MANHATTAN, Kan. – In a vote of the Big 12 head coaches, K-State left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks was selected as the Big 12’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Wicks becomes the first Wildcat to earn the preseason award, as he and Texas pitcher Ty Madden shared the honor. Wicks was also a unanimous selection to the 2021 Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
A product of Conway, Arkansas, Wicks becomes the Wildcats’ first Big 12 preseason of-the-year award winner and first unanimous preseason selection in program history. The southpaw has collected two preseason all-America nods in 2021, as he was named a second-team selection by D1Baseball and a third-team selection by Collegiate Baseball.
In the shortened 2020 season, Wicks made four weekend starts for the Wildcats, posting a 3-0 record with one earned run allowed over 26 innings (0.35 ERA), including a scoreless streak of 24 2/3 innings to begin the year.
Wicks tallied 26 strikeouts while issuing only four walks. His 0.35 earned run average ranked 10th in the nation and was tops in the Big 12 among starters. His WHIP of 0.65 was the 18th-best mark in the country and second in the conference.
In his career, Wicks has a 9-3 record in 19 starts while boasting a 2.85 earned run average with 112 strikeouts against 30 walks. He was named 2019 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a freshman all-American after going 6-3 with a 3.61 ERA while setting K-State freshman records with 86 strikeouts and 84 2/3 innings pitched.
D1Baseball ranked Wicks as the nation’s No. 10 collegiate prospect ahead of the 2021 MLB Draft. The website also honored Wicks with the 2020 Summer Breakout Prospect Award after a dominant summer with the Rockford (Illinois) Rivets of the Northwoods League.
2021 Preseason All-Big 12 Awards
Player of the Year:
Dylan Neuse, Texas Tech
Pitcher of the Year:
Jordan Wicks, K-State
Ty Madden, Texas
Newcomer of the Year:
Mike Antico, Texas
Freshman of the Year:
Tanner Witt, Texas
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