Story Links
NEW ORLEANS – After leading their teams to series sweeps on opening weekend, Texas State’s Kyle Froehlich and Arkansas State’s Lane Walton earned the first Sun Belt baseball weekly honors of the 2026 campaign.
Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Kyle Froehlich, Texas State
(Gr., RHP – Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Bobcats graduate student right-handed pitcher Kyle Froehlich got the ball on opening day and delivered a dominant performance in an 13-0 shutout victory over Niagara, en route to an eventual series sweep. The Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada, product threw 5.0 innings, conceding just two hits and striking out eight. Froehlich held opponents to a .118 batting average, contributing to Texas State’s first season-opening shutout since 2010.
Baseball Player of the Week
Lane Walton, Arkansas State
(So., 2B – Sugar Land, Texas)
Red Wolves sophomore second baseman Lane Walton hit .417 (5-for-12) and slugged 1.250 as Arkansas State posted a season-opening series sweep of Stony Brook. The Sugar Land, Texas, native hit three home runs an accounted for six runs scored and six RBI on the weekend. On his first day in a Red Wolves uniform, Walton delivered a three-run blast in the opening game of a doubleheader, before adding a pair of solo shots in the nightcap.
2026 Sun Belt Baseball Pitchers of the Week
Week 1 – Kyle Froehlich, Texas State (Gr., RHP – Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada)
2026 Sun Belt Baseball Players of the Week
Week 1 – Lane Walton, Arkansas State (So., 2B – Sugar Land, Texas)