ORANGE PARK - They are both super competitive for their respective teams and, according to one, the kitchen table, the Jenga table and even checkers, is no less intense.

“It’s pretty competitive every where we go together,” said Ridgeview High junior shortstop Billy Girgis, noting twin sister Mary Girgis by just five minutes, “Our whole family is like that. We work hard.”

Note: Mary Girgis did answer lightning fast in response to a question of Who is better of the pair?

“Me,” said Mary Girgis. “I can feel his intensity on game day. I think we both feed off each other.”

Billy Girgis cited the batting cage as their favorite hangout with both super hyped to out-lumber the other, but Mary outed a second sport that both excel.

“Fishing, we both fish a lot and, it is all about the biggest one of the day,” said Mary Girgis. “He gets out there a little more than I do, but it’s pretty close.”

With a dad that played college baseball, a brother, Robert, a strong lefty pitcher at Santa Fe CC and Flagler College (All Peachbelt Conference first team 2019), the Girgis name is all about pushing the envelope and 2022 will be no different for Ridgeview softball and baseball.

Billy Girgis is considered by his peers as one of the smoothest infielders; shortstop, in Clay County while Mary Girgis is a fleet-footed centerfielder for the Final Four repeating Lady Panthers softball squad; 26-4 last year with a 2-0 Class 4A state semifinal loss to eventual champion Eustis. The Lady Panthers stayed alive through the region playoffs with spine-tingling wins of 2-1 over Clay (Girgis sixth inning triple for go-ahead runs) and 6-5 over Baker County (returning senior Giana Michel with walkoff winner). Coach Casey Thompson loses three major players in Brittany and Brooke Michael and Ashlyn Halford; all in college.

“I think teams will underrate us because those seniors were so big,” said Mary Girgis. “The baseball comes in as a underdog while we will still come out on top.”

Thompson sees the team’s “small ball” approach, bunts, basestealing and clutch hitting, as still integral to success despite the loss of the firepower.

“We just spent 30 minutes with baserunning,” said Thompson. “Filling those shoes will create some different strategies, but we have a good, young, energetic group of kids.”

Ridgeview’s baseball finished at 6-18 and could like to change those numbers behind Girgis, who brings a near .300 batting average with seven stolen bases, and new head coach Saul Jimenez, a long time assistant at Oakleaf High School.

“He has the best hands out there that I’ve seen in my years of coaching,” said Jimenez, who played high school ball out of the Tampa area. “Because of his size, he is probably one of the most underrated players around here.”

Jimenez has top hitter Jacob Rowe (.465 batting average, 16RBIs) returning and senior college commit Austin Arrocha

The Girgis twins have been a tandem for most of their life with the pair starting as teammates on T-Ball locally.

“It’s fun to have her around because we pushed each other but have fun doing it,” said Billy Girgis. “We learn a lot from each other; hitting and fielding stuff, because we practice a lot together.”

Ridgeview baseball is currently 3-3 with Girgis sporting a .353 batting average five singles and a double. Girgis has at least two hits in all six games with one four hit game in five at bats and three three hit games. Girgis also has pitched 5.1 innings with four strikeouts against 18 batters with just one hit.

Ridgeview softball is currently 4-1 with Mary Girgis with a .444 batting average (uh!oh!) with eight hits in 18 at bats with six runs batted in. Girgis has two doubles and just one strikeout.