Feb. 25, 2003

WACO, Texas - Baylor centerfielder Chris Durbin was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week for games played Feb. 17-23, the league announced Tuesday.

Durbin, a senior from Wylie, Texas, hit.588, slugged 1.176 and reached base at a .650 clip as the Bears went 4-0 on the week, including a weekend sweep of No. 7 Southern California. Durbin scored eight times in four games and drove in five runs, including knocking home the winning run in three of the four games.

Tuesday against UT-Arlington, Durbin went 2-for-3 with a home run. Three days later, in the first of three against USC, he drove in the winning run in the 12th inning with a two-out, line-drive single to right that gave Baylor the 2-1 victory. In the second game of the doubleheader, Durbin recorded his second four-hit game of the year and scored three times as the Bears won, 9-8. Sunday, he homered twice to power Baylor to a 3-1 win and the series sweep.

Durbin is Baylor's first conference player or pitcher of the week for 2003; five Bears brought home the honor last season. The award marks the first time Durbin has been named Big 12 Player of the Week.

Kansas senior Kevin Wheeler was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after striking out 12 batters in 8 2/3 shutout innings of a 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan. Wheeler did not walk a hitter and gave up just five hits.

Baylor heads to San Antonio for a 6 p.m. game Wednesday at Wolff Stadium against UT-San Antonio, then flies west to California for a weekend series at UC-Irvine Friday through Sunday.