Jay C. Upchurch
5/19/2009, 09:54 AM
DALLAS -- The Big 12 awards keep pouring into Norman. Senior catcher J.T. Wise was named baseball’s Big 12 Player of the Year today after leading the conference with a .375 batting average throughout the regular season.
Also, teammate, Garrett Buechele, was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
“We are extremely proud of J.T.’s development and hard work here at Oklahoma,” said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. “He follows an outstanding tradition of players at Oklahoma that have excelled behind the plate, like Jackson Williams, Javier Flores and John Russell. It’s truly an amazing feat to be named player of the year in what all of us consider the best conference in the nation, but to do it as a senior after not being drafted, speaks volumes for his development.”
The awards come during a banner campaign for Oklahoma Athletics in 2008-09. Sam Bradford (football) was named the Big 12 Player of the Year while both basketball squads swept the top player and freshmen awards. Blake Griffin and Willie Warren (men’s basketball) and Courtney Paris and Whitney Hand (women’s basketball) were honored in early March. In addition, softball’s Amber Flores and women’s tennis Ana-Maria Constantinescu were also named the Big 12 Player of the Year in their respective sports.
The baseball duo has helped lead No. 8 OU (40-16, 17-10) to a second place finish in the Big 12 heading into this week’s conference championship. It marks the fourth time that a Big 12 school has collected both honors in the same season (Nebraska in 2005 and 2000 and Texas Tech in 1997).
Wise is the third Sooner to claim the conference’s top honor and first since Rick Gutierrez in 1994. Darron Cox also won the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1989. Buechele is the first Freshman of the Year honoree for OU. Ole Sheldon (2004), Greg Dobbs (2001) and Mark Redman (1994) were all named the conference newcomer of the year. In addition, Wise was named to the 2009 All-Big 12 first team as a catcher while Buechele collected second team honors at third base.
Wise started his collegiate career at Louisiana State and was named a freshman All-American at second base. Following his sophomore season at LSU, he transferred to OU and hit .278 with seven homers and 49 RBIs as a junior in 2008.
The Apopka, Fla., native has played in all but two games for the Sooners this season with 48 starts and has a hit in 43 of those games. He hit safely in 15 of the final 16 regular season games to post the Big 12’s top batting average. The .375 clip is highest mark by a Sooner since Ryan Rohlinger finished with a .387 mark in 2006. Wise also ranks second in the Big 12 in slugging percentage (.707) and homers (17) while ranking fifth and sixth, respectively, in total bases (130) and RBIs (56). Wise also hit well over .300 in Big 12 play (.363) with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.
One of 13 semifinalists for the 2009 Johnny Bench Award (awarded to nation’s top catcher), the offensive numbers only tell half of the catcher’s story. Wise has thrown out a Big 12 best 28 potential base stealers this year (54 percent) and committed just two errors, good for a .995 fielding percentage.
After red-shirting his first season in Norman in 2008, Buechele has emerged as one of the top third baseman in the Big 12 Conference this season.
Buechele has started all 56 games at the position for OU while holding the league’s eighth-best batting average at .356. The Arlington, Texas, native has homered four times and driven in 37 runs with 14 doubles. The son of former Major League veteran, Steve Buechele, he has just six errors in the field.
“His red shirt year paid huge dividends in his physical development and his understanding of what it would take to excel in the Big 12 Conference,” said Golloway. “He has made the very most of his opportunity this year and he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Perhaps his most impressive stat lies in Big 12 play. Buechele leads all hitters in conference games in batting average (.396), hits (40) and on-base percentage (.479). The Big 12 average is the highest at OU since Russell Raley finished the 2006 season with a .400 clip.
Buechele has hit safely in all but 13 games this season, including the Big 12’s fourth longest hitting streak of 15 games. His offensive numbers are especially impressive when compared to past OU freshman All-Americans. Buechele’s .356 batting average is on pace to surpass each of OU’s last four honorees (Aaron Baker - .323, Kody Kaiser - .305, Rick Park - .304 and Matt Bose - .302).
OU SID Report
Also, teammate, Garrett Buechele, was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
“We are extremely proud of J.T.’s development and hard work here at Oklahoma,” said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. “He follows an outstanding tradition of players at Oklahoma that have excelled behind the plate, like Jackson Williams, Javier Flores and John Russell. It’s truly an amazing feat to be named player of the year in what all of us consider the best conference in the nation, but to do it as a senior after not being drafted, speaks volumes for his development.”
The awards come during a banner campaign for Oklahoma Athletics in 2008-09. Sam Bradford (football) was named the Big 12 Player of the Year while both basketball squads swept the top player and freshmen awards. Blake Griffin and Willie Warren (men’s basketball) and Courtney Paris and Whitney Hand (women’s basketball) were honored in early March. In addition, softball’s Amber Flores and women’s tennis Ana-Maria Constantinescu were also named the Big 12 Player of the Year in their respective sports.
The baseball duo has helped lead No. 8 OU (40-16, 17-10) to a second place finish in the Big 12 heading into this week’s conference championship. It marks the fourth time that a Big 12 school has collected both honors in the same season (Nebraska in 2005 and 2000 and Texas Tech in 1997).
Wise is the third Sooner to claim the conference’s top honor and first since Rick Gutierrez in 1994. Darron Cox also won the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1989. Buechele is the first Freshman of the Year honoree for OU. Ole Sheldon (2004), Greg Dobbs (2001) and Mark Redman (1994) were all named the conference newcomer of the year. In addition, Wise was named to the 2009 All-Big 12 first team as a catcher while Buechele collected second team honors at third base.
Wise started his collegiate career at Louisiana State and was named a freshman All-American at second base. Following his sophomore season at LSU, he transferred to OU and hit .278 with seven homers and 49 RBIs as a junior in 2008.
The Apopka, Fla., native has played in all but two games for the Sooners this season with 48 starts and has a hit in 43 of those games. He hit safely in 15 of the final 16 regular season games to post the Big 12’s top batting average. The .375 clip is highest mark by a Sooner since Ryan Rohlinger finished with a .387 mark in 2006. Wise also ranks second in the Big 12 in slugging percentage (.707) and homers (17) while ranking fifth and sixth, respectively, in total bases (130) and RBIs (56). Wise also hit well over .300 in Big 12 play (.363) with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.
One of 13 semifinalists for the 2009 Johnny Bench Award (awarded to nation’s top catcher), the offensive numbers only tell half of the catcher’s story. Wise has thrown out a Big 12 best 28 potential base stealers this year (54 percent) and committed just two errors, good for a .995 fielding percentage.
After red-shirting his first season in Norman in 2008, Buechele has emerged as one of the top third baseman in the Big 12 Conference this season.
Buechele has started all 56 games at the position for OU while holding the league’s eighth-best batting average at .356. The Arlington, Texas, native has homered four times and driven in 37 runs with 14 doubles. The son of former Major League veteran, Steve Buechele, he has just six errors in the field.
“His red shirt year paid huge dividends in his physical development and his understanding of what it would take to excel in the Big 12 Conference,” said Golloway. “He has made the very most of his opportunity this year and he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Perhaps his most impressive stat lies in Big 12 play. Buechele leads all hitters in conference games in batting average (.396), hits (40) and on-base percentage (.479). The Big 12 average is the highest at OU since Russell Raley finished the 2006 season with a .400 clip.
Buechele has hit safely in all but 13 games this season, including the Big 12’s fourth longest hitting streak of 15 games. His offensive numbers are especially impressive when compared to past OU freshman All-Americans. Buechele’s .356 batting average is on pace to surpass each of OU’s last four honorees (Aaron Baker - .323, Kody Kaiser - .305, Rick Park - .304 and Matt Bose - .302).
OU SID Report