By Ryan Lackey
KStateSports.com
(Original Story)
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Backed by a 10-for-16 performance in four games last week, Kansas State sophomore outfielder Jared King has been named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
The designation was the second by a Wildcat this season as Jake Brown earned co-player of the week honors on March 12. King picked up the third weekly honor of his career after being named newcomer of the week on two occasions last year.
A product of Dublin, Ohio, King saw half of his hits go for extra bases to tally a 1.125 slugging percentage, while he drove in 12 total runs as K-State went 3-1 in games against Wichita State and Nebraska Omaha. The sophomore also reached base at a .650 clip, drew three walks and scored seven runs.
King recorded multiple hits in all four contests – including three hits on both Tuesday and Sunday – to push his season total to a team-leading 23 multi-hit games. He tallied three doubles and a triple last week, while he hit his fifth home run of the season on Friday against the Mavericks, a three-run shot in the eighth inning. He came back with a two-run triple on Saturday as part of a two-hit game and doubled home two runs in his four-RBI game on Sunday.
Thanks to his performance last week, King jumped from sixth to third in the Big 12 in batting average (.376), unranked to fifth in slugging percentage (.554), fourth to second in hits (70) and unranked to ninth in RBI (40). He also ranks in the top 10 of the Big 12 in runs scored, home runs, doubles, triples, steals, total bases and on-base percentage.
