El Paso native Ivan Melendez extends home run streak to six with Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas - There are not too many out there hotter with a bat in hand than El Paso native Ivan Melendez.

The Texas Longhorns infielder extended his home-run streak to six consecutive games Sunday against Kansas State, part of a multi-homer performance for the former Coronado high school star.

Melendez, who was last week's Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, hit his first of the game in the 4th inning on a pitch out of the zone that he deposited over the batter's eye in deep center field.

The 4th-inning blast extended Melendez's home-run streak to six games, two shy of matching the all-time NCAA Division I record.

"I would just say I'm getting more at-bats now" said Melendez of his torrid pace. "Get in that groove I guess."

"In baseball you get some hot streaks, but you just gotta embrace them and ride them out."

Melendez played long ball again in the 6th inning, with a mammoth shot that hit the top of the scoreboard in left-center field. Melendez has now hit eight home runs on the season.

Melendez said he's not very superstitious in terms of his streak, but was cautious of a mid-streak haircut coming into the weekend.

"I try to wear the same baseball socks every game. And I got a haircut in the middle of it (the streak.) So I was like 'oh no,' I thought I was going to ruin it."

"But I guess none of that matters," laughed Melendez.

Melendez will try to extend the streak this Tuesday night vs. Nevada in Austin (6:30pm MT, Longhorn Network).