OKLAHOMA CITY – Baylor baseball had six players garner All-Big 12 honors, the league announced Tuesday. RHP Troy Montemayor was named to the first team while LHP Daniel Castano, OF/1B Kameron Esthay and 3B Steven McLean were second team selections, and C Matt Menard and RHP Drew Tolson were honorable mentions.
The accolades gave the Bears multiple all-league selections in all 20 years as a league member. During the Big 12 era BU has 124 all-league honorees.
Montemayor collected the honor for the first time in his career. The sophomore reliever leads the Big 12 with 14 saves and ranks tied for fifth in the country in his first season in the closer role. In 24 appearances covering 23 innings, he has a 1-1 record and 0.78 ERA while allowing four runs on 15 hits and nine walks with 22 strikeouts and a .188 opponent batting average. He converted his first eight career save attempts and 14 of his first 15, which has him tied for third on Baylor’s single-season saves list and eighth on BU’s career saves list.
Castano earned his third accolade after being a 2014 Big 12 All-Freshman selection and 2015 All-Big 12 honorable mention. The junior is 4-4 with a 4.10 ERA in 13 starts as he’s given up 40 runs on 84 hits and 34 walks in a career-high 83.1 innings with a career-best 62 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .269 batting average.
Esthay improved upon his 2015 Big 12 All-Freshman campaign with a .312 batting average through 47 games, setting career highs of 58 hits, 14 doubles, 30 RBI and 17 walks to go along with 19 runs, a triple and two home runs.
McLean gathered the award for the first time in his career. Through 51 games, the sophomore has set career highs across the board with a .311 batting average, 30 runs, 60 hits, nine doubles, three triples, one homer, 21 RBI and 12 walks.
Menard is another first time honoree. The junior has career highs of .317 batting average, 28 runs, 46 hits, 11 doubles, first six career homers, 24 RBI and 16 walks through 42 games.
Tolson was also an honorable mention last season. The junior has a 6-3 record and 4.93 ERA in 13 starts. He set career highs with six wins and 48 strikeouts while allowing 51 runs on 95 hits and 32 walks in 80.1 innings.
No. 6 seed Baylor will face No. 3 seed TCU at 4 p.m. CT Wednesday on FOX College Sports in the 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
