The annual year-end banquet for Carbon High baseball serves to recognize student athletes for their accomplishments throughout the season. This year was no different as team members received various recognitions.
One such recognition was awarding the Tony Pappas Memorial Scholarship (TPMS) to the Most Valuable Player of Carbon High baseball. This year, Ridge Nelson received the honor, which is in its 41st year.
Nelson had a .494 batting average through 26 games this season. He led the team with 43 hits this year, recording 10 doubles and six home runs. Nelson also led the team with 15 stolen bases to go along with a .563 on base percentage. Additionally, he topped the 3A classification with 45 RBIs.
Nelson can add the honor to his recent designation as the Region 12 MVP this season. He helped the team to a Region 12 Championship this year to go along with a third-place finish in the 3A Utah State Baseball Tournament.
The Tony Pappas Memorial Scholarship was started by Helen Pappas-Segura in 1982, just three months after the death of her brother, Tony. The scholarship is family-funded and was established to help the Pappas family deal with the loss they endured when Tony suddenly passed. Tony was anticipating a professional baseball career when an untimely coal mining accident claimed his life at the age of 24.
The Pappas family shared that Tony always displayed exemplary behavior on and off the field, an asset that is sought after for the MVP. With Nelson’s acceptance of the 2023 honor, his name will be added to the TPMS trophy located in Grand Canyon Hall at Carbon High.