Big 12 Player of the Year: Aaron Senne

■ 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Awards announced (Big12Sports.com)

Nick Martini (Kansas State) and Aaron Senne (Missouri) have been named Big 12 Co-Players of the Year, while Cole Green (Texas) has been selected Pitcher of the Year to headline the 2010 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Baseball Awards, announced by the Conference office. Texas A&M’s John Stilson and Texas Tech’s Barrett Barnes are the Newcomer and Freshman of the Year, respectively. Augie Garrido has been tabbed the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the fifth time in league history.
. . .
Senne finished behind Martini in the batting race for overall average, recording a .410 mark through games of May 25. In Big 12 contests, he tallied a league-leading 70 total bases and .686 slugging percentage. Senne, a Rochester, Minn.-native, also is in first-place for overall slugging percentage (.755). In all games played, Senne ranks second in the following statistical categories in the Big 12 home runs (16), doubles (21), on-base percentage (.502) and total bases (151). He broke the school record for career doubles and became Mizzou’s all-time hits leader this season.

Also on the All Big 12 Team:

1st Team: Brett Nicholas, Utility Player

Honorable Mention: Michael Liberto, INF

■ Superstitious success story (KOMU.com)

"I think he has great pleasure in being off on an angle somewhere," Jamieson added.

One example happened during Senne's 17-game hitting streak.

"I had the long shaggy hair going. I was loving it," Senne said.

"I asked him during the streak to get his haircut knowing what the response was going to be," Jamieson explained. "He looked at me and said I'm a little superstitious."

"The lady took one cut and chopped all the wings off," Senne added. "I took one look in the mirror and dropped my head. I was so disappointed."

■ Nicholas willing to do what it takes to make Missouri baseball successful (TigerExtra.com)

He paused his groundskeeping duties just long enough to meet with a handful of reporters. As the questions started, Nicholas leaned on the rake as if he had been toiling in the fields all day. A teammate who was passing by peered in and asked if Nicholas wanted him to hold the rake while Nicholas held court.

“No, it’s all right,” Nicholas responded. “I never know what to do with my hands.”

Maybe not while talking. But when the game is on, those hands mean a lot.

■ Seeing a Daniel Boone Little Leaguer grow up to play at MU (myMissourian.com)

Garrison’s incredible. Every summer he comes out and throws on this field. His parents live right near the fields, so he and his brother — who’s a Division 1 prospect in his own right — come down. His brother’s a catcher; he’s a pitcher.* They come out here and practice and hit in the cages.

I actually came out here one day and Garrison was hitting, but I just saw some kid hitting in the cages. We have a rule that you gotta have a helmet on when you hit, and I didn’t know who it was — I didn’t have my glasses on — and I look over and say, “Hey, you gotta have a helmet on.”

And then I saw who it was, and I said, “You know, Garrison, I think you’re OK. You can hit without a helmet if you want to.”

Big 12 Tournament

■ Big 12 Tournament Day 1

Game 1: No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 5 Texas Tech 9:00 a.m.
Game 2: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Missouri 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 6 Baylor 4:00 p.m.
Game 4: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Kansas 7:30 p.m.Big 12 Tournament Central, withlive video of all games (Big12Sports.com)

■ UT baseball targets Big 12 tournament title (News 8 Austin)

Video Report
Augie Garrido: "It [the tournament] matters because we have an opportunity to play, and every time you have an opportunity to play you have an opportunity to get better. And you learn from the good news and the bad news that comes from every game. And when you keep it in a pitch-to-pitch experience, you learn a lot."

■ Loy could miss Big 12 tourney with arm injury (statesman.com)

An MRI of Brandon Loy's left shoulder blade showed a bruise, and the Longhorns shortstop might sit out the Big 12 baseball tournament as a precaution, Texas coach Augie Garrido said Monday.

Loy was injured when he was hit by a pitch on May 16 against Louisiana Tech. He returned to play Friday against Missouri, but re-injured his shoulder sliding into second base in the first inning. He didn't play against the Tigers on Saturday or Sunday.

"I slid and I just felt a pop," Loy said. "I could barely move my arm the rest of that game. I had to bunt with two strikes because I couldn't swing."