March 3, 2008

IRVING, Texas---Rebel Ridling (Oklahoma State) has been named Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Player of the Week while Michael Rocha (Oklahoma) has earned the Pitcher of the Week accolade for games of Feb. 25 - March 2 in voting by a panel of media covering the conference. It is the second career weekly award for Ridling and the first for Rocha.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rebel Ridling, Oklahoma State, 1B, Sr., 6-3, 230, Sentinel, Okla./Midland JC
Ridling led the Cowboys to a 3-1 record against South Florida and Northwestern last week. He posted a .500 batting average (10-for-20) in Tampa while pacing OSU with three home runs and 11 RBI. The senior first baseman also scored six runs and had a pair of doubles with a 1.050 slugging percentage.

On Saturday, Ridling hit two home runs and tallied five RBI against Northwestern. His two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning sent the game into extra innings. In the game one victory over the Wildcats on Friday, Ridling went 3-for-4 with two RBI.

In Sunday's win at USF, Ridling posted a 4-for-6 outing with two doubles and three RBI. His four-hit performance tied a career high.

On the weekend, Ridling had at least one hit and one RBI in each of the four games to help OSU improve to 7-1 on the season.


PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Michael Rocha, Oklahoma, RHP, Fr., 5-11, 190, Buda, Texas/Hays
Rocha recorded a 1-0 mark in two appearances last week, without allowing any runs. He also struck out nine batters in nine innings pitched. Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Rocha posted two strikeouts and a hit in one inning pitched. The freshman then made his second start of the year against Tennessee on Sunday, and tossed eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball. The Buda, Texas native retired the first 12 batters he faced and only three batters over the minimum in the victory (2-0). He struck out seven Volunteers and did not walk a batter.

Rocha leads the Sooners with 14 strikeouts and 14 innings pitched in three appearances, including two starts, with a 1.29 ERA.