FROM PRESS RELEASE
Lubbock, Texas – Pedro Alvarez of Vanderbilt, Ryan Lavarnway of Yale, Kyle Russell of Texas and Brett Wallace of Arizona State highlight the list of players named to the pre-season release of the 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List.
“After a great fall baseball season, we can see that the talent level in college baseball will once again be great. We have several from last year’s Wallace Watch that we will continue to follow, and we look forward to tracking the new additions as well”, said Raymond Richardson, Chair of Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award Committee.
The Wallace Award is presented to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s annual induction festivities. The 2008 award banquet will be held Thursday, July 3, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.
Last year’s Brooks Wallace award went to Vanderbilt pitcher, David Price. Price was the first overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and is currently pitching in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. The 2006 winner was standout pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln of Houston. Nebraska’s Alex Gordon, now with the Kansas City Royals, took home the 2005 trophy. The inaugural award was given in 2004 to Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton, who is now catching for the Oakland A’s.
The Wallace Award is a dedication to the memory of the former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A four-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District his senior year. He led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1980. 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, TX, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan.
Brooks Wallace Watch List (Listed by School) REVISED
Brooks Wallace Watch List (Listed by Player) REVISED
7 comments
Among teams, those with the most nominees are:
Arizona State: (6)
Guilmet (P), Jarvis (P), Leake (P), Paramore (C), Satow (RP), Wallace (1B)
Miami (Fla): (4)
Sobolewski (OF), Alonso (1B), Erickson (P), Weeks (IF)
North Carolina: (4)
Federowicz (UT), Ackley (1B), Fedroff (OF), Warren (P)
Vanderbilt: (4)
Alvarez (3B), De la Osa (RF), Flaherty (SS), Minor (P)
Not surprisingly, each of those four teams will appear in most top 5 or top 6 rankings along with teams like Rice and Oregon State.
BC has three also with Tony Sanchez Jr., Eric Campbell, and Terry Doyle all listed. BC is nowhere near those teams though.
Yeah, there’s no doubt that ASU has to be the preseason #1. It’s likely that Vandy will have three 1st team preseason AAs, but ASU has the pitching foursome that can guarantee them at least a regional.
I like Miami this upcoming season in the ACC. They have the pitching and the hitting to win a ton of games.
My sleeper is Lavarnway out of Yale as he can really hit in a surprising Ivy League. They have some decent talent in that league. NYDore, If you get a chance see the Bulldogs, Harvard, or Penn this season against Columbia. All of them have decent programs.
They made an error on the list in regard to Texas. It shows that Jordan Danks as a Sophomore and he is a Junior.
I have posted the updated list…They screwed up the first draft.
I’ll try to make Yale if they travel to Columbia or Fordham.
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