K-State's Kennedy Garners Multiple Player of the Week Honors
Feb 16, 2026 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Shortstop Dee Kennedy was named the Golden Spikes Award x D1 Baseball Player of the Week, as USA Baseball announced its national weekly awards Monday. In addition to his national award, the senior earned Big 12 Conference Player of the Week recognition, the first of his respective career.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Kennedy turned in a dominant performance over Opening Weekend, as he produced a monstrous 2.010 OPS to help K-State to its perfect 3-0 start.
The junior drove in a weekend-high 13 RBI and hit .538 (7-for-13) with five extra-base hits, including three home runs – two of them grand slams. He slugged an impressive 1.385 while posting a .625 on-base percentage. Kennedy was also perfect on the base paths, going 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts, while he scored the nation's second-best nine runs.
Kennedy was one of just five players in Division I to produce 13 or more RBI over Opening Weekend, tying second in the category.
On Opening Day, after the Wildcats loaded the bases to force Iowa to the bullpen, Kennedy welcomed the reliever by crushing the first pitch he saw – a 106-mph blast to left center – for his first homer of the season. He capped the weekend with his second grand slam of the year, finishing the Wildcats' dominant 24-5 win over Penn State with a game-leading and career-high seven RBI.
Kennedy becomes the second Wildcat to earn the Golden Spikes Award weekly award, as former teammate Maximus Martin earned the national recognition last season. Martin was drafted in the 10th-round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.
Under eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes, K-State has garnered 26 Big 12 weekly honors, including eight Players of the Week. The Wildcats have totaled five of the program's 10 national weekly honors in the Hughes era.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Kennedy turned in a dominant performance over Opening Weekend, as he produced a monstrous 2.010 OPS to help K-State to its perfect 3-0 start.
The junior drove in a weekend-high 13 RBI and hit .538 (7-for-13) with five extra-base hits, including three home runs – two of them grand slams. He slugged an impressive 1.385 while posting a .625 on-base percentage. Kennedy was also perfect on the base paths, going 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts, while he scored the nation's second-best nine runs.
Kennedy was one of just five players in Division I to produce 13 or more RBI over Opening Weekend, tying second in the category.
On Opening Day, after the Wildcats loaded the bases to force Iowa to the bullpen, Kennedy welcomed the reliever by crushing the first pitch he saw – a 106-mph blast to left center – for his first homer of the season. He capped the weekend with his second grand slam of the year, finishing the Wildcats' dominant 24-5 win over Penn State with a game-leading and career-high seven RBI.
Kennedy becomes the second Wildcat to earn the Golden Spikes Award weekly award, as former teammate Maximus Martin earned the national recognition last season. Martin was drafted in the 10th-round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.
Under eighth-year head coach Pete Hughes, K-State has garnered 26 Big 12 weekly honors, including eight Players of the Week. The Wildcats have totaled five of the program's 10 national weekly honors in the Hughes era.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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