James hit .467 with two home runs, six RBIs to help MSU to a 4-0 week and series sweep at Auburn
STARKVILLE – After leading the No. 3 Mississippi State baseball offense with a .467 batting average in a 4-0 week, second-year freshman Kamren James was named the SEC Newcomer of the Week, announced the conference office on Monday (April 12) .
The Newcomer of the Week award was added for the 2021 season and is awarded weekly to the top performer in the SEC that was a freshman during the shortened 2020 season.
James led the Diamond Dawgs with a .467 average on the week, reached base in all four games and drove in at least one run to help MSU to a 4-0 week, including a series sweep at Auburn. He posted multi-hit games in all three games of the series at Auburn and was on base in 10 of 16 plate appearances on the weekend.
After reaching via hit-by-pitch against Southern in MSU’s midweek contest, James singled and stole a base in the first inning of the series opener on The Plains, before he homered in the fifth inning. James drove in the first run of game two, before his two-run home run in the third inning of the second game provided the eventual game-winning runs. In the series finale, he was on base in five of six plate appearances, including twice in the first inning. He scored four runs and drove in one RBI in State’s biggest offensive game of the season.
On the year, James leads the team with 12 stolen bases and a .538 slugging percentage and is tied for the team lead with seven home runs. He sits No. 2 on the squad in hits (36), No. 3 in runs scored (24) and doubled (6) and is No. 4 in on-base percentage (.366).
Adding James’ newcomer of the week award, State has now claimed four weekly honors in 2021. Along with James, third-year freshman Christian MacLeod and second-year freshman Landon Sims have each won SEC Pitcher of the Week and true freshman Jackson Fristoe was tabbed Freshman of the Week.
The four weekly honors from the SEC are tied for No. 3 in a single season in program history with the 2016, 2007 and 1985 squads. The 2019 team won six weekly awards to set the school standard, while the 2012 team captured five.
The ninth week of the 2021 season will start with a midweek contest against Arkansas State at Dudy Noble Field on Tuesday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. The fifth weekend of SEC play will bring the second top 10 matchup to The Dude for Super Bulldog Weekend against Ole Miss. The series will start at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 16 and air live on the SEC Network.