Minnesota, USC, Indiana Awarded Weekly Baseball Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its baseball weekly awards for games played April 20-26, 2026.

Player of the Week
Weber Neels Minnesota
Sr. – C/1B – Cottage Grove, Minn. – East Ridge HS

• Led the Big Ten in batting average (.600), on-base percentage (.667) and RBI per game (2.25)
• His weekly stats included nine hits, three home runs, nine RBI and a 1.867 OPS
• Catching and playing first, compiled a 1.000 fielding with 29 putouts and three assists
• Helped Minnesota to a 4-0 record and its first conference sweep at home since 2019
• The 2025 All-Big Ten Second Team selection earns his second Player of the Week Award of the season, having been honored on March 2, 2026

Pitcher of the Week
Grant Govel, USC
So. – S-RHP – Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. – Palos Verdes HS

• Took a perfect game into the eighth inning in a 6-1 win over Purdue on Saturday
• Held the Boilermakers to two hits and no runs, striking out eight batters
• Fanned two batters in a scoreless inning against Cal State Fullerton
• Finished the week with a .069 opponent batting average and 0.22 WHIP
• Collects his third Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Award, previously won honors on February 16 and March 16

Freshman of the Week
Owen ten Oever, Indiana
So. – C – Brooklyn, N.Y. – Poly Prep

• Slashed .533/.611/1.000 over four games, which included three multiple-hit efforts
• Went 8-for-15 at the plate, driving in six runs and producing a 1.611 OPS
• Hit a grand slam in Indiana’s 20-10 run-rule victory over Ball State on April 21
• Filling the DH role, was active on the base paths, drawing three walks, scoring four runs and stealing a base
• Last Hoosier named Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Brayden Ricketts (March 2, 2026)

Team rankings are the highest position listed among the five polls: Baseball America, D1Baseball, NCBWA, Perfect Game, USA Today

2026 Big Ten Baseball Weekly Awards
Feb. 16
PL: Jackson Freeman, Jr., OF, NU
P: Grant Govel, So., S-RHP, USC
F: Angel Laya, Fr., OF, ORE

Feb. 23
PL: Will Gasparino, Jr., OF, UCLA
P: Wylan Moss, So., R-RHP, UCLA
F: AJ Putty, Fr., 1B, ILL

March 2
PL: Weber Neels, Sr., C, MINN
P: Mason Edwards, Jr., S-LHP, USC
F: Brayden Ricketts, R-Fr., DH, IND

March 9
PL: Colton Bower, Jr., C, WASH
P: Mason Edwards, Jr., S-LHP, USC
F: Ryan Costello, R-Fr., 1B/OF, MD
F: Angel Laya, Fr., OF, ORE

March 16
PL: Roch Cholowsky, Jr., SS, UCLA
P: Grant Govel, So., S-RHP, USC
F: Daniel Porras, Fr., OF/1B, WASH

March 23
PL: Dominic Hellman, Sr., DH, ORE
PL: Alex Bemis, Jr., OF, OSU
P: Mason Edwards, Jr., S-LHP, USC
F: Gavin Lauridsen, Fr., R-RHP, USC

March 30
PL: Brandon Rogers, Sr., OF, PUR
P: Miles Gosztola, Jr., S-LHP, ORE
F: CJ Deckinga, Fr., 3B, MSU

April 6
PL: Payton Brennan, R-Jr., OF, UCLA
P: Shane Brinham, Fr., S-LHP, MICH
F: Zach Strickland, Fr., R-RHP, UCLA

April 13
PL: Devin Russell, R-Jr., C, MD
P: Logan Reddemann, S-RHP, Jr., UCLA
F: Naulivou Lauaki Jr., R-Fr., DH, ORE

April 20
PL: Drew Grego, Fr., OF, NEB
PL: Ryan Cooney, Jr., 2B, ORE
P: David Lally Jr., Sr., S-RHP, MICH
F: Drew Grego, Fr., OF, NEB

April 27
PL: Weber Neels, Sr., C/1B, MINN
P: Grant Govel, So., S-RHP, USC
F: Owen ten Oever, Fr., DH, IND