NCBWA News from Bo Carter News

After tying the program record with 51 wins and leading the program to its first College World Series appearance since 1978, Oral Roberts head coach Ryan Folmar has been named the 2023 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Mike Martin National Coach of the Year.

LSU pitching standout and consensus All-American Paul Skenes is the 36th recipient of the 2023 Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear.

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced its 25th Annual District Players of the Year for all nine districts for the 2023 season.

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the Dick Howser Trophy Committee have named the five finalists for the 36th Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear as the national player of the year. The five finalists for the Howser Trophy, which has been presented since 1987 except for the 2020 COVID-shortened season, are sophomore 1B/SP Jac Caglianone of Florida, junior OF Dylan Crews of LSU, junior SP Rhett Lowder of Wake Forest, SP junior Paul Skenes of LSU and sophomore 2B JJ Wetherholt of West Virginia.

The Dick Howser Trophy Committee, in conjunction with the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, has released the list of semifinalists for the 2023 Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear. The most prestigious award in college baseball is given to the top player based on two rounds of national voting. 

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 25th year with its 2023 weekly surveys. Preseason No. 1 LSU is atop the poll for the fourth consecutive week. 

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 25th year with its 2023 weekly surveys. Preseason No. 1 LSU is off to a 6-1 start and ranks atop the poll for the third consecutive week. 

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 26th year with its 2023 weekly surveys. Preseason No. 1 LSU swept Western Michigan to remain unbeaten and hold the top spot for two weeks in succession. Defending NCAA champion Ole Miss (first ever) moved up from No. 7 to No. 5 after a season-opening series sweep. 

John Cox, a veteran of 45 years of broadcasts in Southern Miss athletics and regional award winner, is the 48th annual NCBWA Russell D. Anderson/Wilbur Snypp Award recipient for national contributions to college baseball.

Stocked with standouts from the 2022 NCAA World Series and national Top 25-35 squads, the 22nd annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason All-America teams feature the best of college baseball for the coming campaign.

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 26th year with its 2023 inaugural and weekly surveys, and the LSU Tigers (40-22 in 2022) rate No. 1 in the preseason poll ahead of No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Stanford. This is the third time for the Tigers to receive the NCBWA’s preseason nod for pre-campaign No. 1 along with the first NCBWA preseason poll in 1998 and in 2001. 

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 25th year with its 2022 weekly surveys. NCAA champ Ole Miss wears the crown in this season-ending survey. This was the first NCAA diamond crown for the Rebels as they downed No. 2 Oklahoma 4-2 in the June 26 finals. Neither of the top two NCAA finishers was among the Top 16 seeds in the NCAA tourney draw, though UM began the season at 13-2 and was ranked No. 2 in four different NCBWA regular-season polls.

Texas first baseman Ivan Melendez, the Longhorns’ all-time seasonal home run leader and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, is the 35th recipient of the 2022 Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound redshirt junior from El Paso (Texas) Coronado High School, also is the fourth Longhorn (five times) to nab this national honor since 1992. The El Paso resident also is first in NCAA Division I runs-batted-in with 94, first in slugging percentage at .886, first in total bases with 209, fourth in on-base percentage at .518, 13th in runs with 75, 12th in total hits with 94, and 14th in batting average at .396.

The NCBWA presented its annual national awards in a news conference at the College World Series in Omaha.

The Dick Howser Trophy and its executive director David Feaster invite all media to attend the 35th Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear award ceremony with a national news conference Friday, June 17, 2022, at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m., CDT at the Charles Schwab Park Media Room in Omaha, Nebraska.

Five future 2022 consensus All-America selections who led their respective schools this spring are finalists for the 35th Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear in balloting by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in conjunction with the Dick Howser Trophy Committee and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Oregon State starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe, Tennessee third baseman Trey Lipscomb, Texas first baseman Ivan Melendez, Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada and Clemson third baseman Max Wagner are the five finalists for the prestigious Howser Trophy.

Tennessee returned to No. 1 for the sixth time in seven weeks to replace last week’s No. 1 Oregon State. The Volunteers, of coach Tony Vitello, continue to lead all DI teams with 45 victories and have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Southeastern Conference tournament, held in Hoover, Alabama, on May 24-29. Oregon State, the Volunteers, Texas and Vanderbilt have held the No. 1 position in 14 NCBWA surveys to date.

Tennessee (37-3) is No. 1 for the fifth consecutive week; going 6-2 since having its school-record winning streak ended at 23 games overall two weeks ago. Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello, the 2021 NCBWA Mike Martin National Coach of the Year Award winner, has led the Vols to their best start in Southeastern Conference annals at 17-1. Texas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee have held down the No. 1 position in 10 NCBWA surveys to date.

Tennessee (31-1) is No. 1 for the third week in a row after running its winning streak to 23 games – second in Southeastern Conference history behind Texas A&M in 2015 with 24 consecutive victories. Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello, the 2021 NCBWA Mike Martin National Coach of the Year Award winner, also has led the Vols to their best Southeastern Conference start in school history at 12-0. Texas, Vanderbilt and the Vols have held down the No. 1 position in eight NCBWA surveys to date.

Tennessee (27-1) is No. 1 for the second week in a row after sweeping previous NCBWA No. 1 Vanderbilt in Nashville to win its school-record 19th consecutive game. Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello, the 2021 NCBWA Mike Martin National Coach of the Year Award winner, also has led the Vols to their best Southeastern Conference start in school history at 9-0. Texas, Vandy and the Vols have held down the No. 1 position in eight NCBWA surveys to date.