Texas’ Ivan Melendez (Player), Texas Tech’s Brandon Birdsell (Pitcher) and Oklahoma’s David Sandlin (Newcomer) were voted by a five-person media panel for Big 12 weekly awards, for games ending March 13.
Melendez smashed four home runs in five games for Texas, as he hit .450 with a 1.150 slugging percentage and drove home 11 runs. He hit two titanic blasts on Saturday at South Carolina for his second multi-homer game of the season, and hit a go-ahead 3-run shot Tuesday at Texas State, which proved to be the game-winner. He had multiple hits in four of five games, including a three-hit game, and reached base safely in every game for a .478 on-base percentage.
Birdsell struck out 15 of the 20 Rice batters he faced and did not allow a hit, a walk or a run over six innings in the Red Raiders’ 3-2 victory. His 15 Ks were the most by a Texas Tech pitcher since 2010, and struck out the first eight Owls he faced—all in the first two innings. The only baserunners he allowed were the two who advanced to first on a dropped third strike in the first two innings.
Sandlin threw 8+ innings of two-hit ball against UTSA, taking a no-hitter into the sixth in Oklahoma’s 8-3 win. The transfer from Eastern Oklahoma State College struck out six Roadrunners and allowed just one walk. He was charged with a single earned run and was awarded the victory.