Texas Tech infielder Jace Jung was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and Texas starting pitcher Pete Hansen was name Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year as the Conference unveiled its 2022 Preseason Awards. The honorees were selected in a vote of the league’s head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
 
Jung was the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2021, hitting .337 for the Red Raiders and led the Big 12 with 21 home runs. The infielder from San Antonio was a consensus All-American in 2021 and was selected as the NCBWA National Freshman Hitter of the Year.
 
Hansen led the Big 12 with a 1.88 ERA in 2021, posting a 9-1 record and striking out 80 batters in 91.0 innings. The left-handed starter from El Dorado Hills, California was a Freshman All-America according to the NCBWA and an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection in 2021.
 
A pair of fresh faces from Oklahoma State earned superlative awards from the league’s coaches, as Victor Mederos was tabbed the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year and Roc Riggio was the league’s Preseason Freshman of the Year.
 
Mederos, a right-handed pitcher, comes to Stillwater after a freshman campaign at Miami (Florida) where he made 12 appearances, including eight starts. The Miami native held batters to a .229 average and posted a 1.94 strikeout-to-walk ratio despite a 5.11 ERA and 2-3 record.
 
Riggio, an infielder/outfielder from Simi Valley, California, was a top-100 recruit after leading Thousand Oaks HS to a 29-1 record and being selected by Milwaukee as an 11^th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. He set school records with 12 home runs, 45 walks and 52 runs scored his senior season.
 
Texas leads the Big 12 with seven of the 18 student-athletes on the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Six players were unanimous selections: Texas’ Tristan Stevens (SP) and Ivan Melendez (DH), Baylor outfielder Jared McKenzie, Oklahoma State starting pitcher Justin Campbell, TCU infielder Brayden Taylor and Texas Tech’s Jung.
 
The Big 12 Preseason Poll will be revealed on Thursday, January 27. All nine Big 12 teams open the season Friday, February 18.
 
Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Silas Ardoin, C, Texas
Peyton Graham, IF, Oklahoma
Brayden Taylor, IF, TCU*
Mitchell Daly, IF, Texas
Trey Faltine, IF, Texas
Jace Jung, IF, Texas Tech*
Jared McKenzie, OF, Baylor*
Dylan Phillips, OF, Kansas State
Austin Davis, OF, West Virginia
Ivan Melendez, DH, Texas*
Nolan McLean, Utility, Oklahoma State
Jake Thompson, Utility, Oklahoma State
Justin Campbell, SP/Utility, Oklahoma State*
Austin Krob, SP, TCU
Pete Hansen, SP, Texas
Tristan Stevens, SP, Texas*
Aaron Nixon, RP, Texas
Jacob Watters, RP, West Virginia
*- unanimous selection

Preseason Player of the Year
Jace Jung, IF, Texas Tech

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Pete Hansen, LHP, Texas

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Victor Mederos, RHP, Oklahoma State

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Roc Riggio, IF/OF, Oklahoma State