Pioneer Baseball League Players of the Week: Week 7

The Pioneer Baseball League has named Missoula PaddleHeads infielder Xavier Casserilla and Billings Mustangs right-hander Jaden Harris its Players of the Week sponsored by RedPocket Mobile. Casserilla earned Hitter of the Week honors after powering Missoula's lineup with a six-game stretch filled with extra-base damage and run production, while Harris received Pitcher of the Week honors after a dominant scoreless start for Billings.

Casserilla batted .462 with a .500 on-base percentage and a 1.154 slugging percentage, going 12-for-26 with three doubles, five home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored, and two walks. He recorded at least one hit, one run, and one RBI in all six games, finishing the week with 30 total bases and a 1.654 OPS.

His week began with a home run and an RBI against the RedPocket Mobiles on June 30 before he followed with one of his best performances of the stretch on July 1. In Missoula's 17-10 win, Casserilla went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, four RBI, two runs scored, and a walk.

Casserilla continued to produce throughout the week, adding another RBI and two runs scored on July 2 before turning in a 2-for-4 night with a home run and two RBI in Missoula's 9-4 win over Idaho Falls on July 3. His biggest game came on July 4, when he went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, four runs scored, and a walk in the PaddleHeads' 25-14 victory. He closed the week with another home run and RBI on July 5, completing a six-game stretch that made him one of the league's most dangerous bats.

On the mound, Harris delivered one of the league's strongest starts of the week, leading Billings to a 9-0 shutout victory over the Idaho Falls Chukars on July 2. Harris worked seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out 10 to improve his record to 2-0.

Harris faced 28 batters and threw 118 pitches, including 73 strikes, while keeping Idaho Falls off the scoreboard after Billings built an early lead. The Mustangs scored once in the first inning and added six more in the second, but Harris made sure the Chukars never found their way back into the game. He did not allow a home run and accounted for 10 of Billings' 11 strikeouts on the night, lowering his season ERA to 5.52.

Together, Casserilla and Harris delivered two of the standout performances of the week in the Pioneer Baseball League: one with relentless power and run production, the other with command, swing-and-miss stuff, and seven shutout innings. Players hoping to create their own opportunity in the PBL can showcase their skills at the upcoming PBL Tryout Camp in Marysville, California, where athletes will have a chance to be evaluated by league decision-makers.