FRISCO – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi second baseman Cade Sanchez and Lamar starting pitcher Chris Olivier picked up the Southland Baseball Player of the Week awards for the first week of the 2026 season, which were announced Monday by the conference office.

Hitter of the Week: Cade Sanchez, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - Gr. - INF - Houston, Texas (Jersey Village HS)
Sanchez was the catalyst to an Islanders offense that made history out of the gates, scoring 10 or more runs in four straight games to open a season for the first time in program history in a sweep of D1 Stonehill College. Hitting primarily in the middle of the order, the second baseman slashed .538/.647/.769, going 7-13 with three doubles, two walks, two HBPs, seven RBIs and four runs scored while chipping in a pair of stolen bases as well. Sanchez picked up three hits and three RBIs in two different games over the weekend, doing so in the season opener on Friday with two doubles and then again in the third game of the set while adding another two-bagger.
Honorable Mention: Armani Raygoza, UTRGV and Cermodrick Bland, SFA

Pitcher of the Week: Chris Olivier, Lamar - Sr. - RHP - Mandeville, La. (Lakeshore HS)
Chris Olivier retired 19 batters in a row to help the Cardinals notch an 8-2 win in Game 1 against Oakland University. He had a perfect game through six innings until it was broken up in the top of the seventh. Olivier went 6.2 innings with 14 strikeouts. He was three strikeouts shy of tying the single game program record. He did not walk a single batter and he allowed just one hit. He struck out every leadoff batter he faced. 

2026 Southland Baseball Players of the Week

Date	Hitter of the Week	Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 16	Cade Sanchez, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	Chris Olivier, Lamar

Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.