Baylor Baseball’s Menard, Montemayor Named Semifinalists for Olson Award

OMAHA, Neb. – Baylor baseball’s Matt Menard and Troy Montemayor were named two of 43 semifinalists for the 2016 Gregg Olson Award on Friday.  The annual award honors college baseball’s breakout player of the year.

Junior catcher Menard has enjoyed a breakout season thus far after mixed results his first three seasons, partially due to injury.  He hit .143 with one RBI in nine games in 2013 as a freshman before redshirting the season after an injury.  In 2014 he hit .219 with 16 runs, 32 hits, nine doubles, one triple and 12 RBI in 48 games.  In 40 games in 2015 he hit .245 with five runs, 27 hits, three doubles, one triple and 15 RBI.  This season through 41 games he is hitting .329 with 28 runs, 46 hits, 11 doubles, his first six career home runs and 23 RBI.

Sophomore reliever Montemayor has thrived in his role as the closer after posting modest numbers in middle relief in 2015.  Last season he posted a 0-3 record with a 4.95 ERA in 21 appearances, allowing 26 runs on 60 hits with 17 walks and 26 strikeouts in 43.2 innings while allowing hitters a .317 batting average and seven homers.  In 2016, he converted his first eight career save attempts and 14 of his first 15.  He has a 1-1 record with a 0.78 ERA in 24 appearances, giving up four runs on 15 hits and nine walks with 22 strikeouts in 23 innings while holding hitters to a .188 batting average and two extra base hits (one double, one homer).  He currently leads the Big 12 in saves, ranks tied for fourth in the country, tied for third on Baylor’s single-season saves list and eighth on BU’s career saves list.

After a freshman season at Auburn filled with only mixed success, Gregg Olson became one of the top collegiate players in the nation during an outstanding, unprecedented sophomore season. Despite being omitted from any preseason All American lists, Olson went on to lead the entire nation in ERA with a 1.26 mark and compiled an incredible 11-1 record with 10 saves for the Tigers.

The Olson Award has been developed to honor college baseball’s success stories and showcase players like Olson who have raised the level of their game through hard work, strength of mind and determination. Eligible players will be those who are omitted from major publication’s preseason All American prognostications; however by the end of the season their on the field performance will demonstrate that they are among the top amateur baseball players in the nation.

Finalists will be announced during Super Regional action. The winner of the 2016 Gregg Olson Award will be named in Omaha, Nebraska during the College World Series which is to be held this season at TD Ameritrade Park.