DALLAS (NCBWA) The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) have named the four finalists for the 22nd annual Dick Howser Trophy, which will be presented in Omaha, Neb., on June 14, to college baseball's player of the year.
The four finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy are Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham, Missouri pitcher Aaron Crow, Florida State catcher Buster Posey and Arizona State third baseman Brett Wallace.
One member of this quartet will be named the winner at a news conference on Saturday, June 14, at 10 a.m. (CDT) at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce (1301 Harney St.), as the recipient of the award, given annually since 1987.
Beckham set the single-season home run record (24) at Georgia this year and was voted the SEC Player of the Year. He ranks among the national leaders in several offensive categories. Beckham is batting .397 with 24 home runs, 65 RBI, 85 runs scored and 189 total bases.
Crow set a Missouri record with 13 wins, most in the nation, and had 43 consecutive scoreless innings, unofficially the fourth-longest streak in Division I. His 127 strikeouts are tied for the second most in Mizzou school history. The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year tossed four complete games and posted a 2.35 ERA.
Posey is seeking to become just the fourth student-athlete in ACC history to win baseball's version of the triple crown as he currently leads the league in average (.468), home runs (24) and RBI (86). The ACC Pitcher of the Year was also was a relief pitcher who had six saves to lead Florida State.
Wallace was the Pac-10 Player of the Year for the second straight season. He led the conference with a .414 average; had 94 hits, scored 83 runs, hit 21 home runs, drive in 81 runs and recorded 173 total bases.
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 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; Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; Mark Prior, Southern California, 2001; Khalil Greene, Clemson, 2002; Rickey Weeks, Southern, 2003; Jered Weaver, Long Beach State, 2004; Alex Gordon, Nebraska, 2005; Brad Lincoln, Houston, 2006; and David Price, Vanderbilt, 2007.