Ole Miss SS Gonzalez named SEC Freshman of the Week

Ole Miss Athletics – For the second time this season, Ole Miss baseball shortstop Jacob Gonzalez has been named SEC Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

For the week, Gonzalez was 8-for-14 with a .571/.667/1.214 slash line, four walks, six runs scored, three home runs and seven RBI, including his first career multi-homer game.

The freshman out of Glendora, California, started hot on Wednesday, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, three RBI and a home run in a midweek win over Little Rock.

After a quiet Friday night against No. 2 Vanderbilt, Gonzalez logged one of Ole Miss’ five hits and scored one of its two runs in Saturday’s defeat—but after a modest start to the series, he erupted on Sunday to ensure a Rebel series victory.

In the series finale, Gonzalez reached base all five times he stepped to the plate, going 3-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored, four RBI and two home runs. He drew a walk in the third inning and soon thereafter notched the second of 10 runs scored by the Rebels in the frame, beating a throw to the plate with a spectacular Superman dive. Later in the inning, Gonzalez punctuated the rally, crushing a two-run home run to right field for the ninth and 10th runs of the frame.

After the Commodores chipped their way back into the game, Gonzalez added one more home run to lead off the eighth inning and give the Rebels the insurance they needed in a 13-10 victory. Defensively, Gonzalez played error-free ball over the weekend against the nation’s No. 2 team.

Gonzalez’s second honor gives Ole Miss three Freshman of the Week nods in 2021 with TJ McCants earning the other.