FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
OMAHA, Neb. – Texas junior pitcher Taylor Jungmann is the recipient of the 25th annual Dick Howser Trophy, presented by Easton Foundations, as college baseball’s player of the year. The presentation was made Tuesday morning as part of a news conference at TD Ameritrade Park, with several other 2011 national honors being awarded as well.
The 25th anniversary of the Dick Howser Trophy presented by Easton Foundations was even more special by the awarding of this year’s honor at TD Ameritrade Stadium in downtown Omaha, the new home of the College World Series.
As the 2011 Howser Trophy recipient, Jungmann also will take part of the College Baseball Foundation’s festivities to recognize and induct the College Baseball Hall of Fame and the awarding of several other national honors for 2011, on July 3, in Lubbock, Texas.
Jungmann, who hails from Georgetown, Texas, near Austin, brought the Longhorns back to the 2011 NCAA World Series with a 13-3 mark, five complete games, three route-going shutouts (five combined), a 1.60 ERA, 36 walks issued, and 125 strikeouts.
He was the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year, helped UT to a 49-18 mark through Saturday’s opener in the CWS, has 19 appearances with 18 starts, and allowed opponents a batting average of .165. The consensus All-America selection was selected No. 12 overall in the 2011 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Jungmann won the Howser Trophy over two other outstanding finalists: UCLA junior pitcher Trevor Bauer and Virginia junior utility performer (P-DH-1B) Danny Hultzen.
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 twice an 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.
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 College Baseball Foundation was established in 2004 and has inducted more than 60 greats into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock. The group promotes the highest ideals and recognition of greatness on college baseball diamonds in the 150 years since the first intercollegiate contest in 1859 between Amherst and Williams.
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, P, Long Beach State, 2004; Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005; Brad Lincoln, P/DH, Houston, 2006; David Price, P, Vanderbilt, 2007; Buster Posey, C, Florida State, 2008; Stephen Strasburg, P, San Diego State, 2009 and Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice, 2010.
