Ohio State, UCLA, USC Earn Weekly Baseball Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its baseball weekly awards for games played April 27-May 3, 2026.

Player of the Week
Mason Eckelman, Ohio State
Jr. – C – Broadview Heights, Ohio – Walsh Jesuit HS

• Helped Ohio State to a sweep of No. 14-ranked Nebraska at Bill Davis Stadium
• Batted .600 (6-for-10) with three home runs and seven RBI while slugging 1.800
• Finished a single shy of the cycle in Saturday’s 7-3 win; followed with a two-home run performance in a 10-1 win on Sunday
• The Academic All-Big Ten selection receives his first Big Ten Player of the Week honor
• Last Buckeye named Player of the Week: Alex Bemis (March 23, 2026)

Co-Pitcher of the Week
Easton Hawk, UCLA
So. – R-RHP – Granada Hills, Calif. – Granada Hills HS

• Earned three consecutive saves in the Michigan State series as top-ranked UCLA clinched the Big Ten championship outright
• Gave up one hit in 3.2 innings of work, holding the Spartans to a .091 batting average
• Allowed one base runner in three scoreless innings and finished with a 0.27 WHIP
• Posted back-to-back four-out saves in the first two games of the series, then locked down the ninth inning in UCLA’s come-from-behind win in the series finale
• Lowered his season ERA to 1.70 and ranks second nationally in saves (12)

Co-Pitcher of the Week
Mason Edwards, USC
Jr. – S-RHP – Los Angeles, Calif. – Palisades Charter HS

• Took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in a 5-1 win over Rutgers Friday, improving his season record to 7-0
• Held the Scarlett Knights to three hits and one earned run over seven innings
• Fanned 13 batters to break the Big Ten season record for strikeouts in conference play (101)
• Leads the NCAA with 132 strikeouts, having amassed 10-or-more Ks in 10 of 12 starts
• Collects his fourth Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Award of the season

Freshman of the Week
Diego Velazquez, USC
Fr. – R-RHP – Reseda, Calif. – Crespi Carmelite HS

• Did not allow a baserunner in seven innings pitched over two appearances on the mound
• Threw four perfect innings in just his second start of the year Sunday against Rutgers
• Retired the first 12 batters of the game in order, striking out six
• Tossed three perfect frames, striking out three batters, against UC Irvine earlier in the week
• Becomes the fourth different Trojan pitcher honored with a Big Ten weekly award this season

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

May 4
PL: Mason Eckelman, Jr., C, OSU
P: Easton Hawk, So., R-RHP, UCLA
P: Mason Edwards, Jr., S-LHP, USC
F: Diego Velazquez, Fr., R-RHP, USC