Kansas’ Tyson LeBlanc (player and newcomer) and TCU’s Zack James (pitcher) were named the Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for Week 8 of the 2026 season.
 
LeBlanc led the Jayhawks to a 4-0 week with an 11-8 midweek win against Missouri and a series sweep over Utah. The junior infielder homered in three of the four games, making him one of the five Big 12 players who hit three or more home runs this week, and has now recorded nine home runs in the last 12 games. The Maurice, Louisiana native started his week by hitting what proved to be the game-winning shot to left field with the score tied at 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth inning, to make it 11-8. In the series opener against the Utes, he hit a 2-run walk-off blast to cap a 14-12 comeback victory. In the final game of the series, LeBlanc hit the go-ahead 2-run homer to give the Jayhawks the lead in the bottom of the sixth. LeBlanc recorded at least one run and one RBI in all four games and finished the week with 10 RBI, nine hits, seven runs, five walks, three doubles, three home runs and a batting average of .529 (9-for-17).
 
James was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after delivering a career-high 8.0 scoreless innings in TCU’s series-clinching road win on Sunday against Kansas State. The sophomore held the nation’s eighth-ranked offense to just five hits and seven total baserunners in the 4-0 win. James faced the minimum in four innings and faced more than four batters in only one inning. The Flower Mound, Texas native finished with five strikeouts and allowed just one walk, with three of his strikeouts coming over his final three innings to secure the win.