Christian Encarnacion-Strand Tabbed Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
IRVING, Texas – Oklahoma State's Christian Encarnacion-Strand was named the 2021 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year and highlighted 10 Cowboys to earn All-Big 12 honors.
Encarnacion-Strand is the fourth player in program history to be named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, joining Tyler Mach (2006), Zach Johnson (2011) and Matt Kroon (2018). The Cowboys' third baseman was also a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team as an infielder.
Joining Encarnacion-Strand on the All-Big 12 First Team is Justin Campbell, the Cowboys' two-way standout who was named a first-team performer as both a utility player and a pitcher.
OSU pitcher Brett Standlee collected All-Big 12 Second Team plaudits, while the Cowboys had six players earn honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition — Cade Cabbiness, Max Hewitt, Carson McCusker, Parker Scott, Jake Thompson and Caeden Trenkle.
Rounding out OSU's list of honorees is Trevor Martin; the Cowboys' right-handed pitcher was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
A native of Pleasant Hill, Calif., Encarnacion-Strand joined the Cowboys this season following a standout JUCO career at Yavapai College. The only OSU player to start all 49 games this season, he ranks among the NCAA and Big 12 leaders in a number of offensive categories.
Sporting a .360 batting average, Encarnacion-Strand ranks second in the Big 12 with 15 home runs, 64 RBIs, 140 total bases and a .690 slugging percentage. He is third in the league with 73 hits and sixth in batting average.
Named the NCBWA Player of the Month for April, Encarnacion-Strand is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, presented to the top player in college baseball.
Campbell, also a California native, is the second player in OSU history to earn All-Big 12 honors at two different positions in the same season, joining Jordy Mercer on that list. He is the first Cowboy to earn first-team accolades at two positions as Mercer was named to the first team as a utility player and made the second team as a shortstop in 2008.
On the mound, Campbell sports a 6-1 record and ranks second in the Big 12 with a 2.25 ERA. In 12 appearances, 11 of those starts, the second-year freshman has racked up a team-high 93 strikeouts in 72 innings.
Campbell led the Big 12 with a 2.57 ERA in conference-only games and was 3-1 in league play, and he tossed the third nine-inning no-hitter in OSU history on May 8 at Kansas.
Also playing in 27 games as a DH and pinch hitter, Campbell owns a .254 batting average to go along with a homer, four doubles and seven RBIs.
Despite missing much of May with an injury, Standlee has made 20 appearances for the Cowboys in 2021, 18 of those out of the bullpen, and is 4-1 with a team-high three saves and 3.33 ERA.
Standlee has worked 27 innings and struck out 42, and he posted a pair of wins and a save in conference play.
A senior, Cabbiness is hitting .286 on the season and is second on the Cowboys with seven homers while ranking third with 31 RBIs. A defensive standout in right field, he has tallied three assists this season and 15 in his career.
Hewitt's versatility as a catcher and middle infielder has proven valuable to the Cowboys as has the senior's bat; he is hitting .275 and ranks second on the team with 40 RBIs.
McCusker earned honorable mention honors for the third time in his career as the senior also received that recognition in 2018 and 2019. Despite missing the first part of the season due to injury, the left fielder is hitting .306 with six homers and 29 RBIs in 30 games.
Scott has been among the Big 12's statistical leaders on the mound throughout the season despite missing more than a month win injury.
A southpaw, Scott is 6-1 in 10 appearances this season, and he ranks third in the Big 12 with a 2.34 ERA while recording 52 strikeouts in 50 innings.
Thompson is OSU's leading hitter with a .363 batting average to go along with three homers, seven doubles and 27 RBIs in 38 games.
Spending time at DH, first base and left field, Thompson was the Big 12's leading hitter in conference play as he turned in a .393 batting average.
Trenkle has been a fixture in the Cowboys' leadoff spot for much of the season, and the center fielder sports a .270 batting average with three homers and 29 RBIs. He leads OSU with 33 walks and is second on the club with 12 doubles and a pair of triples.
In his first collegiate season, Martin has been one of the Cowboys' most reliable arms out of the bullpen. In 20 appearances, the righty is 3-0 with a save and a 3.18 ERA, and in 28 1/3 innings, he has racked up 39 strikeouts.