Hayden Travinski Named 2023 Carl Mikovich Sportsperson of the Year

SHREVEPORT, La. (July 27, 2023) – Fresh off a National Championship with the LSU baseball team, former Loyola College Prep and Airline High School star Hayden Travinski has been named the 2023 Carl Mikovich (mih-koh-vich) Sportsperson of the Year. Travinski will be honored with the award at the 47th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 16.

“It is an incredible honor to be named the Independence Bowl’s Sportsperson of the Year,” said Travinski. “There have been so many great athletes to be presented with this award, and I’m thankful to be considered in the same regard. As a kid who grew up going to the Independence Bowl year after year, this is really special.”

Travinski helped the Tigers claim their seventh baseball National Championship in school history this season, as his bat caught fire down the stretch. The redshirt junior enjoyed a breakout season in 2022-23, providing some thump from the catcher position in the lineup. He finished the year with a .356 batting average (BA), 10 home runs (HR) and 30 runs batted in (RBI). His 10 HRs came in a 19-game stretch beginning on April 23 – including two home runs in the Baton Rouge regional to help LSU advance to the Super Regional. Travinski earned an LSU bachelor’s degree in sport administration in the spring of 2023.

“In helping lead the Tigers to a National Championship in Omaha, Hayden Travinski provided another glimpse of the success athletes from the Shreveport-Bossier area have on the national stage,” said 2023 Independence Bowl Foundation Chair Bryan Roppolo. “Our entire community was so thrilled to watch his and the team’s success throughout the season, and we are so proud to call him one of our own.”

Before the 2023 championship season in Baton Rouge, Travinski appeared in 71 games the previous three years – drawing 31 starts. In 127 at-bats from 2019-2022, he tallied 11 HRs and 27 RBI. In addition to his success on the field at LSU, Travinski also was named to the 2021 and 2022 SEC Academic Honor Roll as a sport administration major.

Before heading to Baton Rouge for college, Travinski was a local baseball star at Loyola College Prep and Airline High School. He was a two-time All-State and three-time All-City selection in high school, as well as being named the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year in Shreveport, 2019 All-Region Team Hitter of the Year and a 2018 Perfect Game All-American. In his senior year at Airline, Travinski batted .429 with 12 HRs, 41 RBI and a 1.560 OPS.

The Carl Mikovich “Sportsperson of the Year” Award annually highlights some of the greatest athletes from the local area who have shined a light on Shreveport-Bossier City through their contributions on and off the field. Travinski joins LSU women’s basketball player Mikaylah Williams (2022) and golfers Phillip Barbaree, Jr. (2015) and Sam Burns (2014) as recent amateur standouts to receive this award. He also joins many of the greatest athletes and sports figures from the Shreveport-Bossier City area to have been honored with this award – including NFL players Dak Prescott (2019), Morris Claiborne (2013) and Arnaz Battle (2002); professional golfers Hal Sutton (1983), David Toms (1997) and Burns; sportscaster Tim Brando (1992); and MLB players Todd Walker (1998) and Scott Baker (2007).

The 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will feature a matchup of the Big 12 Conference against the Pac-12 Conference – set to kick off on Saturday, December 16 at 8:15 p.m. CT. Tickets will be on sale to the public beginning September 5. For more information on ticket packages for the premier annual sporting event in North Louisiana, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or call the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at 318.221.0712.

Fans can plan their trip to Shreveport for the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at ExploreLouisiana.com.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is college football’s 11th most-historic bowl game – celebrating its 47th edition on Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. CT with a matchup of the Big 12 Conference and Pac-12 Conference on ESPN. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a one-year extension with Radiance Technologies – ensuring they will be the title sponsor through 2025. The bowl’s conference, team, and television agreements also run through the 2025 season. Army West Point and the Big 12 are slated to match up against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which will be televised on an ESPN network.

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @IndyBowl.