DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association, working in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area
Chamber of Commerce, has released the five finalists for the 2006
Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball.
The membership of the NCBWA will choose the Dick Howser Trophy based on
three rounds of voting. The 2006 winner will be announced at the College
World Series in Omaha on Friday, June 16 at 10 a.m. CDT.
Rice
right-handed pitcher Eddie Degerman, James Madison outfielder
Kellen Kulbacki, Washington right-hander Tim Lincecum,
Houston pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln and Cal State
Fullerton right-hander Wes Roemer are the finalists for this
year's award.
Degerman is among the nation's leaders in wins (12), ERA (1.67) and
strikeouts (150). He was named the Most Outstanding Player in Rice's
NCAA Regional last weekend after fanning a season-high 14 in a 7-2 win
over Baylor. The standout from Granada Hills, Calif., was taken by the
St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round of the major league draft
earlier this week.
Kulbacki, the 2006 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year
is the national home run (24 total and 0.45 per game) and slugging
percentage (.943) leader. His season batting average of .464 ranks
second nationally and his 1.42 RBI per game (75 total) stands tied for
fourth across the nation. Kulbacki set James Madison single-season
records for
homers, batting average, slugging percentage, total bases (183) and tied
the record for RBIs. He also tied the CAA record for home runs.
The national leader with 199 strikeouts, the hard-throwing Lincecum
was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year for the second time in three
seasons. He set school season marks for strikeouts and wins (12) and set
career marks for wins (30), innings (342) and strikeouts (491). His
career strikeout total also set a new Pac-10 mark. He became the highest
drafted player in UW history when the San Francisco Giants took him with
the 10th overall selection on Tuesday.
Lincoln earned Pitcher of the Year honors from Conference USA,
posting a 12-2 record with a 1.69 ERA and 152 strikeouts, which ranked
third in the nation. His season strikeout mark was third-best in Cougar
history, as was his career total (293). Lincoln was also one of the
Cougars' leading hitters all season, compiling a .295 batting average
with 14 home runs and a team-leading 53 RBIs. With his pitching and
offensive numbers, Lincoln ranked among the Top 10 C-USA individual
leaders in five of the six top statistical categories for the majority
of the 2006 season. On Tuesday, he became the highest drafted UH
baseball player in school history when he was taken with the fourth
overall selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After earning 2005 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year accolades,
Roemer returned to the mound this season and continued to showcase his
talent, earning Big West Pitcher of the Year honors. During the 2006
season, the sophomore right-hander tossed three complete games, two of
which where shutouts, while posting a 12-1 record. The Glendora, Calif.,
native has pitched 133.0 innings and has only given up six walks, while
striking out 125. He received Big West Pitcher of the Week honors four
times this season.
The
Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the former Florida State University
All-America shortstop and major league player and manager who died of brain
cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball's most prestigious
award.
Criteria for consideration for the trophy include performance on the
field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified
by Dick Howser's life.
A Florida native, Howser was a two-time All-America shortstop at Florida
State University (1957-58), then coached the Seminoles in 1979 after a career
as a major league player and coach. After one year in the college ranks,
Howser returned to the majors to manage the New York Yankees and Kansas
City Royals and won the World Series with the Royals in 1985. The baseball
stadium on the Florida State campus is named for Howser.
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 and the 1999 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four.
Both the winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep.
The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is in its 107th year of existence
in 2006. 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; Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; Mark Prior, P, USC, 2001, Khalil
Greene, SS, Clemson, 2002; Rickey Weeks, 2B, Southern U., 2003; Jered Weaver,
RHP, Long Beach State, 2004; and Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005.