Dane Opel (Missouri), Thomas Taylor (Kansas) and Brooks Marlow (Texas) have earned the first Phillips 66 Big 12 baseball weekly awards for the 2012 season. Opel earned Player of the Week, while Taylor was tabbed the Pitcher of the Week and Marlow collected Newcomer of the Week. It is the first weekly distinction for all three student-athletes.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Daniel Opel, Missouri, Jr., OF, 6-2, 190, Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville
Opel hit .500 (6-for-12) with four RBI, two home runs,12 total bases and a pair of runs as Mizzou won its season-opening series at Auburn over the weekend. The junior opened the series by posting two hits in four at-bats on Friday. He followed that performance by going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two home runs in a 6-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday. With the pair of home runs, he became the first Tiger since Eric Garcia to hit two long balls in a game (March 30, 2010). Opel also drove in four runs in the contest, scored twice and drew a walk, reaching base safely in four of his five plate appearances. He closed out his weekend with a base knock in MU's 5-4 win in game two.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Thomas Taylor, Kansas, Jr., RHP, 6-4, 210, Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West
Redshirt junior Thomas Taylor pitched 8.1 scoreless innings and combined for a four-hit shutout in Kansas' 2-0 victory over Belmont - the 2011 Atlantic Sun champions - on Friday night. Taylor was extremely efficient in his first start, needing just 89 pitches (58 strikes) to make it through a career-best 8.1 innings. The Jayhawk scattered three hits and walked two, but did not allow a Bruin to reach third base until the sixth inning. He tallied five strikeouts and recorded 10 fly outs in the game.

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Brooks Marlow, Texas, Fr., 2B, 5-9, 175, Giddings, Texas/Giddings
Brooks Marlow became the first player in Texas history to hit two home runs in his first career game. In the first game of UT's Saturday doubleheader against Duke, the freshman hit two home runs off projected first-round draft choice Michael Stroman to lead Texas to a 4-0 lead. In the nightcap, Marlow tallied a sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly and one RBI. His sacrifice fly provided the go-ahead run in Texas' 5-3 win over the Blue Devils. He closed out the series hitting .333 with two runs, two home runs and four RBI and went errorless in 20 fielding chances at second base, turning three double plays.

2012 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS