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.