2006 WALLACE WATCH College Baseball Player of the Year November 21, 2005 LUBBOCK, Texas – Seven returning members of last season’s CBF National Honors Team head up a list of 120 baseball student-athletes on the 2006 Wallace Watch released Monday by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, TX. The Brooks Wallace Award is presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The 2005 winner, third baseman Alex Gordon of Nebraska, has signed to play professionally for the Kansas City Royals. Last year, outfielder Shane Robinson of Florida State was the only college player ranked in the top five in the offensive categories of runs scored, hits, doubles, average and on-base percentage. Chris Campbell, College of Charleston second baseman, set a school record for RBI in a season with 85 and added 102 hits. 1B Matt LaPorta of Florida lifted the Gators to their first SEC Championship since 1998 with 23 home runs, while catcher Michael Ambort of Lamar was named Southland Conference hitter of the year batting .338, with his 16 home runs tying the single-season school record. First baseman Adam Carr of Oklahoma State batted .336, and led the Big 12 Conference with 22 homers and 86 RBIs, while dual-threat Joe Savery of Rice was named first team all-conference as both a first baseman and pitcher. The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists by late May. Then the selection committee will narrow the list to three finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals at a press conference in Omaha. The finalists, their head coaches, and their parents will be invited to Lubbock, TX, for a schedule of special events tied to the award banquet, which will again be nationally televised by Fox Sports Network. Dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach, Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A 4-year starter, he was named All- Southwest Conference and All-District Six his senior year when he led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament. After playing two years in the Texas Rangers organization, he returned to Texas Tech and served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. In the summer of 1984 he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease courageously until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27. The Plano, Texas, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan. The selection committee for the Wallace Award is comprised of a national panel of preeminent coaches, sports information directors, former winners and beat media who most closely follow the sport. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. The list will expand and contract during the regular season and additional Wallace Watch candidates may be added as the season progresses. Voting for the three finalists and the Wallace Award winner will be conducted by confidential balloting, with totals tabulated by the J.W.Anderson & Associates accounting firm in Lubbock, TX. 2006 Wallace Watch Ian Kennedy, P, USC Shane Robinson, OF, Florida State Shelby Ford, SS, Oklahoma State Matt McHargue, 1B, USF Max Scherzer, P, Missouri Marc Maddox, 1B, Southern Miss Joe Savery, P-ATH, Rice Dallas Buck, P, Oregon State Ty Dunham, P, Central Michigan Adrian Alaniz, P, Texas Matt LaPorta, 1B, Florida J. P. Arencibia, C, Tennessee Wade LeBlanc, P, Alabama Michael Ambort, C, Lamar Tim Lincecum, P, Washington Matt Rizzotti, 1B, Manhattan P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org Jason Meyer, P, Texas A&M Chris Minaker, SS, Stanford Jim Negrych, 2B, Pittsburgh Hector Ambriz, P-ATH, UCLA Adam Carr, 1B, Oklahoma State Wes Roemer, P, Cal State Fullerton Brooks Brown, P, Georgia Colin Curtis, OF, Arizona State Drew Stubbs, OF, Texas Andrew Miller, P, North Carolina Evan Longoria, 3B, Long Beach State Scott Sizemore, 2B, VCU Beau Mills, 3B, Fresno State Mike Folli, SS, Buffalo Matt Melancon, P , Arizona Joseph Callendar, 2B, Texas Tech Joe Spiers, SS, Hawai’i Joba Chamberlain, P, Nebraska Matt Farrington, P, Houston Nick Schmidt, P, Arkansas Chris Campbell, 2B, College of Charleston Clay Dirks, P, LSU Brad Emaus, 3B, Tulane Greg Dowling, 1B, Georgia Southern Jay Heafner, 3B, Davidson Jeff Kunkel, C, Michigan Chris Perez, P, Miami Keith Gunderson, P, Oregon State Tyler Chambliss, P, Florida State Steven Wright, P, Hawai’i Pat McMahon, C, Northwestern Jim Viscomi, OF, Evansville Brennan Boesch, OF, California Nolan Reimold, OF, Bowling Green Jake Ball, SS, Jacksonville State Michael McKenry, C, Middle Tenne. St. Matt Wieters, C-ATH, Georgia Tech Chad Huffman, OF, TCU Jeremy Jones, OF, N. Carolina A&T Matt Lewis, OF, Penn State Heath Rollins, P-ATH, Winthrop Sean Doolittle, P-ATH, Virginia Matt Antonelli, 3B, Wake Forest Corey Riordan, P, Fordham Derrick Lutz, P, George Washington Bernard Robert, P, Alabama John Jay, OF, Miami Jordan Pacheco, 2B, New Mexico Paul Coleman, P, Pepperdine Luke Hopkins, 1B, New Mexico State Luke Trubee, P, Dayton Chris Johnson, 2B, Stetson Chris Coghlan, 3B, Ole Miss Jared McGuire, 3B, Boston College Wes Hodges, 3B, Georgia Tech Steven Guerra, P, Oklahoma Anton Daley, DH-ATH, Prairie View Troy Krider, DH-ATH, Michigan State Rowdy Hardy, P, Austin Peay Taylor Fowler, P, Arkansas State Kodiak Quick, P, Kansas Brian Blomquist, P, Illinois Tim Bascom, P, Central Florida P. J. Walters, P, South Alabama Scott Cousins, P-ATH, San Francisco Johnny Dorn, P, Nebraska Keith Weiser, P, Miami (OH) Corey VanAllen, P, Baylor Elih Villanueva, P, Florida International Mitch Hilligoss, SS, Purdue Brandon Hynick, P, Birmingham-Southern James Bennett, OF, UL Monroe Charlie Yarbrough, OF, Longwood Blake Davis, SS, Cal State Fullerton Kyle Jones, Texas State, DH-ATH David Price, P, Vanderbilt Brett Pill, 1B, Cal State Fullerton Jay Miller, OF, Washington State Taylor Harbin, 2B, Clemson Shane Buschini, OF, San Diego Kraig Binick, OF New York Tech Joseph Hunter, OF, Mississippi State Gib Hobson, P, NC State Brett Sinkbeil, P, Missouri State Jon Willard, OF, South Carolina Michael Taylor, OF, Stanford Derek Schermerhorn, 3B, Wichita State Josh Landry, OF, Louisiana Daniel Delcalso, 2B, UC Davis John Gaub, P, Minnesota John Shelby, DH-ATH, Kentucky Brennan Garr, P-ATH, N. Colorado Jared Hughes, P. Long Beach State Chad Tracy, C, Pepperdine Quinton Berry, OF, San Diego State Ryan Bird, OF, UNLV Hunter Mense, OF, Missouri Brandon Dewing, P, San Jose State Chris Pettit, OF, Loyola Marymount Scott Reese, P, Creighton Matt Poulk, 3B, UNC-Wilmington Cory Luebke, P, Ohio State Nick Hill, P, Army Ben Saylor, 1B, BYU Justin Baum, 3B-C, Pacific Aaron Bates, 1B-C, North Carolina State For more information on the 2006 Brooks Wallace Award contact: John [email protected] P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org .