Sports

A&M's Stripling,Hinkle, and Okert Collect Weekly Baseball Accolades

Posted: 12:26 PM May 14, 2012
Reporter: Big 12 Sports.com

IRVING, TX -- Wade Hinkle (Kansas State), Ross Stripling (Texas A&M) and Steven Okert (Oklahoma) have garnered this week's Phillips 66 Big 12 baseball weekly awards for games played May 7-13. Hinkle earns his first career Player of the Week honor, while Stripling records his fifth career Pitcher of the Week and Okert picks up his first career Newcomer distinction.
With K-State's Jared King taking home Player honors last week, this marks the first time the Wildcats have had back-to-back Player of the Week recipients. K-State has tallied three of the honors on the season, matching a program-best set in 2001.

Stripling earns the Pitcher award for the second time in 2012, and his five career awards tie Aaron Marsden (Nebraska, 2002-03) for the second-most career Pitcher of the Week honors in conference history.

Okert becomes the fourth Sooner to tally Newcomer of the Week honors this season. OU has won the award on six occasions since it was established in 2011 with five of those being pitchers.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Wade Hinkle, Kansas State, Sr., INF, Albuquerque, N.M./Cochise College
Hinkle went 4-for-8 with a double, a home run, five walks and a .692 on-base percentage to lead the Wildcats to a series win over in-state rival Kansas last weekend. With half of his hits going for extra-bases, the Albuquerque, N.M., product tallied a 1.000 slugging percentage and also tied for team-high honors with three runs scored over the three games.

The senior first baseman began his week by singling in the first inning on Friday before tallying three-straight walks in a 2-0 K-State win. He drew another walk on Saturday before finishing out his home career on fire on Sunday. In the rubber match of the series, Hinkle led Kansas State to a 9-3 win by going 3-for-4 with his 10th home run of the season in the first inning and an RBI double as part of a four-run eighth. Hinkle's home run followed a Jared King homer, marking the first time K-State hit back-to-back home runs in conference play since 2009.

Hinkle, who is 11th in the Big 12 with a .333 batting average, is one of just two players in the league with 10 or more home runs this season. He also ranks second in walks (44), second in on-base percentage (.489) and third in RBI (47).

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Ross Stripling, Texas A&M, Sr., RHP, Southlake, Texas/Carroll
On the day he was scheduled to graduate, Stripling threw the 11th no-hitter in Texas A&M baseball history as the seventh-ranked Aggies defeated San Diego State 1-0 on Saturday. The senior right-hander baffled the Aztec hitters all afternoon, allowing only a fifth-inning walk while striking out seven during his 106-pitch outing.

It was the first no-hitter for a Texas A&M pitcher since Zach Jackson's seven-inning no-no against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 14, 2004, and the first nine-inning no-hitter since Matt Blank accomplished the feat against Texas-Pan American on Feb. 6, 1996. It was also the first no-hitter in the Big 12 since 2009.

Additionally, the victory was the 30th for Stripling's career which moved him into a tie for fourth place on the all-time wins list at Texas A&M with former Aggie pitching great Ryan Rupe (1994-98). For the season, Stripling is tied for the Big 12 lead in wins as he maintains a 9-2 record on the mound with a 2.36 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 103.0 innings.

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Steven Okert, Oklahoma, Jr., LHP, Rowlett, Texas/Grayson County College
Okert became the first Big 12 pitcher to defeat Baylor in 2012 after 1.1 scoreless innings in OU's 1-0 victory in the series opener on Saturday. In game two of the doubleheader on Saturday, Okert again appeared in relief and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings for his third save of the season. In addition to recording a win and a save in the same day, Okert posted a 0.00 ERA in three innings against the No. 2 Bears with one hit, no walks and three strikeouts. Okert threw 34 pitches in the two outings and 26 were strikes.

Okert ranks second on the team in wins (6) and saves (3). He also ranks eighth in the Big 12 in victories. The southpaw has not allowed an earned run in 12 of his 18 relief appearances.

2012 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS Date Player of the Week Pitcher of the Week Newcomer of the Week
Feb. 20 Dane Opel, Missouri, Jr., OF Thomas Taylor, Kansas, Jr., RHP Brooks Marlow, Texas, Fr., 2B
Feb. 27 Logan Vick, Baylor, Jr., OF Trent Blank, Baylor, Sr., RHP Chase Stevens, Oklahoma State, Jr., RHP
March 5 Jonathan Walsh, Texas, Jr., OF/C Jordan John, Oklahoma, So., LHP
Ross Stripling, Texas A&M, RHP Brooks Marlow, Texas, Fr., 2B
March 12 Jake Brown, Kansas State, Sr., INF
Robbie Rea, Oklahoma State, Jr., 2B Dillon Overton, Oklahoma, So, LHP Jonathan Gray, Oklahoma, So., RHP
March 19 Logan Vick, Baylor, Jr., OF Andrew Heaney, Oklahoma State, Jr., LHP Parker French, Texas, Fr., RHP
March 26 Max Muncy, Baylor, Jr., 1B Michael Wacha, Texas A&M, Jr., RHP Blake Holovach, Missouri, Jr., LHP
April 2 Jake Miller, Baylor, Jr., SS
Hunter Lockwood, Oklahoma, Fr., 1B Dule von Schamann, Texas Tech, So., RHP Hunter Lockwood, Oklahoma, Fr., 1B
April 9 Erich Weiss, Texas, So., 3B Josh Turley, Baylor, Jr., LHP Adam Toth, Baylor, Fr., OF
April 16
Josh Ludy, Baylor, Sr., C Michael Wacha, Texas A&M, Jr., RHP Michael Howard, Baylor, Fr., OF
Damien Magnifico, Oklahoma, Jr., RHP

April 23
Josh Ludy, Baylor, Sr., C Frank Duncan, Kansas, So., RHP Nathan Orf, Baylor, Jr., C/OF;
John Curtiss, Texas, Fr., RHP

April 30
Max White, Oklahoma, Jr., OF/INF Rob Zastryzny, Missouri, So., LHP Trey Whaley, Oklahoma State, Jr., OF

May 7 Jared King, Kansas State, So., OF Andrew Heaney, Oklahoma State, Jr., LHP John Miles, Missouri, Jr., LHP

May 14 Wade Hinkle, Kansas State, Sr., INF Ross Stripling, Texas A&M, Sr., RHP Steven Okert, Oklahoma, Jr., LHP