The awards just keep coming for University of Texas (UT) Longhorns first baseman Ivan Melendez.
Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported that the El Paso native was bestowed the 2022 Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball on Monday.
According to the station, the accolade is presented to the best amateur baseball player in the country.
Melendez already has the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s (NCBWA) Dick Howser Award for compiling the best season for an individual college baseball player in 2022.
Paul Seller, the head of USA Baseball, said fans will remember Melendez’s just-concluded redshirt junior season.
“Ivan Melendez put together a season to remember for baseball fans,” Seller said, KXAN reported. “He became one of the most feared hitters in college baseball this year thanks to consistent and staggering power numbers, and he made every at-bat a must-see event.”
An addition to the storied UT program from Odessa College, Melendez smashed more than 30 home runs (HR) in 2022 to become the nation’s leader in the category and the Longhorns’ new longball king, surpassing Kyle Russel’s 28 by two, Austin Journal reported, citing Austin ABC affiliate KVUE.
Melendez is fresh from helping guide the Longhorns to their 38th overall National College Athletic Association (NCAA) College World Series (CWS) appearance.
KXAN reported that the slugger, whose moniker is “The Hispanic Titanic,” is the first Longhorn since World War II to take home the Golden Spikes Award.
He’s also the Big XII Conference Player of the Year and a national player of the year for two publications.
According to KXAN, the Miami Marlins made Melendez a 16th-round pick but he chose to return to Austin, a decision that immensely benefitted the Longhorns.
He occupies various spots on numerous draft prospects rankings, with his purportedly highest ranking being No. 51 on Baseball America’s board, per the station.
The 20-round Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft is slated for next month.
