Kelly, Montesa Take Home Big 12 Weekly Awards
March 02, 2026 03:53 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After standout performances for the West Virginia University baseball team, sophomore Gavin Kelly has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week, and junior Dawson Montesa has been named Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week.
Kelly had a big week at the plate, hitting .579 (11-for-19) with two home runs, three doubles, six RBI, and seven runs scored. He had multiple hits in all four games, including three hits in all three games at Kennesaw State. The Pittsburgh native had his first multi-home run game in the finale against the Owls. He also added four walks for a .652 OBP and a 1.705 OPS.
Kelly is the first Mountaineer to earn Big 12 Player of the Week since Logan Sauve on April 14, 2025. Overall, it is the 18th time a WVU player has garnered the honor among 14 different players.
Montesa had a dominant performance on the mound in the series opener against Kennesaw State, striking out 11 in 7.0 innings of work. He allowed just one run on four hits to earn the win. Montesa is currently second in the Big 12 with 26 strikeouts this season.
Overall, it is the 20th time a Mountaineer has taken home Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors, and Montesa becomes the 18th player, the first since Derek Clark on May 13, 2024.
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