UTRGV first baseman Brandon Pimentel has been named a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Hitter of the Week, Collegiate Baseball and the WAC announced Monday.
This is the second time Pimentel has earned both honors after doing so on April 10. Additionally, this is UTRGV’s fourth national player of the week honor, as senior pitcher Colten Davis earned the honor from Collegiate Baseball on April 24 and junior pitcher Angelo Cabral was the D1Baseball National Pitcher of the Week on February 27.
Pimentel hit .857/.889/2.000 while leading the Vaqueros to a 3-1 week, going 12-for-14 with five home runs, one double, four walks, 15 RBIs and 10 runs scored. He had three hits in each game.
Pimentel opened the week by going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored at Lamar on Tuesday. He then posted his first-career three-homer game while driving in a season-high five runs and scoring a career-high tying four times on Thursday in the series opener at Stephen F. Austin. Pimentel followed that up by reaching five times with a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored on Friday before reaching four more times with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored on Saturday.
For the season, Pimentel is hitting .401/.488/.708 with 18 home runs, eight doubles, 69 RBIs, 48 runs scored and nine stolen bases. He leads the WAC and ranks 20th in the NCAA in RBIs while ranking second in the WAC and 26th in the NCAA in RBIs per game (1.30). Pimentel ranks third in the WAC in four categories, ranking 48th in the NCAA in home runs, 55th in in on-base percentage, 58th in total bases (143), and 63rd in slugging percentage (.708). He ranks fourth in the WAC in two categories, ranking 27th in the NCAA in hitting and 72nd in home runs per game (0.34). Pimentel is fifth in the WAC in two categories, ranking 39th in the NCAA in hits (81) and 48th in hits per game (1.53).
Pimentel is having one of the best individual seasons in program history, ranking third in home runs, tied for third in RBIs, fourth in total bases, fifth in hitting, and seventh in hits.
For his career, Pimentel is UTRGV’s all-time leader in home runs (30) and hitting (.388) while ranking sixth in RBI (116). He is one total base from entering the top 10, currently at 170. He also put together the third-longest error-free streak in program history, playing 70 games of flawless defense between first base and left field.
No. 7 UTRGV opens the WAC Tournament 6 p.m. Tuesday against No. 6 UT Arlington at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona, the spring training home of the Oakland A’s. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ and internationally via WAC International.