LINE DRIVES the NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WRITERS NEWSLETTER (Volume 44, No
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LINE DRIVES THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WRITERS NEWSLETTER (Volume 44, No. 2, April 14, 2005) NCBWA President’s Message The college baseball season is a little over the halfway point and what a season it has been … It is great to see how much parity there is in college baseball this year with several teams earning the No. 1 spot and how much change there has been in the polls. It is great to turn on ESPN and see how many college games from across the country are being televised … I was in Greenville, N.C., for our series with East Carolina this past weekend and watched parts of the Texas- Nebraska series … What a series that was … The exposure that college baseball is gaining through ESPN, along with the other networks spreads the word even more about how great our game is … If you haven’t done so, please get your All-American and Dick Howser Trophy nominations into Bo Carter ([email protected]) by Friday, April 15. We have seen a lot of great individual performances thus far this season, and we would hate to see someone not get honored because the deadline was missed. All of the NCBWA members should have received a directory in the mail already … If you haven’t, please contact one of the officers so we can get one to you … It is a handy tool for the promotion of college baseball and is a great resource tool in the press box. Be on the watch for the updated midseason release for the Stopper of the Year Award, which includes the national saves leaders, that should be released during the week of April 18 … At the end of the regular season, the Division I leader in saves and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as the award's first finalists … These finalists will be released on Wednesday, June 1, just prior to the beginning of NCAA regional play … From the list of finalists, the NCBWA's All-America Committee will select a winner … The first annual winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 8, two days prior to the beginning of NCAA super regional action. If you have any ideas for promoting college baseball or making our organization better with the ability to reach a wider audience, please contact one of the officers and give them your ideas … Also if you know of someone in our profession or in the media who follows college baseball, please encourage them to join our organization. There are still a lot of outstanding conference series and midweek games still left to be played during the second half of the season as things wind down toward the conference tournaments the last week of May and into the NCAA Tournament. So support your teams, promote your individual players who are deserving and good luck down the stretch run. Mike Montoro NCBWA President Southern Miss NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION (www.ncbwa.com) 2005 DICK HOWSER AWARD NOMINATION PROCESS DALLAS - For the seventh year in succession, the NCBWA and St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce are starting the process for nomination and awarding of the 19th annual Xanthus-Dick Howser Trophy and NCBWA All-America teams. Nominations will be accepted by faxing or emailing candidates to: (214-753-0145; Attn: Bo Carter) or email: [email protected]. Timeline Fri., April 15 Deadline for Initial Set of Nominations Wed., Apr. 20 First Ballot e-Mailed to Membership Wed., April 27 Deadline for First Round of Voting Thu., April 28 64 Xanthus-Dick Howser Trophy Watch List Announced Tue., May 10 Second Ballot e-Mailed to Membership Wed., May 18 Deadline for Second Round of Voting Thu., May 19 16 Xanthus-Dick Howser Semifinalists Announced Tue., May 31 Final Ballot e-Mailed to Membership Wed., June 8 Deadline for Final Round of Voting Thu., June 9 Eight Xanthus-Dick Howser Trophy Finalists Announced Fri., June 10 Regional Players of the Year Announced Tue., June 14 NCBWA All-American Teams Announced Fri., June 17 Xanthus-Dick Howser Trophy Winner Announced in Omaha The winner's name is inscribed on the permanent trophy, a bronze bust of Howser permanently displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Both the winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep. The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce has had over 100 years of community service since its founding in 1899. The organization has long been a vital force in the baseball affairs of the city, both in spring training and during the pursuit of a major league baseball franchise for the Tampa Bay area, and continues its solid role in the 21st Century. NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport's only college media-related organization, founded in 1962. The Howser Trophy was created in 1987, shortly after Howser's death. Previous winners of the Howser Trophy are Mike Fiore, Miami, 1987; Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State, 1988; Scott Bryant, Texas, 1989; Alex Fernandez, Miami-Dade Community College South, 1990; Frank Rodriguez, Howard College (Texas), 1991; Brooks Kieschnick, Texas, 1992 and 1993; Jason Varitek, Georgia Tech, 1994; Todd Helton, Tennessee, 1995; Kris Benson, Clemson, 1996; J.D. Drew, Florida State, 1997; Eddy Furniss, LSU, 1998; Jason Jennings, Baylor, 1999; and Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; Mark Prior, Southern California, 2001; Khalil Greene, Clemson, 2002; Rickey Weeks, Southern, 2003; and Jered Weaver, Long Beach State, 2004. For further information about the Howser Trophy, please contact: David Feaster, Chair, Dick Howser Trophy Committee, 1717 73rd Circle, NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33702, (727) 388-1000. NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION (www.ncbwa.com) 2005 XANTHUS-DICK HOWSER TROPHY - NCBWA ALL-AMERICA TEAM NOMINATION FORM Nominations are due on April 15 Pos. Name, School Class BA AB R H HR RBI Name, School (L/R) Class W-L ERA G IP H BB SO SV Please Fax (214-753-0145) or email ([email protected]) – Attn: Bo Carter if faxing…Thanks! Pro-Line Cap NCBWA Division I Players/Pitchers of Week Player Pitcher Feb. 8 OF Frank Rembert, Elon Erik Averill, Arizona State Feb. 15 2B Scott Bridges, Arkansas Brian Bogusevic, Tulane Feb. 22 OF Drew Stubbs, Texas Taylor Fowler, Arkansas State Mar. 1 OF-DH Kurt Eichorn, Kent State Tyler Chambliss, Florida State Mar. 8 OF Matt Wieters, Georgia Tech J.C. Biagi, Centenary Mar. 15 OF Jeremy Slayden, Georgia Tech Lance Broadway, TCU; Gib Hobson, NC State Mar. 22 3B Alex Gordon, Nebraska Luke Hochevar, Tennessee Mar. 29 2B Josh Rodriguez, Rice Brent Gaphardt, Delaware Apr. 5 1B Mike Baxter, Vanderbilt Max Scherzer, Missouri Apr. 12 1B Dusty Bensko, Illinois J. Brent Cox, Texas Special Note to Baseball Contacts and NCBWA Members The mid-season update to watch list for the inaugural NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award will be announced the week of April 18. If you have a candidate who should be included on the next list, please generate the individual game-by-game report in the Automated Scorebook season reports and email a PDF of that report to Todd Lamb (NCBWA First VP) at [email protected] no later than Monday, April 18 at 12 noon, EDT. The NCAA will begin publishing national baseball stats on April 11 and the saves list will be used to help determine who should be included on the mid-season watch list. Triple Play – Around the Horn Slippery Rock University turned a 5-4-3-2 triple play in the bottom of the third inning of an Apr. 12 first game win at Pitt-Johnstown. Canadians Again Prevalent in 2005 College Baseball Note: Special thanks again for faithful NCBWA member Bob Elliott of the Toronto SUN for the annual All- Canadian College Team. Please email news or additional names of standout student-athletes in baseball to: http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamBaseballCanada/home.html). MacFarlane Tops Fifth All-Canada Squad in 2004 SLAM! Canadian Baseball College team By Bob Elliott for SLAM! Canadian Baseball Shortstop Jonathon Malo had almost half as many honors as doubles during the 2004 college baseball season. Malo (sophomore, St-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Que.), of the Northeastern Oklahoma A & M Golden Norse, had a career season, which included being named conference player of the year, receiving All-America kudos and a six- figure signing bonus from the New York Mets. Hitting 11 homers and knocking in 62 runs in 53 games has a way of impressing scouts. Outfielder Matt Gunning was also named conference player of the year and he too received all-America laurels not once, not twice, but three times. Gunning (senior, Victoria, BC), of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers hit 15 homers and slugged 73 RBIs for the conference champs. Malo and Gunning each received 29 first-place votes for our fifth annual SLAM! Canadian Baseball All-Canadian College team. Yet, neither were top dogs on this illustrious list. Outfielder Charlie MacFarlane (junior, Lantzville, BC), of the Cumberland Bulldogs was the most popular player at the polling station with 36 first-place votes on the 45-man panel. MacFarlane helped Cumberland win the Avista 2004 NAIA World Series on his way to a 23-homer, 80-RBI season. There should have been an indication MacFarlane would garner the most first-place votes as he became our first-ever, three-time SLAM! Canadian Baseball College Player of the Week winner. It was the second straight year that the leading vote getter came from the Avista NAIA World Series champs. Catcher Aaron McRae (Delta, BC), of the Louisiana State-Shreveport Pilots, received the most first-place votes with 37.