THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE WRITERS NEWSLETTER LINE DRIVES Volume 48 • No. 5 • August 13, 2009

NCBWA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2009-10 NCBWA OFFICERS NAMED by Chuck Dunlap The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) recently released its list of 2009-10 officers as approved re- cently by the organization’s executive board. These officers began their duties immediately and will serve in these roles through Another season has come and gone and the 2010 College . eyes are already looking forward to 2010 in what will obviously be a very memorable one, concluding with the final The new president is Chuck Dunlap, longtime baseball contact for the and representative of the played at historic Rosenblatt Stadium. Let there be no doubt the NCBWA at several NCAA World Series in Omaha. Dunlap is steeped in the long Mississippi State tradition as a graduate and youthful 2010 CWS will be one that lives on forever. follower of the Bulldogs and succeeds 2008-09 president Joe Dier, the 23-year chief baseball contact for MSU. The 2009 College World Series, the 30th in a row covered by For the second straight year, the group has two female vice presidents. Julie St. Cyr of the moves from ESPN, was the most-viewed and highest-rated in ESPN and ESPN2 second to first vice president, whileTami Cutler of Wichita State advances from third to second vice president. history -- including the best-of-three Championship Series between St. Cyr will coordinate the NCBWA Stopper of the Year nominations and voting process for 2010 as well as design and layout LSU and Texas -- while posting significant audience increases over the organization’s annual directory. Cutler will continue her outstanding work with the Pro-Line Athletic NCBWA pre- and post- 2008. The Championship Series produced three of ESPN’s top four season All-America teams as well as coordinating the prestigious Wilbur Snypp Award. most-viewed NCAA College World Series telecasts ever, highlighted by the most-viewed and second highest-rated for the decisive Ryan Bomberger of Liberty takes over as third vice president. The Flames’ baseball contact has served previously on the Game 3 which averaged 2,303,000 households; 3,160,000 viewers; NCBWA Board of Directors for two years and will now move into the officer rotation and begin coordination of the organization’s and a 2.3 rating. annual Freshman All-American team. Indeed, we are in the “Golden Age” of college baseball and it Bo Carter begins his 10th year as executive director while Russ Anderson, assistant commissioner of Conference USA, should continue to grow even larger. One item missed by some but starts his fifth year as associate executive director. West Virginia director of football certainly one that should be noted was the NCAA’s new designation communications Mike Montoro is opening his fourth year as assistant executive of men’s college baseball as a “revenue” sport (along with football director. All three directors are past presidents, board members and recipients and basketball) in the April 2009 release of baseball’s APR numbers, of the NCBWA Wilbur Snypp Award. In addition, Anderson has served one of the numbers by the way that saw baseball with one of the largest in- creases and improvements among all NCAA sanctioned sports. longest tenures as an officer in NCBWA history with 13 years as secretary/trea- There are several other items to keep an eye on as the 2010 surer of the organization. college season approaches. One will be how college baseball will For the fifth consecutive year, nationally noted media relations directors Bob McComas (Division II) and Steve Marovich be affected by the current questions throughout the country on (Division III) will serve as divisional coordinators for NCBWA. whether to continue the printing of media guides. There is also a The 2009-10 Board of Directors offers a tremendous mix of geographical diversity and baseball knowledge. Alabama’s proposal by the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee to issue an imme- Barry Allen returns along with ’s Jeff Conrad (who will now coordinate the NCBWA Newsletter), past president Dier, diate and indefinite moratorium on the use of composite barreled Florida State’s Jason Leturmy, and Judy Willson of New Mexico ((who will begin coordinating the NCBWA of the Year bats (AKA bat ‘shaving’ or ‘rolling’). The committee believes this ac- Award). Illinois’ Ben Taylor becomes the newest board member and brings to the table a solid grasp of Big Ten Conference and tion is needed in order to protect the integrity of the game and to enhance the safety of the student-athletes. Midwest Region collegiate baseball. Also worth noting was the recent defeat of a proposal to re- For more information contact NCBWA associate executive director Russ Anderson (214-774-1351, rdanderson@c-usa. duce the of regular season games from 56 to 52. However, org). Recent newsletters and online membership forms are available by accessing www.NCBWA.com. the NCAA did approve a proposal to extend the regular season by one week due to the compression of the season being problematic, SDSU’s Strasburg Takes 23rd Annual Trophy giving 2010 a start date of February 19. State’s dominant right-handed was the recipient of the 23rd annual Dick Howser No matter the issue, please feel free to contact myself or any board member with your opinions and stances so the NCBWA Trophy as college baseball’s player of the year. can continue to be the leader in awareness of and dealing with the Strasburg had one of the finest season pitching performances in 2009 as a junior right- pressing issues that surround the current and future state of col- hander for Hall of Fame coach ’s Aztecs. The San Diego, Calif., resident legiate baseball. was the national leader in with 195 and No. 2 in NCAA Division I with a 1.32 ERA and hits al- I am honored and humbled to be named the 48th President lowed per nine innings with 5.37 to compliment a 13-1 overall record. The 2008 USA Baseball Player of of the NCBWA. A tremendous thanks to outgoing president Joe Dier the Year for all divisions, Strasburg was the first selection in the 2009 Major League Baseball free agent for his work not just during the past year but the countless years draft by the in June. he has served the NCWBA and college baseball. Like many in this Also a finalist for the prestigious , the SDSU righty was the 2009 College fine organization, he has witnessed first-hand and been alarge part of the tremendous growth in revenue, media attention, fan Baseball Foundation Pitcher of the Year and totally dominated the in ’09. In support and television exposure college baseball has enjoyed over round-robin league play, he was 7-0 with 111 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA in eight starts. the years. Overall, Strasburg (two-time MWC Pitcher of the Year as A great deal of thanks should also go out to Russ Anderson, a sophomore and junior) pitched 109 innings in 15 starts, had a pair of complete games, Mike Montoro and Bo Carter as they continue their hard work as had a hand in four (two in personal complete games), gave up 65 hits, and Executive Directors of the NCWBA. These three gentleman have walked just 19 hitters in 15 contests. Opponents batted just .172 against the Aztec overseen an organization that has grown at a pace comparable to standout. He finished 2009 pre-NCAA activity without allowing an earned in 50 the sport we all covet, highlighted by the inclusion of the NCWBA of his 52 innings worked. annual awards as part of the festivities to recognize and induct the College Baseball Hall of Fame and the inaugural College Baseball The two-time consensus All-America also whiffed 180 batters in his first Awards Show in Lubbock, Texas in July. two seasons at San Diego State in 2007 and ’08 and was a semifinalist for the 2008 One final note, new membership and renewal forms are now Howser Trophy. Strasburg struck out a SDSU and MWC record 23 hitters against Utah being distributed. Please consider passing these forms to as many on April 11, 2008, and allowed opposing hitters a composite .136 batting average of your contacts and colleagues as possible so we can continue to – shattering the previous MWC season mark by 75 points. He was a relief ace for the see this organization grow and achieve new heights. Aztecs as a freshman with seven saves. The presentation was made in July for the first time in Lubbock, Texas, as part

NCBWA.com NCBWA NEWSLETTER • AUG. 13, 2009 PAGE 2 of the festivities to recognize and Cove, N.C., was a consensus 2009 All-America performer. He was the second player chosen in WINNERS induct the College Baseball Hall of the 2009 draft by the and led the NCAA World Series fifth-place Tar Heels with 1987 Mike Fiore 1B Miami Fame and the inaugural College a .417 average, with 75 runs, 18 doubles, four triples, a team-leading 22 homers, 73 RBIs, .763 1988 3B Oklahoma State Show streamed and a .512 on-base percentage of .512. 1989 DH Texas 1990 Alex Fernandez RHP Miami-Dade College live on www.MLB.com and available He was on NCAA Chapel Hill All-Tournament Teams and set an NCAA World Series for 1991 Util. Howard College (Texas) in the MLB.com archives and MLB. career hits under head coach Mike Fox. 1992 Util. Texas com update. Other 2009 winners 1993 Brooks Kieschnick Util. Texas 1994 C Georgia Tech denoted previously and receiving • 2009 Howser Trophy Finalist 1995 Util. Tennessee awards in Lubbock were Addison Leake, the two-time Pacific-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2008 and ‘09, led the 1996 RHP Clemson Reed of San Diego State as Stopper nation in pitching victories with a 16-1 mark with a microscopic 1.71 ERA for the national third- 1997 J.D. Drew OF Florida State of the Year, of UC Irvine 1998 1B LSU place Sun Devils . 1999 Util. Baylor for the Brooks Wallace Award, Brian The junior right-hander from Fallbrook, Calif., had seven complete games in 19 starts and 2000 1B Georgia Tech O’Connor (special video) of Virginia was one of the real “workhorses” in college baseball in 2009 with 142 . He tossed 2001 RHP USC as Coach of the Year, J.T. Wise of Okla- two shutouts and was part of another blanking. 2002 SS Clemson 2003 Rickie Weeks 2B Southern homa for the Award, The ace for ASU head coach Pat Murphy enjoyed a 7:1 -to-walk ratio with 162 2004 RHP Long Beach State and Strasburg (also winner of 2009 whiffs and 24 walks for an average of 10.3 strikeouts every nine innings. Leake surrendered just 2005 RHP Nebraska Pitcher of the Year). 27 earned runs and 95 hits (5.4 each nine IP) and was among the top five in NCAA statistics in 2006 Util. Houston Strasburg edged out con- 2007 LHP Vanderbilt wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and walks per nine innings. 2008 C Florida State sensus All-America performers and He finished his three-year career at ASA with a 40-6 mark as an All-Pac-10 hurler for the 2009 Stephen Strasburg RHP. San Diego State fellow Howser Trophy finalists 1B Sun Devils. For further information about the Howser Trophy, please of North Carolina and He also batted .303 as a in 15 contests with four doubles and four RBIs contact: David Feaster, Chair, Dick Howser Trophy Committee, St. Pe- RHP Mike Leake of Arizona State. A as a DH. tersburg, (727) 528-5177; or Bo Carter, Executive Director of NCBWA, decorated student-athlete through- Dallas, Texas (214) 418-6132. out his SDSU career with a major The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, founder and owner of the Dick Howser in public administration, Strasburg Trophy, has enjoyed over 100 years of community service since its founding in 1899. The orga- USA GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WINNERS chose the Aztecs over Arizona, Ari- nization has long been a vital force in the baseball affairs of the city, both in and 1978 2B Arizona State zona State, UNLV, Stanford, Yale, and during the pursuit of a major league baseball franchise for the Tampa Bay area, and continues 1979 3B Cal State Fullerton Harvard. its solid role in the 21st Century. NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and pub- 1980 OF Arizona 1981 OF Florida State The son of Jim Strasburg and licists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport’s only college media- 1982 SS New Orleans Kathleen Swett, who both attended related organization, and was founded in 1962. 1983 DH Alabama San Diego State, took the Aztecs The College Baseball Awards Show video stream can be accessed at: http://mlb.mlb. 1984 Oddibe McDowell OF Arizona State to their highest finish in the NCAA 1985 1B Mississippi State com/media/video.jsp?topic_id=5602506. Select the College Baseball Awards Full Show 1986 RHP Fresno State tournament since the school’s most icon, and slide the blue ruler (under what is beginning to play) to 64:30. 1987 LHP Michigan recent NCAA appearance in 1991. The link to the Howser Trophy recap can be found at MLB.com at: http://mlb.mlb.com/ 1988 Robin Ventura 3B Oklahoma State Strasburg later “ran the table” news/article.jsp?ymd=20090703&content_id=5670448&vkey=news_mlb&fext=. 1989 Ben McDonald RHP LSU 1990 Alex Fernandez RHP Miami-Dade College for Player of the Year Awards when jsp&c_id=mlb. 1991 OF Arizona State he received the USA Baseball Golden 1992 3B Cal State Fullerton Spikes Award in St. Louis on July 14. 2009 USA Baseball Update 1993 RHP Wichita State He joins an illustrious group of 31 1994 Jason Varitek C Georgia Tech Team USA enjoyed another banner season with its 2009 squad of all collegiate amateur 1995 Util. Cal State Fullerton previous winners. student-athletes, coaches, trainers and support personnel. 1996 1B San Diego State His other national honors The squad, coached by veteran 1997 J.D. Drew OF Florida State included the Richard W. “Dick” Case 1998 1B Miami (Fla.) Tulane mentor Rick Jones, closed the USA BASEBALL 2009 RESULTS (19-5) 1999 Jason Jennings Util. Baylor Award from USA Baseball for his year at 19-5 and won the prestigious June 25 Canada W, 12-4 2000 RHP South Carolina exemplary showings for Team USA Enbridge in June 26 Canada W, 8-1 June 27 Canada W 14-5 2001 Mark Prior RHP USC and the U.S. Olympic baseball squad Canada by topping Germany 8-1 during 2002 Khalil Greene SS Clemson in last year. He helped pitch June 28 Canada W 14-5 2003 Rickie Weeks 2B Southern the final game of the summer season. July 1 Guatemala W 15-1 2004 Jered Weaver RHP Long Beach State the national team to a first-ever, College stars again were plenti- July 2 Guatemala W 10-0 2005 Alex Gordon RHP Nebraska 24-0 record, the Haarlem Baseball ful for Team USA. Rice’s Rick Hague led July 3 Guatemala W 18-0 2006 LHP Washington Week title and FISU World Univer- July 4 Guatemala W 18-1 2007 David Price LHP Vanderbilt the team with a .371 batting average, July 5 NECBL All-Stars (at Manchester, N.H.) W 4-1 2008 Buster Posey C Florida State sity Championship with two victories three homers and 16 RBI along with July 6 Holyoke (at Holyoke, Mass.) W 5-2 2009 Stephen Strasburg RHP San Diego State over ’s top professional team. Florida State’s Tyler Holt at .371-0 HR- July 7 North Shore Navigators (at Lynn, Mass.) canceled July 10 Kokusai Budo University (at Tokyo) L 7-1 Strasburg led a Team USA’s re- 14 RBI. Cal State Fullerton All-America cord-setting (composite ERA of 1.94 July 11 vs. Japan (Matsuyama, Japan) W 3-0 SS Christian Colon paced Team USA July 12 at Japan (Tokyo) L 3-0 for the summer) pitching staff at 3-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched. with both five homers and 37 RBI in 23 July 13 at Japan L 7-5 He was the only collegian on the ’08 U.S. Olympic Team’s 25-man roster and was the win- games before missing the finale with July 14 at Japan (Sendai) W 8-4 ning hurler against the Netherlands in pool play. He later started against Cuba in the semifinals July 15 at Japan (Tsuruoka) L 8-3 an injury. July 16 at Japan (Tokyo) L 8-7 (11) and finished Olympic play with a 1-1 mark, 2.45 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 11 innings. USA , who set a summer July 19 Canada (at Enbridge, Canada) W 5-2 He was part of the bronze medal team, which downed fourth-place Japan on the final record in 2008 with a 1.62 composite July 20 Germany (at Enbridge) L 6-3 July 21 British Columbia (at Enbridge) W 8-1 day of Olympic competition. The junior righty also was USA Baseball’s nominee for 2008 USOC , were almost as Sportsman of the Year. July 22 Prince George Axeman (at Enbridge) W 10-2 effective in ’09 with a microscopic 2.16 July 23 British Columbia (at Enbridge) W 12-2 team ERA. Tulane’s Nick Pepitone July 24 Canada (at Enbridge) W 1-0 Dustin Ackley • 2009 Howser Trophy Finalist and Arizona State’s Matt Newman July 26 Germany (at Enbridge) W 8-1 (tourney champion) Ackley, the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and a junior from Walnut did not allow an run in 15 2/3 total

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relief frames. UCLA’s captured over 25 East Conference Coach of the Year laurels. 2009 DICK HOWSER TROPHY WINNER 2010 NCAA percent of the all-star unit’s total wins at 4-0 while • Texas A&M’s Justin Seely was pro- STEPHEN STRASBURG POSTSEASON DATES of Ole Miss topped the team with 48 moted to assistant coach and recruiting Division I strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings. Among the rotation start- coordinator in mid-August. Regionals ers Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray (0.75 ERA) and Cole (1.75 June 4-7, 2010 ERA) posted the best numbers. To be determined (on- and off-campus sites) Where Are They Now? One of the longest winning streaks in interna- The NCBWA features college Super Regionals tional baseball came to and end for the USA squad on baseball notables in “Where Are June 11-14, 2010 July 10 when Japan’s Kokusai Budo University topped They Now?” updates on a num- To be determined (on- and off-campus sites) the U.S. contingent 7-1 to end a 35-game skein – the ber of coaches, student-athletes College World Series longest in modern Team USA annals. That included 24 and programs. This issue’s seg- June 19-29/30, 2010 consecutive wins (all season) by the undefeated 2008 ment features some All-Amer- Omaha’s Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium entry. ica selections from the 1984 Omaha, Neb. Creighton University, host season – 25 years ago. OU’s Wise Nabs 2009 Bench Award Several of the familiar Division II Oklahoma senior J.T. Wise added yet another names and career updates Regionals accolade to his resume’ as he was named the winner and with longtime post-col- May 13-16, 2010 To be determined (on- and off-campus sites) of the 2009 Johnny Bench Award. lege All-Star careers (some The honor, given annually to the nation’s top future Cooperstown Hall of Finals collegiate since 2000, was given out by the Fame members as well) in May 22-29, 2010 Hall of Fame catcher at a banquet in Wichita on June Major League Baseball are USA Baseball National Training Complex Cary, North Carolina 26. Wise was recognized later at the CBF Awards Show OF Oddibe McDowell, Ari- Mount Olive College in Lubbock on July 2 for winning the Bench Award. zona State, in private business in and town of Cary, N.C, hosts from Boston College and Chris Southlake, Texas, and Dallas-Fort Henderson from George Mason were the other final- Worth area; OF , Division III Regionals ists. Mississippi State, in private business May 19-23, 2010 He became the first Sooner to collect the award in Colleyville, Texas; DH-1B Will Clark, To be determined (on- campus sites) and the second catcher in the history of the Big 12 Con- Mississippi State, in private business and ference (Kelly Shoppach - Baylor, 2001). Wise, Shop- working with area charities in New Orleans; Finals May 28-June 1, 2010 pach and (2005-Texas) are the only 1B Mark McGwire, USC, roving professional Fox Cities Stadium Big 12 to make the finalists’ lists. Wise was a hitting instructor; SS , Michigan, Appleton, Wisconsin consensus All-America backstopper in ’09 and later private business in Orlando, Fla., admitted to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock in Lawrence University and the Fox Cities of Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau, signed with the Dodgers after completing 2009 along with Palmeiro (Clark was a 2007 College Hall of Fame inductee); 3B , hosts NCAA play. managing in after a lengthy career in the majors; OF , San Diego State, in private business in . Milestones 2009 seasons with historical milestones for several NCAA Division I schools were Ford- NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION ham’s record 150th season (missing one year because of a halt to competition during World Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Mem- War II), 145 historic years for Princeton and Yale baseball, North Carolina’s 100th campaign, 115 bership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a direc- baseball seasons at Washington State, Michigan State’s 125th year on the diamond, and the tory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Howser Award (national player of the year), centennial (100th) season for Oregon State, Tennessee and Wake Forest, among others. Regional Player of the Year and NCBWA All-America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors preseason The 2010 campaign will be the 120th season for Iowa, 105th for Oklahoma baseball, the All-American awards, the Stopper of the Year Award, publication and writing contests. Addi- 65th for Miami (Fla.), the 60th for Fairfield, the 110th for Nebraska, and centennial campaign tionally, the organization maintains a website at www.ncbwa.com. for Rhode Island and Western Michigan among the anticipated group of 302 full-scale or provi- For membership, send annual dues ($20), along with mailing address, phone, fax and sional DI members (including Seattle, which is resuming varsity baseball in ’10). e-mail address information to Russ Anderson, NCBWA Associate Executive Director, c/o Con- ference USA, 5201 No. O’Connor Blvd., Suite 300, Irving, TX 75309. coaching carousel • Erik Bakich, former assistant at Vanderbilt, was named head coach NCBWA 2009-10 OFFICERS at Maryland. President Chuck Dunlap Southeastern Conference 205-458-3010 [email protected] • Former Indiana State head coach Lindsay Meggs has taken over 1st Vice President Julie St. Cyr Big West Conference 949-261-2525 [email protected] at Washington. 2nd Vice President Tami Cutler Wichita State 316-978-5559 [email protected] • Mark Jackson is the new head coach at Philadelphia University. 3rd Vice President Ryan Bomerger Liberty 434-582-2292 [email protected] Executive Director Bo Carter National Football Foundation 940-898-2185 [email protected] • Tom Smith has taken over the program at UNC Asheville. Associate Executive Director Russ Anderson Conference USA 214-774-1351 [email protected] • San Francisco State named former Santa Clara head coach Mike Assistant Executive Director Mike Montoro West Virginia 304-293-2821 [email protected] Cummins as 2010 top baseball mentor at SFSU. Division II Coordinator Bob McComas Slippery Rock 724-738-2777 [email protected] Division III Coordinator Steve Marovich Carthage College 262-551-5740 [email protected] • Kansas Wesleyan selected Mark Carvalho as the head coach to re- place Dave Dawson, who has taken over at Arkansas Tech. Board of Directors • Other summer head coaching announcements are Scott Brickman Barry Allen Alabama 205-348-6084 [email protected] at Belmont Abbey, Tom Carcione at Metro State, Josh Norton at Nyack Jason Leturmy Florida State 850-644-1403 [email protected] (N.Y.), and Corey Kemp at College of St. Scholastica (Minn.). Jeff Conrad Houston 713-749-9404 [email protected] • Derek Johnson was named associate head coach at Vanderbilt. Judy Willson New Mexico 505-925-5851 [email protected] Ben Taylor Illinois 217-333-1391 [email protected] • USF head coach Lelo Prado was honored with Hillsborough Coun- ty and Tampa Lelo Prado Day with a proclamation after he netted 2009 Big For more information contact NCBWA Associate Executive Director Russell Anderson (214-774-1351, [email protected]).

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Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. Members receive a directory, newsletter updates and official votes in the Howser Award Player of the Year, Regional Player of the Year and NCBWA All- America voting. The NCBWA also sponsors the Stopper of the Year Award, preseason All-American awards, publication and writing contests. Additionally, the organization has a website at www.ncbwa.com. To join, send annual dues ($20.00) to Russell Anderson, NCBWA Associate Executive Director, c/o Conference USA, 5201 N. O’Connor, Suite 300, Irving, TX 75039.

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