Pac-12 announces baseball weekly honors

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. —  USC first baseman Jake Hernandez has been named Pac-12 Player of the Week and ARIZONA STATE left-handed pitcher Ryan Kellogg has been tabbed Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for April 21-27, the Conference office announced Monday.

 

Hernandez, a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native, propelled the Trojans to a 4-0 record this week, including a huge Conference series sweep at cross-town rival UCLA at home over the weekend. The senior hit .556, tallying an impressive 10 hits over four games, including posting multi-hit outings in each game. In the three game tilt against the Bruins, he went 7-for-13 with four RBI, adding a RBI and a ninth-inning run scored in the Trojan’s come-from-behind victory on Saturday to complete the series sweep. Hernandez recorded zero strikeouts in his 18 at bats over the week, while posting a .556 on-base percentage and a .611 slugging percentage. His performance helped extend the Trojans’ win streak to nine game, their longest since 2001. He is currently third in the Conference with a .367 batting average.

 

This is Hernandez’s first-career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor and USC's 57th all-time selection. He is the second Trojan position player to earn the honors in 2014 as teammate Kevin Swick was named the Player of the Week on Mar. 4. This is also the second-consecutive week a Trojan has been honored with a weekly award. 

 

Kellogg, a sophomore from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, threw his second-career shutout to power the Sun Devils to a 7-0 win at Arizona on Saturday and secure the series victory in the annual Territorial Cup. The lefty shutdown a potent Wildcat offense, allowing seven hits and no runs over nine innings of work. His eight strikeouts were the most in a Conference game in his two-year career. The shutout also marked the first time since May 11, 1972 that the Sun Devils had blanked the Wildcats in Tucson. Kellogg moved to 6-2 on the season and 17-3 in his career, while he has recorded three-straight wins and registered three-career stars without allowing a run.

 

Kellogg picks up his second-career Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week nod and the 63rd overall for Arizona State. He is also the first Sun Devil to earn a weekly award this season.

 

USC hosts UC Irvine in a non-conference contest on Tuesday night before returning to Conference action for a three-game set at Washington State over the weekend. The Sun Devils will be a break from league play this week, hosting New Mexico State on Tuesday and heading to Oklahoma State for a full week of non-conference play. 

 

Also Nominated (Player): Michael Conforto, OSU; Tommy Edman, STAN; Cody Scaggari, UTAH; Austin Rei, WASH.  

 

Also Nominated (Pitcher): Jace Fry, OSU; John Hochstatter, STAN; Wyatt Strahan, USC; Mitch Watrous, UTAH; Jeff Brigham, WASH.

 

2014 Pac-12 Players of the Week: Feb. 18 – Michael Conforto, Jr., OF, OSU; Feb. 25 – Scott Kingery, So., OF, ARIZ; Mar. 4 - Kevin Swick, INF, USC; Mar. 11 – Shane Zeile, C, UCLA; Mar. 18 – Andrew Ely, 2B, WASH; Mar. 24 – Brian Wolfe, 1B/OF, WASH; Mar. 31 – Brian Wolfe, 1B/OF, WASH; April 7 – Yale Rosen, OF, WSU; April 14 – Mitchell Tolman, INF, ORE; April 21 – Danny Diekroeger, 1B, STAN; April 28 – Jake Hernandez, 1B, USC.

 

2014 Pac-12 Pitchers of the Week: Feb. 18 – Daulton Jefferies, Fr., RHP, CAL; Feb. 25 – Nick Green, Sr., LHP, UTAH; Mar. 4 - Cody Poteet, RHP, UCLA; Mar. 11 - Jace Fry, LHP, OSU; Mar. 18 - Grant Watson, LHP, UCLA; Mar. 18 - Tommy Thorpe, LHP, ORE; Mar. 31 - Jace Fry, LHP, OSU; April 7 - Tyler Davis, RHP, WASH; April 14 – Joe Pistorese, LHP, WSU; April 21 – Wyatt Strahan, RHP, USC; April 28 – Ryan Kellogg, LHP, ASU.