Standout performances from Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas were honored with Big 12 Baseball accolades in Week 7.
Oklahoma State’s Christian Encarnacion-Strand was tabbed Big 12 Player of the Week, while TCU sophomore Austin Krob earned Pitcher of the Week distinction. Texas’ Ivan Melendez and TCU’s Brayden Taylor shared Newcomer of the Week honors.
Encarnacion-Strand led OSU to a 3-1 week that included a midweek win over Oklahoma and a series win against West Virginia. The sophomore hit .500 (8-for-16) at the plate and hit safely in every game to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, the longest by a Cowboy this season. Encarnacion-Strand tallied a Big 12-best 10 RBIs on the week. He drove in runs in all four contests, including collecting four RBIs in each of the final two games of the West Virginia series.
After battling out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in the first, allowing just one run, Krob rallied for a strong performance. The lefty retired 16 in a row to get the game into the seventh. He allowed a hit and a walk in the seventh, but a double play ended the inning. The sophomore’s final line saw him allow a run on three hits, with one walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts.
Melendez hit .615 (8-of-13) in the series sweep over Kansas, launching three doubles and a homer. The sophomore had a hit in each game of the series, including a four-hit game and a three-hit game. He drove in two runs and scored four.
Taylor reached base safely in all four games and hit .357 in the series at Oklahoma. The freshman homered in all three games at OU and had two hits in the opener and the series finale. On Saturday, Taylor turned a key double play in the first inning when the Sooners had the bases loaded with nobody out.
All of this week’s winners are first-time honorees for their respective awards. Encarnacion-Strand and Krob earned newcomer awards earlier this season.
2021 BIG 12 BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 7 AWARDS
Player of the Week
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Oklahoma State, So., INF
Pitcher of the Week
Austin Krob, TCU, So., LHP
Newcomers of the Week
Brayden Taylor, TCU, Fr., INF
Ivan Melendez, Texas, So., INF