Butte High seniors Madisyn Swanson and Matthew Donaldson are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.

The honors come after the Bulldogs opened the softball and baseball seasons Friday in Missoula.

Swanson, Butte High’s first baseman, found some grass for a single as the Bulldogs opened with losses Billings West and Billings Senior.

That came two days after Dawson Community College announced Swanson’s commitment to pay softball for the Buccaneers.

Swanson is primed to have a big season after batting .333 for the Bulldogs in 17 games last season. She reached base at a .400 clip. She also was a standout for the Copper City Softball All-Star Team, which captured a state championship last summer.

The Bulldogs, who were not able to hold a single outside practice before playing their first games, are scheduled to play Gallatin Tuesday at Stodden Park.

Donaldson takes home the boys’ honor after hitting his first career high school home run in a 6-4 loss to Missoula Big Sky. The slick-fielding Bulldog third baseman smoked an 0-1 pitch for a towering home run to left field.

The blast scored Lucas Harris-Huerta and cut Big Sky’s lead at the time to 3-2.

Donaldson is looking for a big senior campaign after batting .312 for the Butte Miners in American Legion play last summer.

The Bulldogs, who did not have a practice on a baseball field before their opener, will travel to Florence on Monday.

For the third year, Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.

Photos of Swanson and Donaldson are courtesy of Alycia Holland Photography.