By Chris Kutz, K-State Athletics Communications
(Photo Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics)
K-State’s Shane Conlon and Nate Griep were named the Big 12 Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the period ending May 10, as the Wildcats had two players recognized by the conference for the second straight week.
After Tyler Moore and Tyler Wolfe were honored last week, K-State saw its total of conference weekly awards this season grow to eight with the addition of Conlon’s and Griep’s honors. For Conlon, it is his first career weekly honor from the Big 12 while it is Griep’s first Pitcher of the Week accolade. The redshirt sophomore, who earned a top newcomer award last year, is the first Wildcat to be named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week since James Allen in 2011.
In a start this past weekend, Griep threw a three-hit shutout against Oklahoma on May 8, leading the Wildcats to a 5-0 series-opening win. The right-hander surrendered just six baserunners (three hits, two walks and one error) to the Big 12’s top-hitting offense in conference-only games. Griep faced runners in scoring position in just one of his nine innings, working out of the eighth-inning jam with three consecutive outs to start a stretch of six straight Sooners retired to end the game.
The shutout was Griep’s second of his career, with both coming against Oklahoma. On March 23, 2014 in Norman, Griep tossed a three-hit shutout in his first career Big 12 start, as the next day, he garnered the conference’s Newcomer of the Week honor. Griep is now tied with three other Wildcats for the most shutouts thrown in a career in program history.
Griep enters the final week of the regular season among the top Big 12 pitchers, ranking ninth in ERA (2.58) and seventh in batting average against (.217) in overall contests.
Leading the conference in hits with eight, Conlon was the Wildcats’ top hitter last week, batting .471 (8-for-17) with three RBIs and four runs scored in four games. In his first game of the week, the redshirt senior recorded the first of his three straight multi-hit efforts by going 2-for-4 at Wichita State. The second of the two hits against the Shockers was the 200th of his career, making him just one of 18 Wildcats in school history to reach that milestone. He later added a three-hit performance in the series opener against the Sooners followed up by a two-hit day on Saturday.
In addition to hits, Conlon was among the Big 12 leaders for last week’s games in runs (1st), total bases (T-2nd), RBI (T-3rd), OBP (T-7th) and slugging percentage (10th).
After last week’s top performance, Conlon enters this week in the Big 12’s top-10 for batting average (10th, .326) and on-base percentage (8th, .413) in overall games.
K-State is tied with Oklahoma State for the most Big 12 weekly awards this season. The eight by the Wildcats are the most in a season in program history. K-State has garnered a weekly award from the Big 12 in each of the last three weeks, totaling five over the stretch.
The Wildcats will wrap up their regular season this weekend with the Sunflower Showdown series against KU in Lawrence from May 15-17. K-State and KU are among the five teams fighting for the final four spots in the Big 12 Championship tournament held next week at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
