The Katy baseball team had a pretty good idea what to expect from junior ace Keifer Nuncio this year.

But part of what’s keeping the Tigers atop District 18-5A is a side of Nuncio’s game few expected.

Nuncio is 5-2 on the mound with a 1.27 ERA, but his hitting is rounding into form at an opportune time. He hit a two-run home run Tuesday night in a 5-3 win against Katy Taylor, then on Friday had a three-run shot in a 13-1 win against Hastings.

For his accomplishments, Nuncio, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior, is the Athlete’s Connection’s CollegeBallorBust.com Athlete of the Week.

Nuncio, a formidable starter for the Tigers since his freshman year, is hitting .360 with three homers.

“Keifer’s always been a good player. He just hasn’t had the opportunity to hit the last few years,” Katy coach Tom McPherson said. “The last two years, he’s just been a pitcher. But this year he’s started to focus more on his hitting and you’ve seen the results.”

Katy (20-5 overall, 9-1 district) has won nine straight games.

Nuncio struck out 12 against Taylor, allowing three runs on nine hits with four walks. He made it a 3-0 game in the second inning by crushing a two-run home run to left field.

He struck out the side in the seventh to squelch Taylor’s last rally.

The win avenged Katy’s only district loss, a 4-2 setback to Taylor in mid-March.

Nuncio thrives on four pitches – a fastball in the low 90s, a breaking ball, a two-seamer he can run in on right-handed hitters, and an effective changeup.

“Keifer’s been in big games for a long time. He pitched in the state title game his freshman year,” McPherson said. “To start the year we thought he’d be one of our main guys on the mound and at the plate. He’s been a consistent hitter all year. He’s hit the ball well all year, especially in district (about .500 in 18-5A games). Early on he was really trying to do too much and that was his problem. But he’s settled in recently and gotten more hits.”

The Tigers have district games this week against Morton Ranch (Tuesday) and second-place Cinco Ranch (Friday).

Nuncio, a year-round player, is being courted by countless large schools.

“He’s on almost everybody’s lists,” McPherson said. “He’s just a junior but he’s getting a lot of looks. He’s visited a few schools and when the time is right, he and his family will sit down and make a decision.”

- Dave Purpura 

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