two-run homer to take down Portsmouth, 5-4, and closed 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored as Central outlasted Lincoln, 8-5, in 10 innings.

Zach Miner, Westerly

Miner made key contributions on the mound and at the plate as the Bulldogs played a series of nail-biters last week. He closed 2-for-3 and scored both runs in a 2-1 walkoff win over East Providence, threw two scoreless innings and scored the tying run in the top of the seventh inning in a 4-4 deadlock with the Townies and saved his best for the weekend. Miner fired eight scoreless frames in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out nine in a 4-3, 13-inning triumph over Mount St. Charles.

Ben Napoli, North Kingstown

Napoli fired a one-hit shutout in a 4-0 victory against Toll Gate. It was just the second time this season the Skippers have kept a league opponent scoreless, and it came after a defeat against Cranston East the previous Friday afternoon.

Jaiden Torres, Lincoln

Torres was dominant in relief as the Lions held off Mt. Hope, 8-6, in a 13-inning thriller. He covered seven innings, allowed just one run and struck out three to earn the victory against the Huskies.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25