Cosentino earns second Big 12 Newcomer of the Week nod

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Big 12 Conference named Kansas freshman second baseman James Cosentino the league’s Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season on Monday afternoon, for his performance last week against Missouri State (May 2) and Texas Southern (May 5-7).
 
“He had a great week, and he has had an outstanding freshman season,” head coach Ritch Price said. “The thing that has been most exciting is getting to watch his development over the course of the year. He has gotten better each month of the season and right now he is playing as good as anyone in America is playing.”
 
Cosentino paced Kansas to a 5-0 week that included a midweek win over then-No. 16 Missouri State and a four-game sweep of Texas Southern on the weekend. Cosentino had his hands involved in 18 of the Jayhawks’ runs on the week as he drove in a Big 12-best nine RBIs and touched home nine times – second in the league only to teammate Matt McLaughlin (10). If that wasn’t enough, he hit a home run in back-to-back games, drew a team-high six walks and was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases. His two home runs push his season total to the team lead at four.
 
“I think there is a direct correlation between the way he has been playing and the team’s overall success,” Price said. “The fact that he is hitting in the two-hole, not only knocking runs in but setting the table for the guys behind him has been huge. Not to be overlooked in all of this though is his defense. He has played second base as good as you can play it.”
 
Cosentino earned Co-Newcomer of the Week on April 17 and is the first Jayhawk to earn the honor multiple times since Ben Krauth earned two in the 2015 season.
 
KUAthletics.com:  The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.