Nevada is an underrated hotbed when it comes to high school baseball. Let’s not forget, that’s where Bryce Harper came from …

The following names have made quite the impression this season after leading in major statistical categories like homeruns, RBIs, batting average and hits.

These players might not be the most highly touted, recruited or covered, but their numbers indicate they are performing at their respective level — and likely impacting victory for their programs.

Take a look at the top hitters in 2025 and vote for who you think is the best at the bottom of the page. The voting poll will close on Tuesday, May 6 at 8 p.m. (PT).

(Stats are pulled from MaxPreps.com as of April 29, 2025)

Birch leads Nevada in RBIs with 50 thanks to 49 hits, 13 doubles, seven triples and seven homeruns. Birch is batting .563 through 25 games with 41 runs and 28 stolen bases.

Mercurius is second in Nevada in RBIs with 45 off 44 hits and a state-leading nine homers while batting .557 in 25 games this spring. Mercurius has tallied 150 RBIs in his career.

Jackson is third in RBIs with 42 RBIs through 29 games. He’s hitting .467 with 42 hits with 13 doubles, four triples and five dingers.

Pettingill is third in the state with seven homers while batting an impressive .696 with 26 RBIs off 48 hits and 13 doubles through 22 games. He’s also stolen 22 bases.

Montes is Top 5 in hits in Nevada with 41. He’s batting .526 through 24 games with 37 runs scored, eight doubles and five homers — 25 stolen bases for the likely-lead-off hitter.

Gleiser leads the state in stolen bases with 34 while batting .384 with 28 hits and 35 scored runs in 25 games.

Whitney is atop the state leaders in stolen bases (34) while averaging .357 with 30 hits, 35 runs, nine RBIs and two triples in 28 games. Trojans have 20 wins this spring.

Trzpis has tallied 38 RBIs, 12 doubles, four triples and three homers in 28 games while batting .479 for the 19-9 Roadrunner team.

Beruman is batting an impressive .647 through 21 games with 33 hits, 40 RBIs and eight doubles. The standout three-sport athlete also has 21 stolen bases.

Through 22 games, Southisene has one of the top slugging percentages in the state while batting .515 with 25 RBIs, 35 hits, seven doubles and six homers.

The voting poll will close on Tuesday, May 6 at 8 p.m. (PT).

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A long-dormant Nevada law requiring parents or guardians to be notified before a minor can have an abortion will not take effect this week following a federal judge’s ruling.

The 1985 law has never before been enforced in Nevada because of court rulings that found it was unconstitutional based on Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made abortion access a constitutional right for a half century.

The ban on the Nevada’s law was set to expire Wednesday under a recent federal court order citing the 2022 reversal of Roe, but abortion rights activists appealed. That led U.S. District Judge Anne Traum to issue an order Friday saying the law won’t take effect yet to give Planned Parenthood time to ask the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to keep the law unenforceable while it challenges it.

If Planned Parenthood doesn’t file its request with the appellate court within seven days of Traum’s order, she said the law can be enforced in Nevada. The Associated Press sent emails Monday seeking comment from attorneys for Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood has argued that the 40-year-old law, despite the reversal of Roe, remains “unconstitutionally vague” and that it violates minors’ rights to due process and equal protection.

Abortions in Nevada are legal until 24 weeks, with exceptions to save a mother’s life or to protect her health. In November, a ballot question to enshrine Nevada’s abortion rights in the state constitution received its first nod of approval from voters, who must also approve the measure in 2026 in order to amend the constitution.

Parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion is required in 36 states, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues. Some states require only parental notification, as is the case with Nevada’s law, while other states also require consent.

Nevada’s law also allows a minor to get a court order authorizing an abortion without first notifying parents or guardians.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nearly 5 million people across the country have not made payments on their student loans for nearly a year (360 days), according to the U.S. Department of Education.

But starting May 5, the department will begin collecting money from those who have defaulted, the department announced last Monday.

WATCH | What the federal collection efforts will mean for Nevadans

Nearly 12% of Nevada’s student loan holders in default as federal collection efforts restart

The mandatory collections come after a five-year pause sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bethel Kifle, a second-year mechanical engineering student at UNLV, has only taken out one student loan so far.

“I was taking summer classes and since I couldn’t use the fall scholarship yet, I just took out a loan, so I don’t have to use my personal money cause again, I need it for — to pay other stuff like bills and stuff. The loan helped me get through that summer without being zero dollars in my banking account,” Kifle said.

Even though she won’t be required to pay the loan back until after graduation, Kifle already has a plan in place.

“The big scholarship I had, I ended up getting like $9,000 refund, so I saved that money just so I can use to pay back the loan that I took out,” Kifle said.

But not everyone is as prepared. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 42.7 million borrowers have more than $1.6 trillion in student debt.

Roughly $12.4 billion of that money is owed by Nevada borrowers, according to the Education Data Initiative. Nearly 12% of them are in default.

“If you take out a loan, you have to pay it back, it’s very simple,” said Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary.

While no loans have been sent to collections since 2020, Trump administration officials announced that will no longer be the case. They say people who don’t make a repayment plan by the May 5 deadline could face involuntary collections.

WATCH | Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection, Education Department says

Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection, Education Department says

“The government can and will collect defaulted federal student loans debt by withholding money from borrowers, tax refunds, federal pensions and even their wages,” Leavitt said.

Kifle’s recommendation for her fellow students is to keep applying for scholarships.

“Every semester, I’m still applying to scholarships. Loans should be the very last resort,” Kifle said.

All borrowers in default will receive email communications from Federal Student Aid (FSA) over the next two weeks making them aware of these developments and urging them to contact the Default Resolution Group to make a monthly payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or sign up for loan rehabilitation.

Detailed information to help borrowers get out of default is also available at StudentAid.gov/end-default.    

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