TTU Baseball: Jace Jung favorite to repeat as Big 12 Player of the Year

LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) - Texas Tech sophomore Jace Jung was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Wednesday. The 2022 Big 12 preseason awards were selected in a vote of the league’s nine head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.

Jung, also a unanimous first-team selection, was the sole honoree from the Red Raiders’ squad among preseason award recognition.

Jung was the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2021, hitting .337 for the Red Raiders and led the Big 12 with 21 home runs. The infielder from San Antonio was a consensus All-American in 2021 and was selected as the NCBWA National Freshman Hitter of the Year.

Texas led the Big 12 with seven of the 18 student-athletes on the Preseason All-Big 12 team, and were trailed by Oklahoma State (3), TCU (2), West Virginia (2), Baylor (1), Kansas State (1), Oklahoma (1) and Texas Tech (1). Six players were unanimous selections: Texas’ Tristan Stevens (SP) and Ivan Melendez (DH), Baylor outfielder Jared McKenzie, Oklahoma State starting pitcher Justin Campbell, TCU infielder Brayden Taylor and Texas Tech’s Jung.

The Big 12 Preseason Poll will be revealed on Thursday, Jan. 27. All nine Big 12 teams open the season Friday, February 18.

Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Silas Ardoin, C, Texas Mitchell Daly, IF, Texas Trey Faltine, IF, Texas

Ivan Melendez, DH, Texas*

Pete Hansen, SP, Texas Tristan Stevens, SP, Texas* Aaron Nixon, RP, Texas

Nolan McLean, Utility, Oklahoma State Jake Thompson, Utility, Oklahoma State Justin Campbell, SP/Utility, Oklahoma State*

Brayden Taylor, IF, TCU* Austin Krob, SP, TCU

Austin Davis, OF, West Virginia Jacob Watters, RP, West Virginia

Jared McKenzie, OF, Baylor* Dylan Phillips, OF, Kansas State Peyton Graham, IF, Oklahoma Jace Jung, IF, Texas Tech*

*- unanimous selection

Preseason Player of the Year Jace Jung, IF, Texas Tech

Preseason Pitcher of the Year Pete Hansen, LHP, Texas