University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Best Named To Howser Trophy Watch List
4/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 27, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss senior closer Daniel Best was named one of 64 players from across the nation to the official watch list for the 2006 Dick Howser Trophy, given to the nation's top collegiate baseball player.
Other Conference USA players named to the list are Rice pitchers Eddie Degerman and Cole St.Clair, along with utility player Joe Savery, Houston utility player Brad Lincoln, and UCF pitcher Tim Bascom.
Best, who was named to the 2006 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List, was one of five finalists for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year in 2005 and followed that up by not allowing an earned run in his first 16 appearances this season. Currently, he is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA in 36.1 innings pitched. Best has saved nine games, while striking out 38 batters and walking only four.
He set the school career saves record last night against Mississippi State, collecting 21 saves over his four-year career. The former record-holder Austin Tubb, finished with 20 saves over his two-year career in Hattiesburg from 2003-04.
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 Howser's life.
The membership of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (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 9:30 a.m. CDT. For more information on the Dick Howser Trophy, please visit www.NCBWA.com or www.DickHowserTrophy.com.
2006 DICK HOWSER TROPHY WATCH LIST 1B Danny Hamblin, Arkansas 1B Charlie Yarbrough, Eastern Kentucky 1B Ryan Strieby, Kentucky 1B Luke Hopkins, New Mexico State 1B Craig Cooper, Notre Dame 1B Chad Huffman, TCU 1B Allan Dykstra, Wake Forest 2B Scott Campbell, Gonzaga 2B Ramon Corona, N.C. State 2B Johnny Giavotella, New Orleans 2B David Adams, Virginia 2B Jim Negrych, Pittsburgh 3B Zach Daeges, Creighton 3B Wes Hodges, Georgia Tech 3B Matt Mangini, N.C. State 3B Ronnie Bourquin, Ohio State 3B Neil Giesler, South Carolina 3B Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt 3B Kelly Sweppenhiser, VMI 3B Matt Antonelli, Wake Forest SS Christian Vitters, Fresno State SS Joaquin Rodriguez, Jackson State SS Thomas Berkey, Mississippi State SS Tom King, Troy SS Ryan Khoury, Utah C Alex Garabedian, Coll. of Charleston C Michael McKenry, Middle Tennessee C Chris Hatcher, UNC Wilmington C Blake Murphy, Western Carolina OF Tyler Colvin, Clemson OF Shane Robinson, Florida State OF Kellen Kulbacki, James Madison OF Joe Roundy, Kansas State OF Quinn Stewart, LSU OF Shawn Scobee, Nevada OF Jay Cox, North Carolina OF Cyle Hankerd, Southern California OF Carson Kainer, Texas DH/ATH Brad Lincoln, Houston DH/ATH Nate Schill, James Madison DH/ATH J.B. Shuck, Ohio State DH/ATH Joe Savery, Rice DH/ATH Sean Doolittle, Virginia DH/ATH Jared Prince, Wash. State DH/ATH Damon Sublett, Wichita State SP Wes Roemer, Cal State Fullerton SP Bryan Henry, Florida State SP Eddie Romero, Fresno State SP Danny Ray Herrera, New Mexico SP Johnny Dorn, Nebraska SP Andrew Miller, North Carolina SP Jason Godin, Old Dominion SP Dan Hudson, Old Dominion SP Eddie Degerman, Rice SP Tim Bascom, UCF SP David Price, Vanderbilt SP Tim Lincecum, Washington RP Vinnie Pestano, Cal State Fullerton RP Don Czyz, Kansas RP Andrew Urena, Mercer RP Brett Jensen, Nebraska RP Cole St.Clair, Rice RP Daniel Best, Southern Miss RP Ben Hunter, Wake Forest
