The field of candidates aiming for the 2007 Brooks Wallace College Player of the Year Award was reduced to the top 112 NCAA players today, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, TX. The Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player and will be nationally televised on Fox Sports Network.
The 2007 award banquet will be held Tuesday, July 3, at 7 p.m. in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.
The selection committee will narrow the list to 30 semifinalists toward the end of May. Following the NCAA Super Regionals, the three finalists will be announced during the College World Series in Omaha. The three finalists, their head coaches and parents will be invited to Lubbock where they will participate in a three-day celebration of college baseball on July 2-4. The Wallace Trophy and winners will become a part of the permanent display in the new College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock. The three finalists will participate in activities with the 2007 Hall of Fame Inductees as part of the “Past Meets Present” theme and will receive special recognition during the official induction ceremony.
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.
Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton won the 2004 Brooks Wallace Award and Alex Gordon of Nebraska took home the 2005 trophy. Last year’s Wallace winner was standout pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln of Houston.
Revised 2007 Wallace Watch
Ackley, Dustin 1B North Carolina
Adams, Cody SP Southern Illinois
Alaniz, Adrian SP Texas
Alvarez, Pedro 3B Vanderbilt
Ambort, Michael DH Lamar
Arencibia, J.P. C Tennessee
Banwart, Travis SP Wichita State
Baum, Justin 3B Pacific
Bolden, Jared 1B VCU
Brown, Corey OF Oklahoma State
Canham, Mitch C Oregon State
Chalk, Brad OF Clemson
Chigges, Nick SP College of Charleston
Coughlin, Sean C Kentucky
Crawford, Brandon SS UCLA
Curry, Ryan INF Bradley
Davis, Lars C Illinois
Davis, Marcus OF Alcorn State
Dean, Blake OF LSU
DeLaGarza, Andy SP Coastal Carolina
Desme, Grant OF Cal Poly
Dew, Josh RP Troy
Diaz, Walter SS South Florida
Doolittle, Sean UTIL Virginia
Dykstra, Allan 1B Wake Forest
Easley, Edward C Mississippi State
Edwards, Daniel RP Kansas State
Emaus, Brad 2B Tulane
Enright, Barry SP Pepperdine
Erickson, Blair RP UC Irvine
Etheridge, Wes RP UC Irvine
Frazier, Todd SS Rutgers
Gonzalez, Joel OF Md.-Eastern Shore
Guilmet, Raymond SP Arizona
Guyer, Brandon OF Virginia
Hagadone, Nick RP Washington
Henry, Bryan SP Florida State
Hill, Nick SP Army
Hill, Steven C SF Austin
Honeycutt, Harris SP South Carolina
Huber, Erik 1B Eastern Illinois
Hudson, Brandon UTIL Louisiana Tech
Jenkins, Justin OF West Virginia
Johnson, Logan 2B Louisville
Kieschnick, Roger OF Texas Tech
Kingrey, Charlie OF McNeese State
Kline, Will SP Mississippi
Krauss, Marc UTIL Ohio
Kluber, Corey SP Stetson
Kulbacki, Kellen OF James Madison
LaPorta, Matt 1B Florida
Lavarnway, Ryan OF Yale
Luebke, Cory SP Ohio State
Mach, Tyler 2B Oklahoma State
Mangini, Matt 3B Oklahoma State
Matusz, Brian SP San Diego
McConnell, Eryk RP North Carolina State
McCullough, Brian SP Longwood
McElroy, Brad OF Charlotte
McOwen, James OF Florida International
Mee, Mike OF Minnesota
Mills, Adam SP Charlotte
Minor, Mike SP Vanderbilt
Morris, Matt OF UC-Irvine
Musgrave, Rob SP Wichita State
Nicholson, Kyle RP Texas A&M
Pacheco, Jordan 2B New Mexico
Paramore, Petey C Arizona State
Payne, Danny OF Georgia Tech
Price, David SP Vanderbilt
Putnam, Zack UTIL Michigan
Raber, Chris OF Coastal Carolina
Richard, Michael SS Prairie View
Rike, Brian OF Louisiana Tech
Robinson, Clint 1B/DH Troy
Rochelle, Kris C Charlotte
Romero, Nick INF San Diego State
Russell, James SP Texas
Russell, Kyle OF Texas
Satow, Josh SP Arizona State
Satterwhite, Cody RP Mississippi
Savery, Joe UTIL Rice
Schmidt, Nick SP Arkansas
Sexton, Greg 3B William & Mary
Shafer, Aaron SP Wichita State
Shah, Asif UTIL SE Missouri
Shawler, Anthony SP Old Dominion
Shunk, Derek SS Villanova
Simmons, James SP UCR
Spencer, Matt UTIL Arizona State
Stouffer, Blake 3B Texas A&M
Stovall, Daniel 1B New Mexico
Stovall, Tyler OF C. Michigan
Stutes, Mike SP Oregon State
Sublett, Damon INF Wichita State
Suttle, Bradley 3B Texas
Tacker, Ryan SP Rice
Taylor, Heath SP Oklahoma
Thomas, Tony 2B Florida State
Thompson, Jacob SP Virginia
Turner, Brandon SS Mississippi State
Verbick, Brad OF Sam Houston State
Wallace, Brett 1B Arizona State
Waring, Brandon SS Wofford
Weathers, Casey RP Vanderbilt
Whiting, Boomer OF Louisville
Whittemore, Clay OF Jacksonville State
Widlansky, Robbie OF Florida Atlantic
Wieters, Matt Georgia Tech C/P
Wright, Ty OF Oklahoma State
Yonder, Alonso 1B Miami (Florida)
Zahm, Mike OF Old Dominion