The Riverside Academy baseball team has had its ups and downs this season, but one bright spot has been junior Luke Hymel.

The pitcher/shortstop is hitting .417 with 15 hits, including 7 doubles, a triple and a pair of grand slams, giving him 22 RBIs on the season.  He also is 3-1 with a 1.434 ERA and 29 strikeouts as a pitcher.

Hymel hit his first grand slam on Friday in a heartbreaking 7-4 loss to Houma Christian. Riverside was trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Hymel came to bat with bases loaded. After a Houma Christian pitching change, Hymel sent the first pitch over the left field wall to give Riverside a 4-3 lead. It didn’t last, however, as the Warriors rallied for 3 runs in the top of the seventh inning.

There was no rally on Monday, however, as the Rebels defeated New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy 13-0. Hymel was responsible for 8 of those runs, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a grounder in the third inning, a triple in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth.

Hymel was L’Observateur’s Player of the Week on March 9 after he got the win on the mound against De La Salle. Hymel pitched a shutout, striking out 10 and went 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI.