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Hairston, Rahe And Smith Earn Big 12 Weekly Baseball Honors After Standout Performances

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(BCSNN) — Arizona State’s Landon Hairston, Kansas’ Boede Rahe and West Virginia’s Sean Smith were named Big 12 Baseball Players of the Week for Week 9 of the 2026 season, the conference announced.

The trio’s performances highlighted a strong stretch for their respective programs as the league continues to showcase depth and rising talent.

Hairston earned Player of the Week honors after delivering one of the most productive stretches in the country. The sophomore slugger hit five home runs in five games, tying for the national lead for the week and pushing his season total to 23, the most in Division I. All nine of his hits went for extra bases — three more than any other player nationally — as he hit .409 (9-for-22) with 14 RBI, 10 runs scored and a 1.273 slugging percentage. Hairston homered in four of five games, including a two‑homer, five‑RBI outing in a 14–13 win over Utah.

Kansas reliever Boede Rahe was named Pitcher of the Week and Co‑Newcomer of the Week after anchoring the Jayhawks’ bullpen during a perfect 4–0 stretch that included wins over then‑No. 19 Nebraska and a sweep of then‑No. 12 UCF. The redshirt junior threw 7.0 scoreless innings across three appearances, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out eight. Rahe earned the win in the series opener against UCF and recorded two saves, highlighted by a three‑inning, hitless save against Nebraska. He now sits tied for second in the Big 12 with five wins.

West Virginia outfielder Sean Smith shared Newcomer of the Week honors after leading the conference in batting average, going 9-for-15 (.600) across four games. Smith tied for the league lead in hits (9) and doubles (4), added six RBI and four runs, and did not strike out once. His week included a four‑hit performance in Sunday’s road win at Texas Tech, helping the Mountaineers secure a key series victory.

The recognition comes at a pivotal point in the season, with Big 12 teams jockeying for position in a league that continues to produce high‑level individual performances and competitive series from top to bottom.