IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly baseball honors for the first week of the 2021 season.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Steven Rivas, Jr., OF, Houston
Rivas helped lead the Cougars to a three-game sweep over Texas Southern after hitting .700 (7-for-10) with four doubles and two home runs. The junior outfielder scored seven runs and also drove in five more while posting a slugging percentage of 1.700.
 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Robert Gasser, Jr., LHP, Houston
Gasser opened the season for the Cougars with a win against Texas Southern on Feb. 19, striking out seven batter in five innings of work without allowing an earned run. The junior left-hander allowed just one hit
 
HONOR ROLL
David Litchfield, R-Jr., RHP, UCF
Litchfield earned the win for the Knights against Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 21, striking out five batters in 2.1 innings of work with one run allowed.
 
Ben McCabe, So., C, UCF
McCabe hit .308 (4-13) with two doubles and two home runs for the Knights against Florida Gulf Coast. The sophomore catcher scored five runs and drove in nine runs, including eight on Feb. 20.
 
Connor Norby, So., 2B, East Carolina
Norby aided the Pirates to a sweep of Rhode Island by hitting .500 (6-for-12) with four runs driven in and three stolen bases. He had a pair of multi-hit games.
 
Carson Whisenhunt, Fr., LHP, East Carolina
Whisenhunt struck out 10 batters in 4.0 innings against Rhode Island, allowing two runs (one earned) on Feb. 21.
 
Braden Olthoff, R-Jr., RHP, Tulane
Olthoff struck out seven Louisiana batters in his first start of the season on Feb. 19, only allowing five hits with no runs in 5.1 innings of work.