EUGENE, Ore. – Coming off a series win over Rhode Island, Oregon catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus has been named the Big Ten Conference Co-Freshman of the Week.
Mabeus (Henderson, Nev.) started a pair of games behind the plate for the Ducks leading Oregon to wins in both games while slashing .444/.500/.778 with a 1.278 OPS. He slugged his first career home run, a grand slam, while driving in a team-high eight runs with two runs scored and a stolen base.
In a 19-12 win in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday, the Ducks’ freshman went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Mabeus tied the game at eight in the bottom of the fourth when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, before adding an RBI single in the Ducks four-run fifth inning.
On Sunday in Oregon’s 15-2 series clinching win, Mabeus went 3-for-4 with a home run, six RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. He gave Oregon the lead in the bottom of the first with a two-run single before swiping second base. After adding a leadoff single in the third inning, the Ducks’ catcher broke the game open belting a two-out grand slam to push Oregon’s lead to 8-4.
Mabeus is Oregon’s first baseball player to earn a conference weekly honor from the Big Ten Conference in its inaugural season in the league. He is also Oregon’s first ever freshman of the week award winner. The Pac-12 Conference did not recognize a freshman of the week, but Mitchell Tolman did win Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on May 6, 2013 as a true freshman. Mabeus’ six RBI were the most RBI by a Ducks’ freshman since Tolman did it vs. Seattle in Everett, Wash., on April 30, 2013, which eventually led to the player of the week honor.
All-Time Big Ten Conference Freshmen of the Week
All-Time Pac-12 Conference Players of the Week
