Longhorns 1B Kimble Schuessler Named SEC Co-Player of the Week

After taking two out of three games from the Kentucky Wildcats the weekend prior, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns entered a new week ready to prove they were worthy of the top spot in the rankings.

Well, it is safe to say they achieved this with a dominant showing en route to a perfect 4-0 record during the week. A key name in the winning homestand was first baseman Kimble Schuessler, who was virtually impossible for Texas' opponents to retire and was named SEC Co-Player of the Week.

Texas first baseman Kimble Schuessler (10) runs to first base during the Longhorns' game against The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. | Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Starting off against the UTRGV Vaqueros, the first baseman was tasked with handling leadoff duties in the absence of Ethan Mendoza. The new spot in the lineup did nothing to slow him down. He collected a pair of hits and walks each while coming home to score three times in the 11-4 win.

However, he truly caught fire when the then No. 8 Auburn Tigers came to town. In the opener he again recorded two hits, with the biggest coming in the form of a go-ahead solo shot in the seventh that propelled Texas to a 3-2 win.

Game two saw him record three more and another RBI. His best was saved for the finale, though. Leading the Longhorns to a 14-2 run-rule win and a sweep of the Tigers, the slugger blasted a pair of three-run home runs and added a two-run double to boot -- finishing with a career-high eight RBI.

Ultimately, he totaled an SEC-leading .714/.765/1.500 slash line, while blasting three longballs and driving in 10 runs to propel the Longhorns to their impressive 4-0 week.

As the Longhorns head down the back stretch, Schuessler heating up will go a long way toward their ultimate goal of getting to Omaha. He offers a steady presence in the middle of the lineup and gets on base consistently, which makes life easier for those who hit around him.