Three student athletes, one baseball player and two from the golf team, were recognized by the Mountain West Conference and the athletic department for their sports achievements.
Sophomore Kyle Winkler was named Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week for his efforts against Cal State Bakersfield this past weekend, while the Athletics Department selected golfers Valentine Derry and sophomore Johan de Beer as its Athletes of the Week for their recent efforts for the Horned Frogs.
The honor is the second of Winkler’s career and the eighth of the season for the Horned Frogs. Winkler tossed seven scoreless innings in helping TCU to a 12-0 non-conference shutout of Cal State Bakersfield last Friday. The sophomore right-hander fanned seven batters without a walk and surrendered just four hits, only one of which went for extra bases. He retired 18 of the last 19 batters he faced, including the final 10 to improve to 9-1 on the year.
Derry became the first TCU women’s golfer to play in four NCAA Championships and was named to the NCAA All-East Region team by the National Golf Coaches Association. Derry’s 72-hole score of 296 was TCU’s best mark at an NCAA Championships since Rita Moore and Marci Bozarth shot 294 and 295, respectively, in leading the Frogs to the 1983 national title.
Derry joined former Frog All-American and current LPGA star Angela Stanford as the only four-time all-conference selections in TCU women’s golf history. The team shot a final-round 304 Friday to tie for 19th at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship. This was the Frog’s fourth-straight top-20 finish.
Johan de Beer’s paced the men’s team this week by finishing fourth place overall at the NCAA South Central Men’s Golf Championships with a -6 (210). He finished only three strokes back of the regional champion, Georgia’s Russell Henley (-9). The team posted a third-place finish Saturday in the final round at the Regional at the Traditions Golf Club, securing its second-straight berth in the NCAA Championships. The NCAA bid marks the 15th in program history and the fifth this decade. TCU will compete in the national tournament June 1-6 at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.
Winkler was also honored on April 19. Bryan Holaday has been tabbed on three occasions this season (March 8, April 19 and May 3). Also honored were Jason Coats (March 1) and Matt Purke (March 15, May 17).
