The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
A Titanic Season
A look at the historic season by Ivan Melendez
Ivan Melendez is your 2022 Golden Spikes Award winner!
The 44th Golden Spikes Award Winner: @ivanmelendez17_ of @TexasBaseball ??
— Golden Spikes Award (@USAGoldenSpikes) June 24, 2022
??: https://t.co/IEMcvN4jcT pic.twitter.com/mV6QcuMS27
THE HISPANIC TITANIC IS OFFICIALLY GOLDEN. @ivanmelendez17_ is the 2022 @USAGoldenSpikes Award winner. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/oJRmfo5gMl
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) June 24, 2022
I felt I had a lot to prove defensively, and I felt like I could become a better hitter and mature with the experience of working with Tulo (Troy Tulowitzki) and all our great coaches. Being able to play with my teammates everyday was just fun.Ivan Melendez
MORE ON THE GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD
Melendez becomes the first Texas player to win the Golden Spikes Award.
He is the 11th Texas player to be a finalist for the award.
Greg Swindell, Scott Bryant, Brooks Kieschnick, Beau Hale, Huston Street, Drew Stubbs, Kyle Russell, Taylor Jungmann, Kody Clemens, Ty Madden
*Award presented annually to top amateur baseball player in the nation
My job with Ivan is to put him in the three-hole and leave him alone. I think he's the best hitter in the country.Texas Head Coach David Pierce
Melendez established himself as the best player in college baseball. He has hit 32 bombs this year, breaking the Division I single-season home run record since the BBCOR era began in 2011, and leads the nation in RBIs (94) and slugging percentage (.877) while hitting .393. The “Hispanic Titanic” nickname given to him by this Texas squad is now pasted all over tees and tweets. The trophy case is filling up fast.Max Olsen, The Athletic
How about the first winner from Texas. There's some baseball history down there. For all of the things that program has accomplished, it says something that the first guy to win it is Ivan Melendez, and deservedly so.Kyle Peterson, ESPN
I think it's a celebration of college baseball. I got drafted, but I want to come back. I want to improve my stock. I want to prove I can go out there on the field, and he triples his numbers from a year before and plays a heck of a first base. He's going to play himself probably into the top 50 picks, and he goes back to Omaha for the second straight year, now not as a supporting piece but as "the" guy. To me, it's a great college baseball story, somebody that bet on himself and man, has that move paid off.Chris Burke, ESPN
He’s the greatest player that ever played college baseball in my opinion. Having him on our team and just being able to be around him every day is special.Trey Faltine, Texas Baseball
Melendez's 30-bomb mark is a major accomplishment in all of college baseball, as he has become the first player to reach that accomplishment since Kris Bryant hit 30 home runs in 2013. And if you watch baseball, being in the same company as Bryant is not too shabby. Bryant was selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft and made his Major League debut just two seasons later in 2015.Taylor Estes, 247Sports.com
He indeed just completed a gargantuan season, and after knocking towering bombs out of stadiums all year, Ivan Melendez was presented the Dick Howser Trophy as College Baseball's best player last Friday before the CWS started. The numbers are eye-popping as he leads all of Division I baseball with 32 home runs, 94 RBI, an .863 slugging percentage and 214 total bases. He also ranks in the top 10 in on-base percentage and with a .387 batting average. He's the first player to surpass the 30-homer mark since Golden Spikes Award winner Kris Bryant in 2013.Chris Del Conte, Texas Athletics Director
2022 FINAL NUMBERS
AVG
.387
T-25th in NCAA DI
OPS
1.371
1st in NCAA DI
HR
32
1st in NCAA DI
RBI
94
1st in NCAA DI
SLUG%
.863
1st in NCAA DI
OB%
.508
6th in NCAA DI
OTHER NATIONAL HONORS
Selected by the @NCBWA, our 2022 Dick Howser Trophy winner presented by The Game Headwear: Ivan Melendez of @TexasBaseball. https://t.co/fiyFTSJyPR pic.twitter.com/GMEN0osweo
— Dick Howser Trophy (@HowserTrophy) June 17, 2022
No one more deserving of this award, just ask the Titanic’s teammates. #HookEm | @ivanmelendez17_ pic.twitter.com/c2ZqTlRaIo
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) June 17, 2022
Became the fourth Longhorn player to earn the Dick Howser Trophy
Brooks Kieschnick (1992 & 1993), Scott Bryant (1989), Taylor Jungmann (2011)
?? BREAKING: @ivanmelendez17_ of @TexasBaseball is our 2022 National Player of the Year!@d1baseball x @rapsodo
— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) June 24, 2022
?? https://t.co/VfSdgz3XCI pic.twitter.com/aYsvJrU2xh
Became the fourth Longhorn to be named Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year
Greg Swindell (1986), Scott Bryant (1989), and Brooks Kieschnick (1993)
Named First Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball & was joined by Murphy Stehly (Second Team) & Pete Hansen (Second Team)
Named D1Baseball's Player of the Year on June 24th
BIG 12 DOMINANCE - CONFERENCE ONLY NUMBERS
AVG
.432
1st in Big 12
OPS
1.538
1st in Big 12
HR
14
1st in Big 12
RBI
32
3rd in Big 12
SLUG%
1.000
1st in Big 12
OB%
.538
2nd in Big 12
Is the fourth Texas player to be named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year
Drew Stubbs (2006), Kyle Russell (2007), Kody Clemens (2018)
Gallery: Ivan Melendez - Season Photos
BIG 12 CONFERENCE HISTORY
The most Big 12 Player of the Week awards of all-time
The Titanic is on a TEAR.@ivanmelendez17_ hit .625 with 4 dingers over 4 games last week to earn Big XII Player of the Week and a spot on Collegiate Baseball’s Players of the Week list. https://t.co/youPMHESlR ?? pic.twitter.com/uGs99B5ePi
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) March 28, 2022
????????@ivanmelendez17_ has been crowned Big 12 Player of the Week for the fourth time this season after hitting .571 with four doubles, three homers and nine RBI.https://t.co/8WtVN2A9TH ?? pic.twitter.com/YFoHbolu0y
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 9, 2022
HOME RUN HISTORY
Ivan's 32 homers is tops in Texas Baseball history.
TIED FOR THE TOP!
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 20, 2022
THE HISPANIC TITANIC GOES WAY BACK 453’ TO TIE THE TEXAS RECORD FOR HOMERS IN A SEASON!#HookEm | @ivanmelendez17_ pic.twitter.com/QQASdxpgVA
THERE IT IS!
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) May 29, 2022
THE HISPANIC TITANIC IS THE TEXAS HOME RUN KING!
HORNS LEAD, 1-0!#HookEm | @ivanmelendez17_ ?? pic.twitter.com/WKrY5udGEo
El Rey. The Home Run King. ?? @ivanmelendez17_’s 32 homers are the most ever in a single season in the BBCOR era. #HookEm ?? pic.twitter.com/kbgh3pbwss
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) June 12, 2022
Ivan Melendez ties Kris Bryant for most single-season home runs during the BBCOR-era with his 31st bomb ?? @TexasBaseball pic.twitter.com/73EVKyWVC1
— College Baseball Hub (@CollegeBSBHub) June 10, 2022