In “shocking” news, Ivan Melendez has been named the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year, the organization announced Thursday.
Melendez leads the country with 29 homers, a .903 slugging percentage and 196 total bases. He became Texas Baseball's home run king with his 29th blast of the season, surpassing Kyle Russell's 28 homers in 2007 for the program record.
He ranks second nationally with 87 RBI, fourth with a .522 on-base percentage and eighth with a .406 batting average. He became the fourth Longhorn to be named the Big 12 Player of the Year and the first since Kody Clemens in 2018. Melendez, also a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection, now has 42 career home runs, which is the third-most in a career at Texas.
Melendez becomes the fourth Longhorn to win the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year, following Brooks Kieschnick (1993), Scott Bryant (1989) and Greg Swindell (1986).
Melendez was also named a first team All-American and is joined by left-handed pitcher Pete Hansen and outfielder Murphy Stehly landed second team All-America honors.
Hansen is 10-1 this season with a 3.01 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings pitched. He has only walked 16 batters and held opponents to a .208 batting average against.
Stehly is batting .377 with 21 doubles, 17 homers and 54 RBI. His 92 hits this season rank seventh nationally, while his 166 total bases are the 13th most in the country.
This is obviously the first of numerous awards that Ivan will be collecting this year.
Melendez leads the country with 29 homers, a .903 slugging percentage and 196 total bases. He became Texas Baseball's home run king with his 29th blast of the season, surpassing Kyle Russell's 28 homers in 2007 for the program record.
He ranks second nationally with 87 RBI, fourth with a .522 on-base percentage and eighth with a .406 batting average. He became the fourth Longhorn to be named the Big 12 Player of the Year and the first since Kody Clemens in 2018. Melendez, also a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection, now has 42 career home runs, which is the third-most in a career at Texas.
Melendez becomes the fourth Longhorn to win the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year, following Brooks Kieschnick (1993), Scott Bryant (1989) and Greg Swindell (1986).
Melendez was also named a first team All-American and is joined by left-handed pitcher Pete Hansen and outfielder Murphy Stehly landed second team All-America honors.
Hansen is 10-1 this season with a 3.01 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings pitched. He has only walked 16 batters and held opponents to a .208 batting average against.
Stehly is batting .377 with 21 doubles, 17 homers and 54 RBI. His 92 hits this season rank seventh nationally, while his 166 total bases are the 13th most in the country.
This is obviously the first of numerous awards that Ivan will be collecting this year.
