DICK HOWSER TROPHY National Player of the Year Award
About the Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy is a national sponsorship that was created on behalf
of Dick Howser to promote baseball excellence and scholastic achievement
for collegiate baseball. Education is one of the country's biggest concerns
and through sports will bring an enhanced national focus. As the baseball
equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, the Dick Howser Trophy is the annual
national award for the outstanding collegiate baseball player. The National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) votes for the recipient
based on nominees' performance, character, leadership and courage – all
features to be emulated in memory of the late Dick Howser. The trophy, a
bronze bust of the late Dick Howser, is permanently displayed at Tropicana
Field in St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Presenting sponsor:
St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce
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.
2012 Winner: Mike Zunino, Florida
The consensus All-America and 2012 honoree from Cape Coral, Fla.,
started all 64 games for coach Kevin O'Sullivan's Gators, had a
team-leading 28 doubles. 19 homers, 64 RBI, and nine sacrifice flies,
posted a .678 slugging percentage, had 162 total bases, fielded at a
torrid .994 clip (three errors in 493 total chances), and led Florida
into the 2012 CWS with a 47-18 overall record. On June 4 he became the
highest draft choice in Gators' history as the No. 3 selection in the
first round to the Seattle Mariners.
• Semifinalists |
Finalists
2011 Winner: Taylor Jungmann,
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.
• Semifinalists |
Finalists
2010 Winner: Anthony Rendon,
Rice
Rendon batted .402 in conference play and finished the season hitting .394
overall. He led Conference USA in home runs with 26 and had more homers
than strikeouts (22) all season long. Rendon ranks among the nation's leaders
in runs scored (83) and walks (65) while maintaining a .530 on-base percentage.
He had 12 doubles and 85 RBI, while posting an .801 slugging percentage.
• Semifinalists |
Finalists
2009 Winner: Stephen Strasburg,
San Diego State
The San Diego resident was the national leader in strikeouts with 195 and
No. 2 in NCAA Division I with a 1.32 ERA and hits allowed per nine innings
with 5.37 to compliment a 13-1 overall record. The 2008 USA Baseball Player
of the Year for all divisions, Strasburg was the first selection in the
2009 Major League Baseball free agent draft by the Washington Nationals
in June. Strasburg totally dominated the Mountain West Conference in '09.
In round-robin league play, he was 7-0 with 111 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA
in eight starts. Overall, he pitched 109 innings in 15 starts, had a pair
of complete games, had a hand in four shutouts (two in personal complete
games), gave up 65 hits, and walked just 19 hitters in 15 contests. Opponents
batted just .172 against the Aztec standout.
• Semifinalists |
Finalists
2008 Winner: Buster Posey,
Florida State
The fifth player chosen overall in the June 2008 Major League Baseball free
agent draft by the San Francisco Giants, Buster Posey entered the College
World Series with an NCAA-leading .460 batting average and Top 10 individual
credentials in seven of the NCAA's Division I statistical categories. Through
66 games he topped the NCAA with 92 RBI, 26 home runs (tied for first place),
114 hits, 88 runs, a .564 on-base percentage, and 220 total bases. He was
one of the top defensive catchers in the country with just eight errors
in 474 chances for a .983 fielding percentage.
• Watch List | Semifinalists | Finalists
2007 Winner: David Price,
Vanderbilt
The consensus All-America left-hander led the Southeastern Conference in
five different pitching categories and was dominant in almost every start
for his 2007 squad. He led Vanderbilt to a school-record-season victories'
total at 54-13 overall and is the Commodores' first men's athletics national
player of the year in any sport. Price was chosen as the first player in
the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Vanderbilt's
first-ever initial draft selection) and ended the year at 11-1 overall with
194 strikeouts in 133 1/3 innings pitched.
• Watch List | Semifinalists | Finalists
1987 Mike Fiore, Miami
1988 Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State
1989 Scott Bryant, Texas
1990 Alex Fernandez, Miami-Dade C.C. South
1991 Frank Rodriguez, Howard College
1992 Brooks Kieschnick, Texas
1993 Brooks Kieschnick, Texas
1994 Jason Varitek, Georgia Tech
1985 Todd Helton, Tennessee
1996 Kris Benson, Clemson
1997 J.D. Drew, Florida State
1998 Eddy Furniss, LSU
1999 Jason Jennings, Baylor
The 2010 Dick Howser Trophy committee:
NCBWA President Chuck Dunlap, Jana Howser,
Chairman David Feaster; Moderator Howard Borden, NCBWA Executive
Director Bo Carter.
